Creating a Wine E-Label: Ingredients and Nutritional Values via QR Code, Step by Step

Since 8 December 2023, the rules that have long been mandatory for other foods apply to wine: ingredient lists and nutritional declarations. The basis is EU Regulation 2021/2117. It affects wines produced from this date; older stocks may be sold off. To prevent the back label from bursting, the regulation allows an escape route: Part of the information may be provided electronically — via a QR code leading to a dedicated page. This page is called an e-label.

What must remain on the label

The e-label does not replace everything. The classic mandatory information remains on the bottle, along with allergens with the word 'Contains' — for wine, almost always sulphites, and depending on fining, also egg or milk. The energy value may appear on the label, abbreviated with 'E', for example 'E = 297 kJ / 72 kcal per 100 ml'. The full ingredient list and the rest of the nutritional table may then move to the e-label.

What belongs on the e-label

• the ingredient list in descending order, with allergens highlighted
• the nutritional declaration per 100 ml: energy value, fat, saturated fatty acids, carbohydrates, sugar, protein, salt
• common for wine: the sentence 'Contains negligible amounts of fat, saturated fats, protein and salt' instead of individual zero values
• the language of the country in which the wine is sold

What must not appear on the e-label

This is where the most common mistake lies. The European Commission clarified in a notice from November 2023 that the e-label must not be displayed together with sales or advertising content and must not collect or evaluate user data. A link to the online shop, a competition or a newsletter field have no place there. If you want to show the shop and winery history, create a second page with a separate code for that.

How to create the e-label with Same-QR

• In the dashboard under 'Create website', select the template 'Wine e-label' and enter the wine's name.
• Enter ingredients and the allergen, usually 'Sulphites'. On the page, it will automatically be bolded in the ingredient list.
• Enter energy value in kJ and kcal, carbohydrates and sugar per 100 ml — the values are provided by your laboratory or the calculator of your winegrowers' association.
• Keep the switch for 'negligible amounts' switched on if fat, protein and salt are practically zero.
• Check operator details, publish, download the code and give it to the printer.

The template deliberately has no buttons, no offers and no shop link, and it also shows no reference to Same-QR in the free plan. Counting is purely anonymous: a sum of scans and views, without IP address, without cookie, without anything about the visitors. For winery, direct sales and shop, there is the template 'Winery'.

One code per wine — and the vintage?

Ingredients and nutritional values depend on the individual wine and can change with the vintage. Therefore, each wine needs its own e-label. Because the code is dynamic, it remains the same if only the values change: you enter the new numbers, the printed label remains valid. If the wine changes fundamentally, create a new page for the new vintage and leave the old one for the bottles in trade.

Before printing

Next to the code, it must be clear what it stands for. According to the Commission's interpretation, a mere 'i' is not sufficient; the word 'Ingredients' or 'Ingredients & Nutritional Values' is usual. Clarify the exact design before printing with your winegrowers' association or the competent control authority — they decide in case of doubt, not the code provider.

Frequently asked questions