Thursday 26 March 2009

Dispatches ITV2, 17.9.08; an update

In our report of September 18th 2008 we referred to the fact that only the Co-op listed the ingerdients on their wine bottles in the UK. We finally found a branch of this reclusive chain and bought two bottles so we can bring you the ingredients on the back label.

INGREDIENTS: Grapes (Torrontes, Chardonnay), Tartaric acid, Preservatives (Sulphur dioxide, Potassium metabisulphite). Made using: Acidity regulator (Potassium tartrate), Antioxidants (Nitrogen, Carbon dioxide), Yeast, Yeast nutrient (Diammonium phosphate). Cleared using Bentonite, Casein (Milk), Filtration, Pectinolytic enzymes.
ALLERGY ADVICE: Contains Milk, Sulphites.

INGREDIENTS: Grapes (Bonarda, Shiraz), Tartaric acid, Preservatives (Sulphur dioxide, Potassium metabisulphite). Tannin. Made using: Yeast, Acidity regulators (Potassium tartrate, Potassium bitartrate), Antioxidants (Nitrogen, Carbon dioxide), Yeast nutrient (Diammonium phosphate), Lactic bacteria. Cleared using Pectinolytic enzymes, Filtration.
ALLERGY ADVICE: Contains sulphites.

This may be less alarming than it sounds, but hats off to the Co-op and let's hope this shames everyone else into listing their ingredients.

1 comment:

Andrew Jefford said...

Three cheers for the Co-op. This has to be regarded as a brave move since even the recent very modest tip-toe towards transparency regarding sulphates seemed to alarm many consumers. Worthy, though. I've long argued that wine legislation lags a long way behind food legislation in this respect, and the quickest way to get wine producers to cut back on unnecessary additives may well be forcing them to own up publically to everything which goes into the wine. It would also get the debate more sensibly into the public domain, and avoid idiocies like the recent tv 'exposure' of the fact that Champagne has sugar added to it ... Does anyone reading this actually have a large Co-op near them, and buy regularly? Does this apply to all Co-op wines, I wonder, even more expensive bottles purchased in small quantities, or just to wines sourced specifically for and by the Co-op? And are there bottles on sale which have fewer additives than this pair?

Excellent blog, Robert; keep it up!