Sparkling Wine E-Labels: Prosecco, Cava & Champagne Compliance Guide

Sparkling wine is one of the most regulated categories in European winemaking, with PDO and PGI rules layered on top of general EU wine labeling law. Yet when it comes to e-labels, many sparkling wine producers treat their wines the same as still wines and miss critical details.

Since December 8, 2023, Regulation (EU) 2021/2117 requires all wines from the 2024 harvest onward to carry a full ingredients list and nutrition declaration. Sparkling wines are no exception. But the second fermentation process introduces ingredients that still wines simply do not have, and the wide spread of residual sugar across sparkling categories means nutrition values cannot be guessed, they must be calculated accurately for each style.

This article covers what makes sparkling wine e-labels different, what ingredients need to be declared, how sugar categories affect nutrition, and the most common compliance mistakes producers make.

How Sparkling Wine Differs from Still Wine for Labelling

The core difference is the second fermentation. Whether your wine undergoes traditional method (methode traditionnelle), Charmat/tank method, or transfer method, that second fermentation introduces additional ingredients that must appear on the e-label.

Second Fermentation Ingredients

The tirage liqueur, the mixture of sugar, yeast, and sometimes nutrients added to trigger the second fermentation, contains declarable ingredients. Specifically:

• Sugar (sucrose, grape must, or concentrated grape must) used in the tirage
• Yeast used for the second fermentation
• Yeast nutrients if added (e.g., diammonium phosphate)

After disgorgement, the expedition liqueur (also called dosage liqueur) is added to adjust the final sweetness. This liqueur typically contains:

• Sugar (sucrose dissolved in wine, grape must, or concentrated grape must)
• Sulphur dioxide (SO2) as a preservative, if present in the dosage
• Citric acid or other additives, in some cases

Every ingredient present in the tirage and expedition liqueur that ends up in the finished wine must be declared. This is where many producers slip up.

Fining Agents and Processing Aids

Sparkling wines are often fined for clarity and stability, just like still wines. The rules are the same: fining agents are processing aids and do not need to be listed unless they are allergens still present in the finished wine (even in altered form). Common sparkling wine fining agents include:

• Bentonite (not an allergen, no declaration needed)
• Casein / potassium caseinate (milk-derived allergen, must be declared if present)
• Egg albumin (egg-derived allergen, must be declared if present)
• Isinglass (fish-derived allergen, must be declared if present)

Pressure Does Not Change the Rules

A bottle of Champagne is under roughly 6 atmospheres of pressure. A bottle of Prosecco Frizzante sits around 2.5 atmospheres. Neither figure changes anything about the e-label. The requirements for ingredients, nutrition, and allergens are identical whether your wine is 1 bar or 6 bars. Sparkling, semi-sparkling (frizzante/petillant), and still wines all follow the same regulation.

The Sugar Classification System and Nutrition

The EU defines strict sugar categories for sparkling wines based on residual sugar content. These categories appear on the physical label and directly determine the carbohydrate and energy values you must declare in your nutrition table.

Sparkling Wine Sugar Categories

Category	Sugar (g/L)	Approx. Carbs (g/100 ml)	Approx. Energy (kcal/100 ml)
Brut Nature	0 - 3	0 - 0.3	64 - 66
Extra Brut	0 - 6	0 - 0.6	64 - 68
Brut	0 - 12	0 - 1.2	64 - 72
Extra Dry (Extra Sec)	12 - 17	1.2 - 1.7	72 - 76
Dry (Sec)	17 - 32	1.7 - 3.2	76 - 88
Demi-Sec	32 - 50	3.2 - 5.0	88 - 102
Doux (Sweet)	> 50	> 5.0	> 102

Energy values assume 12% ABV. Actual values depend on precise alcohol content and residual sugar. Use per-wine calculations for accuracy.

The table makes the key point clear: a Brut Nature at 0 g/L sugar has dramatically different nutrition values from a Demi-Sec at 45 g/L. Declaring generic values or copying numbers from one style to another is a compliance risk.

Why This Matters for Your E-Label

The nutrition declaration on your e-label must reflect the actual composition of the specific wine. If you produce a Brut and a Demi-Sec under the same brand, each needs its own nutrition values and its own e-label. The sugar alone can change the energy value by more than 35 kcal per 100 ml between a Brut Nature and a Demi-Sec.

Alcohol content also varies across sparkling styles. Prosecco DOC typically sits at 11--11.5% ABV, while Champagne runs 12--12.5%. Even a half-percent difference in alcohol changes the energy calculation noticeably.

Ingredient Considerations by Sparkling Category

Champagne

Traditional method with tirage liqueur and expedition liqueur. Ingredients typically include: grape must, sugar (sucrose), yeast, sulphur dioxide, and potentially fining agents. Champagne often uses riddling aids (adjuvants de remuage) such as bentonite or alginate, these are processing aids and generally do not require declaration unless they are allergens still present.

Prosecco (DOC / DOCG)

Mostly produced by Charmat/tank method. The second fermentation happens in a pressurised tank rather than in the bottle, but the ingredients are equivalent: sugar, yeast, and SO2. Prosecco Superiore DOCG (Conegliano Valdobbiadene) may use traditional method. The dosage liqueur composition varies, and some Prosecco producers use grape must concentrate rather than sucrose.

Cava (DO)

Traditional method sparkling wine from Spain. Tirage and expedition liqueur ingredients parallel Champagne. Cava regulations permit specific grape varieties (Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada, and others), which affect the base wine but not the e-label compliance approach. Cava Reserva and Gran Reserva spend longer on lees, but the ingredients remain the same.

Cremant

Traditional method sparkling wines from various French appellations (Cremant d'Alsace, de Bourgogne, de Loire, etc.) and Luxembourg. Same ingredient logic as Champagne. The grape varieties differ by appellation, but the e-label requirements are identical.

Sekt (German and Austrian)

Can be produced by traditional method or tank method. German Sekt QbA and Austrian Sekt g.U. follow the same EU labeling rules. Pay attention to the sugar category, as German consumers often prefer Trocken (dry) or Halbtrocken (medium dry), which correspond to different residual sugar ranges than the French-origin terms.

Common Mistakes with Sparkling Wine E-Labels

1. Forgetting Expedition Liqueur Ingredients

This is the single most common mistake. Producers correctly list the base wine ingredients and the tirage liqueur but forget that the expedition liqueur adds sugar (and sometimes other ingredients) to the finished wine after disgorgement. If your dosage contains sucrose dissolved in wine with SO2, those ingredients must appear on the e-label.

For Brut Nature wines where no dosage is added, this is not an issue. But for every other sugar category, the expedition liqueur ingredients need to be declared.

2. Wrong Sugar Levels in the Nutrition Declaration

Producers sometimes enter a generic sugar value rather than the actual residual sugar measured in the finished wine. A wine labeled "Extra Dry" can legally contain anywhere from 12 to 17 g/L of sugar, and the difference in nutrition values between the low and high end of that range is meaningful. Use your actual lab analysis, not an estimate.

3. Using the Same E-Label for Multiple Sweetness Levels

If you produce the same base wine in Brut and Demi-Sec versions, each needs its own e-label with its own nutrition declaration. The ingredients may also differ (different dosage liqueur composition). One QR code per product, one e-label per product.

4. Omitting Yeast from the Ingredients

Yeast used in the second fermentation is an ingredient. Some producers omit it, assuming it is a processing aid that is fully removed during disgorgement. Under EU rules, yeast is listed as an ingredient in sparkling wine production. Declare it.

5. Ignoring Allergen Carry-Over from Fining

If you fine your base wine or your finished sparkling wine with casein, egg albumin, or isinglass, and traces may remain, the allergen must be declared both on the e-label ingredients list and on the physical label.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do sparkling wines have different e-label requirements than still wines? The regulation (EU 2021/2117) applies equally to all wines. However, sparkling wines require additional ingredients to be declared because of the second fermentation process: tirage liqueur ingredients (sugar, yeast), expedition/dosage liqueur ingredients, and any fining agents used. The e-label structure and format are the same.

Does the sugar category (Brut, Extra Dry, etc.) need to appear on the e-label? The sugar category must appear on the physical label as required by sparkling wine regulations. On the e-label, what matters is the nutrition declaration, which must reflect the actual sugar content of the wine. The category itself helps consumers understand the style, but the e-label's nutrition table must show precise values.

Can I use one e-label for all my sparkling wines? No. Each product needs its own e-label with product-specific information. A Brut and a Demi-Sec from the same house have different sugar content, different nutrition values, and potentially different ingredients (different dosage liqueur). One QR code per product is a firm requirement under the regulation.

What about pet-nat and ancestral method sparkling wines? Pet-nat (petillant naturel) wines that complete their primary fermentation in the bottle still fall under EU wine labeling rules. If no tirage liqueur or expedition liqueur is added, those ingredients do not need to be listed. But the wine's actual sugar content and nutrition values must still be declared. Unfiltered pet-nats with residual yeast should still list yeast as an ingredient.

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