Containers

The label and the adhesive

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The requirement Wine faces it harder Which is a wet-strength problem Application matters as much Textured stocks are a wine convention Front and back have the same obligation Test it the way the trade will Capsules complicate the neck label Recycled and uncoated stocks absorb References

The requirement is the same as spirits, and wine meets water more often.

The requirement

Labels on containers of alcoholic beverages are affixed so that they cannot be removed without thorough application of water or other solvents. The spirits property covers the wording in full.

Wine faces it harder

White and sparkling wine live in ice buckets and refrigerators. Condensation runs down the bottle every time it is poured, for the whole of its service life.

Which is a wet-strength problem

A paper face stock that softens when wet takes the decision out of the adhesive's hands. Face and adhesive are one specification and should be quoted together.

Application matters as much

A permanent adhesive applied to a cold or damp bottle never reaches full bond. Labelling warm and dry, and letting it cure before cases are stacked, is half the specification.

Textured stocks are a wine convention

And they behave differently when wet from a coated stock. A laid or felt paper chosen for feel needs testing in the bucket rather than on a desk.

Front and back have the same obligation

A lifting back label is where most of the mandatory information lives in wine, so losing it is a compliance problem rather than a cosmetic one.

Test it the way the trade will

Chill the labelled bottle, submerge it, leave it, dry it, and try a corner with a thumbnail. If it lifts cleanly the specification is not met, whatever the data sheet says.

Capsules complicate the neck label

A foil or polylaminate capsule covers the top of the neck, so a neck label has to sit below it or be applied over it. Where the sulfite declaration lives on a neck label, that is a placement decision rather than a finishing one.

Recycled and uncoated stocks absorb

They are a common choice for a wine that wants to look natural, and they take up moisture readily. The look and the wet performance pull in opposite directions, which is worth knowing before the stock is chosen.

References

The Davis Pack Supply catalog, measured 18 October 2026. The wine shelf is 328 rows: 145 containers and 183 closures, 124 PET and 21 glass, from 250 to 976 mL with a median of 473. Twenty of the 145 sit at an authorized standard of fill: 13 at 250 mL, 6 at 500 mL and 1 at 750 mL. No cork finish, no crown finish and no capsules.

27 CFR 4.32, mandatory label information for wine. The brand label carries the brand name and the class, type or other designation. The name and address, the net contents and the alcohol content may appear on any label on the container. A sulfite declaration, "Contains sulfites" or an equivalent statement, appears on a front, back, strip or neck label where sulfur dioxide is detected at 10 parts per million or more. law.cornell.edu

Written from 27 CFR 4.32, 4.39 and 4.72, and from the catalog as it stood on 18 October 2026. Wine is federally permitted, separately regulated by every state, and subject to label approval; permits, formula approval and appellation determinations are outside what these pages cover.