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The label

What must appear, and where

On this page11
Only two things are pinned to the brand label. That is more freedom than spirits gets.

On the brand label

The brand name, and the class, type or other designation. Those two are tied to it.

Anywhere on the container

The name and address, the net contents and the alcohol content. Any label on the container, which means a back label can carry all three.

Which is a real design freedom

A spirits label has to hold brand name, class and type and alcohol content in one field of vision. A wine label does not, so a minimal front and an informative back is a lawful layout here.

The sulfite declaration

"Contains sulfites" or an equivalent statement, on a front label, back label, strip label or neck label, where sulfur dioxide is detected at 10 parts per million or more.

Ten parts per million is low

Low enough that a great many wines carry the declaration, including ones where no sulfite was added, because fermentation produces some. Testing rather than assuming is the honest route.

Other declarations with their own rules

Cochineal extract or carmine must be stated if used, on a front, back, strip or neck label. FD&C Yellow No. 5 may appear on a brand or back label.

And the Government Warning on top

Separate from all of the above, with its own type size by container volume and its own contrast requirement. The spirits property covers it in detail.

Plan the back label as a real surface

Because here it can carry most of the mandatory information. That makes the back label a layout problem rather than an afterthought, and it is where a lot of wine labels are won or lost.

Which elements move is a design decision, once

Deciding early that the name and address, the net contents and the alcohol content all live on the back frees the front entirely. Deciding it late means redrawing both labels.

Net contents moves to the front for a non-standard fill

Which is a detail worth noting: where the fill is not one of the standard sizes, the placement rule tightens. For almost every product that will not arise, and for the one where it does it is a surprise.

References

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.