Alcohol content

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

codeman

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
298
Reaction score
35
I thought I read somewhere (here) that a wine label alcohol content could be off within .5 % or something like that. Is this correct or is a wine label ABV statement have to be exact?
 
According to the TTB:

There is also a tolerance for alcohol content shown on the label. For table wine, the alcohol content must be within 1 ½ % above or below the alcohol content shown on the label. For dessert wine, the tolerance is 1% above or below. And like the ranges, the tolerance does not apply if the line is crossed into another tax class. So if the wine is labeled at 13% and the wine tests at 11.5%, it is within tolerance. However, if it tests at 14.5%, the wine is not within tolerance because the line has been crossed into the dessert wine category.

  • If wine tests at 14.04% alcohol by volume, it may be rounded down to 14%.
  • If wine tests at 14.05% or above, it must be rounded up to 14.1%
The alcohol content must appear on the Brand Label. On the sample label at the right “Alc. 13.5% by vol.” is the alcohol content.
 
Back
Top