Wine standards FAQs

Our inspectors are entitled to visit your premises to make checks on your stock and records if you import, ship or market wine sector products or grow grapes or make wine from fresh grapes grown in the UK. We keep a register of such traders to manage our programme of visits and keep the UK’s statistical record of area under vine, harvest and wine production. Further advice can be obtained by contacting your Regional Inspector.

WSB guidance notes and accompanying documentation can be found in PDF files: Brief Introduction to the Common Agricultural Policy Wine Regulations of the EC and Guidance on the movement of wine into and within the EU.

Detailed information on EU and UK National legislation can be found in a guide to wine law.

The Wine & Spirit Trade Association offers information through its Checklists (fee payable for non-members).

There is no charge for advice we give. Information about labelling and other aspects of wine sector regulations is given on the basis of our interpretation of European Wine Legislation as it applies to the United Kingdom through the CAP Wine Regulations.

A VI1 is a document issued in a Third Country of origin giving a description and analysis details for wines imported into the European Community. It is not issued by the wine standards branch of the Food Standards Agency.

A VI2 is an extract of the certificate and analysis report known as a VI1 which must accompany imports from Third Countries. A VI2 is used for the movement of Third Country wines when a consignment is split before entry into free circulation. This is issued by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). HMRC also supplies details about import and excise duty on wine. Contact HMRC for more information.

The main requirements for different categories of wine are set out in notes listed in A guide to wine law. For advice on specific labels, please contact your regional inspector.

Contacting your regional inspector will be a good start. You need to be aware of documentary and labelling requirements, including an import licence and VI1 certification for Third Country wines.

A new Licencing System introduced in 2005 comprising a Premises Licence and a Personal Licence. For further information consult your local authority (Trading Standards) or the Department of Culture, Media and Sport website .

A Commercial Accompanying Document (CAD) must be used in the UK for the transport of grapes, either when sold or when the distance travelled exceeds 40km. The CAD is provided by the WSB to UK vine growers annually. It is also required by some Third Countries as a certificate of origin for Community produced wines. CADs for this purpose are supplied by Head Office to traders on our register.

The Administrative Accompanying Document (AAD) is required by HM Revenue and Customs for movements under duty suspension: see Customs Notice 197.

You need an import licence if you import more than 3000 litres of either red or white wine from outside the EU. These are issued by the Rural Payments Agency.

If the information is not available in 'A guide to wine law', you should direct your enquiry to your importer in the UK. (Importers in other EC countries should contact the authorities in those countries.)

For wines from outside the EC, you should look at the DEFRA website for further information. Registration with a UK organic inspection body is required for imports from countries with comparable organic regimes and for other countries Defra will issue annual import authorisation (fee payable) on completion of a standardised application form. Wines from other Member States will be covered by the inspection bodies authorised by each country.

HM Revenue & Customs publishes this information on its website - see Excise and Other section.