What’s the USRDA for red wine? Can wine and pot get along in Michigan? Can South African winemakers capture the minds and wallets of American consumers? [level-members]
Wine Label Calorie Counts
Coming soon to a wine label near you: calorie information.
Treasury Wines, with their portfolio of more than 80 brands, will begin including caloric information on their wine bottles beginning in Europe before rolling out the program in North America and other markets.
The company is responding to the fact that, “consumers are increasingly interested in accessing the facts on calorie content,” according to a company spokesperson.
Though we’re always glad to see more information for consumers, it’s hard not to note that what’s generally a nominal expense for large producers like Treasury can be a real burden to small producers. We hope that ranges and guidelines will be sufficient for the regulators.
It also seems worth noting that anything that makes wine seem more like an everyday grocery in the US is a good thing for the wine industry. Read the full story here.
Wine and Marijuana in Michigan
In yet another instance that has the alcohol industry looking defensive in light of growing acceptance of marijuana as a legal form of recreational fun, wine advocates in Michigan are lobbying for regulation of “marijuana in a manner consistent with other adult, controlled products.”
Then again, since they’re promoting a tiered system, it may just be that distributors are trying to create a new market for themselves when recreational marijuana is approved. (The current vote is for medical marijuana.) Read the full article here.
South African Wine Marketing
Meanwhile, down in South Africa, winemakers are being encouraged to hone their marketing and storytelling skills to better enable themselves to compete in the American market. One watchword: authenticity, a popular theme with the hipster generation just discovering wine. Read the full article here.
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