Rémy Gresser calls for sweetness-code on Alsace wine labels

Basically, information given on Alsace wine labels are perfectly clear. The name of the producer, the grape variety and details about Great Growths (Grand Crus) are the core elements. Dry wines are not labeled as such at all and wines containing residual sweetness are labeled as “Verdange tardive” (Spätlese) or “Sélection de grains nobles” (Beeren- bzw. Trockenbeerauslese).

And this is exactly where Rémy Gresser, a biodynamic producer, begins. He already uses a sweetness code for his own wines for quite some time. “The labeling system is currently incomplete,” says Gresser. “I want to introduce a code, which indicates a wine’s sweetness on a one-to-five scale.” In his eyes, producers should in future use the terms sec (dry), demi-sec (semi-dry), moelleux (sweet) and liquoreux (noble sweet).

“Labels represent a fantastic opportunity to communicate with consumers and it is a pity that Alsace winemakers do not make better use of them,” says Gresser. “Consumers very often do not know the style of the respective wines which can vary significantly - we have to change that and this can be done very easily through putting information on labels.”

Some well-known Alsace producers have opposed these special codes in the past and also now. They argue that the sweetness in their wines changes over time which would make such codes useless. But Gresser strikes back: “The vast majority of consumers drinks the wine immediately or in a short time – so I do not really see an issue here.”

Last but not least, Gresser wants to initiate the necessary restructuring measures in the course of the EU wine market reform to ensure that Alsace winemakers present a consistent image. Whether the “Gresser-sweetness-code” will also be introduced remains to be seen. (aw.yoopress)