Is an e-label mandatory for wine?

The ingredients and nutrition information is mandatory for wine produced from 8 December 2023 and sold in the EU. An e-label is optional, but it is the most practical way to provide most of that information.

What has to be printed on the bottle if I use an e-label?

The energy value (which can be shown with the symbol E), any allergens written out in words, and a clearly labelled QR code or link to the e-label, alongside the usual mandatory particulars.

Can I use the "i" symbol next to the QR code?

Not on its own. The European Commission's guidance says the QR code should be identified with a term such as "Ingredients" in the language of the market.

Can I put marketing content on my e-label?

No. The e-label must not contain sales or marketing information and must not track the people who scan it. Use a separate page or QR code for marketing.

Do UK wineries need e-labels?

Not for wine sold only in Great Britain, but any wine sold into the EU must meet the EU rules, so UK producers who export to the EU need them.

Do I need a new e-label for each vintage?

Usually yes. Ingredients and nutrition values can change between vintages, so each vintage normally has its own e-label and QR code.

How do wine e-labels work? A guide to the EU rules

By Adam Wood, founder of Labls Last reviewed October 2026

A wine e-label is a web page, reached by a QR code on the bottle, that shows the ingredients and nutrition information EU law now requires. It lets you meet the rules without squeezing a full ingredients list and nutrition table onto your label.

This guide explains what the rules require, what has to stay on the bottle, what can move to the e-label, and how to set one up. It is general information rather than legal advice, so check the regulation and the European Commission's guidance, or speak to a specialist, for your own wines.

Why wine needs an e-label

Wine used to be exempt from the ingredients and nutrition labelling that applies to most food and drink. Regulation (EU) 2021/2117 ended that exemption. Wines produced from 8 December 2023 onwards must show a nutrition declaration and a list of ingredients when sold in the EU.

The same regulation allows most of that information to be given electronically, as long as the bottle clearly links to it. That electronic version is the e-label, and for most wineries it is far more practical than printing everything on the label.

What goes on the bottle and what goes on the e-label

Some information must always be printed on the physical label. The rest can be moved to the e-label.

Information	On the bottle	On the e-label
Energy value	Required, and can be shown with the symbol E (for example E = 75 kcal per 100 ml)	Included in the full nutrition declaration
Allergens such as sulphites, egg or milk	Required, written out in words	Included and emphasised in the ingredients list
Full nutrition declaration	Optional	Required if not on the bottle
List of ingredients	Optional	Required if not on the bottle
QR code or link to the e-label	Required if you use an e-label	Not applicable

All the other mandatory particulars, such as alcohol strength, volume, the producer or bottler, and the designation of origin, stay on the bottle as before.

What the e-label must show

The nutrition declaration

Values are given per 100 ml: energy (in kJ and kcal), fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt. Where values are negligible, as fat and protein usually are in wine, they can be replaced by a statement such as "contains negligible amounts of fat, saturates, protein and salt".

Energy is calculated mainly from the alcohol, sugar and acid content, so you do not need a full laboratory analysis for every wine. Labls calculates it for you from those three values.

The list of ingredients

Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, starting with grapes. Additives are named by their category, for example "acidity regulator: tartaric acid" or "preservative: sulphites", and allergens are emphasised so they stand out.

Nothing else

The e-label must not include marketing or sales content, and it must not collect or track data about the people who scan it. Keep tasting notes, shop links and stories for a separate page or QR code.

Rules for the QR code

Label the QR code clearly so consumers know what it is for, for example with the word "Ingredients" in the language of the market. The European Commission's guidance says a symbol such as "i" on its own is not enough.
The QR code must lead straight to the e-label, not to a home page, shop or age gate.
If you also use a QR code for marketing, keep it separate from the e-label QR code.
The regulation does not set a minimum size, but test that your QR code scans reliably at the size and finish you print.

Which languages the e-label needs

Mandatory information must be in a language easily understood by consumers in each country where the wine is sold. In practice, good e-label providers translate the e-label into all 24 official EU languages and show the right one automatically based on the visitor's device.

Remember that the words printed on the bottle, such as allergens and the word next to the QR code, also need to be in the language of each market you sell into.

Which wines are covered

Wines produced from 8 December 2023 onwards. Wines produced before that date can be sold until stocks run out.
Wine sold in the EU, wherever it was made. Producers in the UK, the US, Australia and elsewhere need e-labels for wine they sell into the EU.
Each wine and, usually, each vintage, because ingredients and nutrition values can change from year to year.

How long an e-label must stay online

Your e-label must stay accessible for as long as the wine is on sale, which can be many years for wines that age well or sit in a cellar. Keeping it online is the producer's responsibility, so choose a provider you are happy to stay with, keep your subscription active while your wines are in circulation, and check whether your QR codes can be redirected if you ever switch.

Recycling and packaging information

Some countries add their own packaging rules on top of the EU wine rules. Italy, for example, requires environmental labelling that tells consumers how to dispose of each part of the packaging, and allows this to be given digitally. France has its own sorting information rules. Many wineries add this information to their e-label, but check the rules for each market you sell into.

How to create a wine e-label

1. Gather your wine's details

You need the ingredients and additives used, any allergens, and the alcohol, sugar and acid content from your technical sheet or lab report.

2. Create the e-label

Enter the details into an e-label tool. Labls calculates the energy value and nutrition declaration, and translates everything into all 24 official EU languages.

EU wine e-label creator

3. Download and print the QR code

Add the QR code to your label artwork with a clear term such as "Ingredients" next to it, plus the energy value and allergens. Test a printed proof with a few phones before your print run.

Wine QR code generator

4. Keep it up to date

Because the QR code points to a page you control, you can correct or update the e-label at any time without reprinting your labels.

Frequently asked questions

Is an e-label mandatory for wine?: The ingredients and nutrition information is mandatory for wine produced from 8 December 2023 and sold in the EU. An e-label is optional, but it is the most practical way to provide most of that information.
What has to be printed on the bottle if I use an e-label?: The energy value (which can be shown with the symbol E), any allergens written out in words, and a clearly labelled QR code or link to the e-label, alongside the usual mandatory particulars.
Can I use the "i" symbol next to the QR code?: Not on its own. The European Commission's guidance says the QR code should be identified with a term such as "Ingredients" in the language of the market.
Can I put marketing content on my e-label?: No. The e-label must not contain sales or marketing information and must not track the people who scan it. Use a separate page or QR code for marketing.
Do UK wineries need e-labels?: Not for wine sold only in Great Britain, but any wine sold into the EU must meet the EU rules, so UK producers who export to the EU need them.
Do I need a new e-label for each vintage?: Usually yes. Ingredients and nutrition values can change between vintages, so each vintage normally has its own e-label and QR code.