This Is Why You'll Probably Never See a Nutrition Label on Wine Bottles

Same goes for beer and liquor.

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From frozen pizzas to candy bars, nearly every grocery store item has the nutritional facts listed. Those labels provide important info on calories, fat contents, carbs, and more. But if you hit a liquor store, those labels are nowhere to be seen.

Why is that? Vox got to the bottom of it, and it seems the reason dates back to 1935, two years after the end of Prohibition, when the government created an agency to regulate alcohol, which was outside the FDA. The FDA ordered brands to start using labels in 1990, but since the FDA doesn't oversee the liquor agency (now known as the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB) booze was exempt from the label ruling.

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Since then, several regulations have been put in place to give alcohol consumers some form of nutritional information, but they're quite specific. For example, wine manufacturers that make a vintage that has less than 7 percent by volume requires a nutrition label. Since most wine has a higher alcohol content, no labels are necessary. As for beer and liquor, there are some specific rules in place for those as well, but for the most part, labeling is optional.

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As Vox reports, consumer groups have tried to fight for stricter labeling across the board, but manufacturers have so far gotten their way. So how can calorie counters find out what they're drinking? Since a wine's calorie count depends on alcohol percentage, sweetness, and serving size, no two varietals will have exactly the same amount of calories. But, according to Wine Folly, "a glass of wine can range from 110 - 300 calories." Champagne and dryer wines edge towards the lower part of that range while sweeter wines, like port, will pack the most calories. As for fat, sodium, and cholesterol, you won't find any of that in your delicious glass of wine. Cheers to that, at least!

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