Should Europe label a wine as ‘alcohol light’ when it is stronger than the average beer or an Aperol spritz? The European Commission seems to think so.

A new designation risks encouraging consumption by downplaying the true strength of these drinks, raising both public health concerns and questions about fair labelling practices.

In its latest wine package, the European Commission has proposed new branding rules that introduce denominations such as ‘alcohol-free’, ‘0.0%,’ and ‘alcohol light’ for no- or low-alcohol wine products.

The ‘alcohol light’ label applies to wines with an alcohol content above 0.5% but at least 30% lower than the minimum strength required for that ‘category’ before dealcoholisation – the process that removes alcohol from wine.

This definition means that some dealcoholised wines could be labelled as ‘alcohol light’ – rather than simply ‘light wine’ – while still containing more alcohol than most commercial beers, ciders, and low-alcohol cocktails like spritzers and hard seltzers.

How so?

A closer look at the regulation reveals that, to be classified as such in the EU, wines must have a minimum alcohol content of 8.5% by volume.

This means that under the proposed definitions, a dealcoholised version of a standard wine with an alcohol content reduced to 5.95% could still be labelled ‘alcohol light’.

The same applies to sparkling wines such as French Champagne, Spanish Cava, or Italian Prosecco, which must have at least 8.5% alcohol. Their dealcoholised versions could then contain as much as 5.95% alcohol and still qualify for the ‘alcohol light’ label.

Similarly, liqueur wines, including French vin de liqueur and Spanish fortified wines, must have a minimum of 15% alcohol according to the EU rules. In this case, their dealcoholised version with 10.5% alcohol could also carry the ‘alcohol light’ designation.

Stronger than a beer

This labelling approach could create a misleading impression that these wines are weaker than they truly are.

Wine would receive preferential treatment under this system, as beverages with similar or lower alcohol content, such as most lager beers (3.5%-5.5% alcohol by volume), wheat beers, pilsners, and pale ales (4%-6% alcohol by volume), are not granted the ‘alcohol light’ label.

Dry and sweet ciders (4%-6% alcohol by volume), and low-alcohol cocktails like spritzers and hard seltzers which contain less alcohol than the new wine category, still won’t be considered ‘alcohol light’.

The wine package has drawn criticism from consumer organisations, civil society groups, and NGOs, who argue that the European Commission consulted only winemakers while drafting the new rules, excluding other stakeholders.

“On which grounds did the Commission and winemakers decide this was needed and consumers wanted it?” asked Eurocare’s Florence Berteletti, secretary general of the civil society organisation Eurocare, which deals with alcohol-related harm prevention.

She questioned the rationale behind the new set of rules, arguing that the EU executive focused on economic interests rather than public health implications.

“This is also openly conflicts with another set of EU rules stating that food information to consumers should not be misleading,” said Berteletti.

The 2011 regulation on food information to consumers regulates fair information practices and explicitly states that labelling should not suggest that a specific food possesses special characteristics common to similar foods.

The power of the ‘light’ label

Richard Thaler, who won a Nobel Prize for his work on behavioural economics, demonstrated in his pioneering work on so-called ‘nudge theory’ how consumers can be influenced by labelling and product placement.

The term ‘light’ is already widely used in food, alcohol, and tobacco industries to nudge consumer behaviour.

Research indicates that ‘light’ labelling – especially in relation to sugar reduction – leads consumers to believe a product is healthier than it actually is.

A similar issue was found with cigarettes: studies by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed that terms like ‘light’ and ‘low tar’ misled consumers into thinking these cigarettes were less harmful. As a result, many countries have banned such terms on cigarette packaging.

In the alcohol industry, ‘light’ labelling is particularly prevalent in the United States, where brands like Coors, Budweiser, and Miller introduced light versions of their beers in the 1970s, making them popular among consumers.

A recent study on alcohol labelling found that while descriptors like ‘low’ or ‘super low’ in alcohol reduced product appeal, they did not significantly impact consumer understanding of alcohol strength.

However, introducing the term ‘alcohol light’ for wines could have the opposite effect, making stronger wines seem less potent and more attractive, particularly to health-conscious consumers, younger demographics, and those engaged in fitness-related activities.