Full-disclosure labels in the works

Most wine labels tell you (a.) what grapes were used in creating the product, and (b.) whether it containes sulfites.

Beyond that, other than the usual terroir references, there's not a lot of detail. Bonny Doon Vineyard is changing that.

The Santa Cruz, CA, winemaker is working up a list of ingredients to be placed on the back labels of some of its wines as of 2008. It is believed that will be the first major American brand to do so.

The lists will include the wine components, such as grapes and the preservative sulfur dioxide, as well as products used during winemaking, such as yeast.

"(Owner) Randall (Grahm) feels that it's important to openly share with consumers any additions made to the wine, and by extension to make other winemakers responsible for [acknowledging] their own additions and interventions," explained Alison Davies, marketing associate at Bonny Doon. "We hope for a number of results: by stating all the ingredients, this could lead the industry in the direction of full disclosure and encourage winemakers to be more hands-off and less interventionist."

Grahm's first wines with the new labels wil be the 2007 Ca' del Solo Vineyard Albariño and Muscat, both from the Monterey County AVA. They'll be released in March.

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