Varietal labelling

Varietal labeling is an important quaUty factor in the United States, and indirectly elsewhere because only certain specific varieties are planted in each prestigious foreign area. U.S. law currently requires that 75% of the wine must come from the V. vinifera variety named on the label. Concord-type varieties only require 51%, owing to their intense, distinctive flavor. If more than one variety is named, the relative amounts must total 100%. 

The biosynthesis of jS-sitosterol (Fig. 13) from mevalonate has been demonstrated in several varietes of plants (Baisted et al., 1962 Nicholas 1962 a, b), but no further work on the pattern of labeling or on the origin of the ethyl group at C24 has been reported. 

Hop quality is a controversial topic. There is still no definitive answer to the important question "What is a good-quality hop ". Therefore, even now. hops are evaluated by hand and smell judgement. Most breweries attach great importance to the varietal origin of the hops and to the label "Bitter" or "Aroma" hops. Chemical analysis, especially of the alpha acids content of hops, is however becoming ever more important. This trend is likely to continue and empirical methods will gradually be replaced by the specific methods now already existing or in development. 

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