High Court rules against Sovio
The producers of Sovio, the reduced-alcohol wine, have lost their two year battle with the UK's Food Standards Agency who impounded the company's entire stock after its launch in 2007. Legally a wine must be at least 9% ABV to be described as wine but the Sovio wine is only 8% and did not comply with labelling rules. The wine was also banned for being made using an unauthorised method - spinning cone technology.
The company is considering an appeal but in the meantime, the wine, sourced from California instead of Spain, to avoid EU wine regulations, is available from 50 Waitrose stores under a revised label.