Regulation (EU) No 251/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the definition, description, presentation and labelling of aromatised wine products and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91

This Regulation lays down rules on the definition, description, presentation and labelling of aromatised wine products.

Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 shall apply to the presentation and labelling of aromatised wine products, save as otherwise provided for in this Regulation.

This Regulation shall apply to all aromatised wine products placed on the market in the Union whether produced in the Member States or in third countries, as well as to those produced in the Union for export.

Aromatised wine products are products obtained from products of the wine sector as referred to in Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 that have been flavoured. They are classified into the following categories:

1. aromatised wines;

2. aromatised wine-based drinks;

3. aromatised wine-product cocktails.

Aromatised wine is a drink:

1. obtained from one or more of the grapevine products defined in point 5 of Part IV of Annex II and in points 1 and 3 to 9 of Part II of Annex VII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, with the exception of ‘Retsina’ wine;

2. in which the grapevine products referred to in point (a) represent at least 75 % of the total volume;

3. to which alcohol may have been added;

4. to which colours may have been added;

5. to which grape must, partially fermented grape must or both may have been added;

6. which may have been sweetened;

7. which has an actual alcoholic strength by volume of not less than 14,5 % vol. and less than 22 % vol. and a total alcoholic strength by volume of not less than 17,5 % vol.

Aromatised wine-based drink is a drink:

1. obtained from one or more of the grapevine products defined in points 1, 2 and 4 to 9 of Part II of Annex VII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, with the exception of wines produced with the addition of alcohol and ‘Retsina’ wine;

2. in which the grapevine products referred to in point (a) represent at least 50 % of the total volume;

3. to which no alcohol has been added, except where Annex II provides otherwise;

4. to which colours may have been added;

5. to which grape must, partially fermented grape must or both may have been added;

6. which may have been sweetened;

7. which has an actual alcoholic strength by volume of not less than 4,5 % vol. and less than 14,5 % vol.

Aromatised wine-product cocktail is a drink:

1. obtained from one or more of the grapevine products defined in points 1, 2 and 4 to 11 of Part II of Annex VII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, with the exception of wines produced with the addition of alcohol and ‘Retsina’ wine;

2. in which the grapevine products referred to in point (a) represent at least 50 % of the total volume;

3. to which no alcohol has been added;

4. to which colours may have been added;

5. which may have been sweetened;

6. which has an actual alcoholic strength by volume of more than 1,2 % vol. and less than 10 % vol.

By way of derogation from the minimum actual alcoholic strength and total alcoholic strength thresholds laid down in paragraph 2, point (g), paragraph 3, point (g), and paragraph 4, point (f), of this Article, and in Annex II to, this Regulation for each product category, aromatised wine products may have a lower actual and lower total alcoholic strength by volume where they are obtained from grapevine products that have undergone in their totality or in part a de-alcoholisation treatment in accordance with Part I, Section E of Annex VIII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.