On September 5, 2023, the UK government officially announced the amendment to the Wine (England) Regulations 2024, setting clear norms for the sale and labeling of ice wine products. According to the newly issued regulations, any unit or individual is prohibited from using specific terms to sell ice wine products, unless the ice wine is completely made from grapes frozen on the vine in a natural environment.

Specific restricted terms include but are not limited to:

(a)’ice wine’
(b) ’icewine’
(c)’ice-wine’
(d) Terms similar to or having the same meaning as the above terms
(e) Terms expressed in non - English languages but having a meaning similar to the above terms.

The purpose of this regulation amendment is to align the UKs winemaking practice technical specifications with international standards, such as the International Code of Oenological Practices and the International Oenological Codex of the International Organization of Vine and Wine. At the same time, the regulation also takes into account the latest changes in winemaking practices recognized by the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV).

Original Text of the Act:Wine legislation: proposed amendments – gov.scot (www.gov.scot))