What’s your tolerance?
Label alcohol tolerance by market
In most markets, the alcohol statement is a mandatory component of wine labels and should be expressed as the percentage of alcohol by volume (e.g. ‘13.5% alc/vol’).
In Australia, the tolerance (the difference between the labelled alcohol content and actual alcohol content) for the alcohol statement must be accurate to within:
- 1.5% alc/vol for wine, sparkling wine and wine products containing more than 6.5% alc/vol
- 0.5% alc/vol for spirits, brandy and fortified wine, and
- 0.5% alc/vol for all other alcoholic beverages containing more than 1.15% (to less than 6.5% alc/vol).
For example, if a table wine is labelled as ‘13% alc/vol’, the actual alcohol content may be between 11.5% and 14.5%.
For export, the labelling rules and tolerances for the alcohol statement vary from country to country and are often more restrictive than Australia’s rules. It is a condition of export that wines must comply with Australian labelling requirements set out in the Food Standards Code, including the alcohol tolerance, however, exporters should be aware of the rules that apply in the destination market. Below is an extract of the alcohol statement information from Wine Australia’s Export Market Guides.
Where alcohol tolerances for an export market are not specified, exporters should consult with their agent or importer. In the absence of a specific (or higher) alcohol tolerance, the Australian tolerance should be adhered to.
For further information or clarification contact Wine Australia at labels@wineaustralia.com or (08) 8228 2000.
|
Market |
Tolerance (%) |
Notes |
|
Argentina |
0.5 |
|
|
Australia |
0.5 1.5 0.5 |
|
|
Brazil |
0.5 |
|
|
Cambodia |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
Canada |
1.0 0.5 |
|
|
Chile |
0.5 |
|
|
China |
1.0 |
|
|
European Union (EU) |
0.8 |
Note, the 0.8% tolerance is granted to Australian wines under the EU-Australia Wine Agreement. Otherwise the tolerance is 0.5% |
|
Fiji |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
Hong Kong |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
India |
0.5 1.0 |
|
|
Indonesia |
2.0 |
(note, Australia’s 1.5% tolerance must be complied with for export) |
|
Israel |
0.5 |
|
|
Japan |
1.0 |
Alcohol content is measured at 15° C. See export market guide for more information |
|
Korea |
0.5 |
Alcohol content is measured at 15° C |
|
Kenya/EAC |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
Malaysia |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
Mexico |
0.5 |
|
|
Mongolia |
0.5 |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
Myanmar |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
New Caledonia |
0.5 |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
New Zealand |
0.5 1.5 0.5 |
|
|
Nigeria |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
Norway |
0.5 |
|
|
Papua New Guinea |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
Peru |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
Philippines |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
Qatar |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
Russia |
1.0 0.5 |
|
|
Singapore |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
South Africa |
1.0 |
|
|
Sri Lanka |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
Switzerland |
0.5 |
|
|
Taiwan |
1.0 0.5 |
alcohol products other than distilled spirits including wine distilled spirits |
|
Thailand |
1.0 |
|
|
Turkey |
0.5 0.8 |
|
|
UAE |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |
|
United Kingdom |
0.8 |
Note, the 0.8% tolerance is granted to Australian wines under the UK-Australia Wine Agreement. Otherwise the tolerance is 0.5% |
|
USA |
1.5 1.0 |
|
|
Vietnam |
not specified |
Contact importer/agent in market |