Don’t call wines ‘easily digestible’ in the EU

BRUSSELS — The European Union’s highest court says wines cannot make assertions like “easily digestible” since it is a health claim unbefitting alcoholic drinks.

Thursday’s EU Court of Justice ruling means that the Germany’s Deutsches Weintor cooperative will have to change the labels on its Dornfelder and Burgunder wines which it described as “mild edition” with “gentle acidity.”

The court said a health claim is already made with the hint of the “mere preservation of a good state of health despite the potentially harmful consumption.”

The German cooperative had lauded its wines as easily digestible because it underwent a special process of acidity reduction, the court said. Local authorities banned such use and when this was challenged, German courts sought a clarification from the EU.