Wine: Broadbent vs. Parker: Smackdown in London

Tag : Dry Onion

The ever-so-helpful folks at the Consumer Federation of America have come up with an Alcohol Facts Poster that compares all kinds of alcoholic beverages based on alcoholcontent, calories and carbs. The poster analyzes the 26 top-sellingdomestic and imported alcohol brands, from good ol’ Bud Lightto Beringer Chardonnay.

And why, pray tell, would the consumer group do this? Well,it’s lobbying in Washington D.C. for a government-mandated“standardized and complete alcohol label” to be slappedon every bottle of alcoholic beverages, according to thefederation’s press release .

The alcohol info is also “designed to help consumers followthe Dietary Guidelines’ advice that men limit theirconsumption to two drinks a day and that women restrict theirconsumption to one drink per day,” the news release says. AndI don’t know about you, but I live my life according to thefederal government’s dietary guidelines. Don’t you?Doesn’t everyone?

Anyway, here’s a quote from the release: “Right now, consumers really have no way of knowing the mostbasic information about alcoholic beverages,” said ChrisWaldrop, Director of the Food Policy Institute at the ConsumerFederation of America. “It’s time to end the confusionso consumers can make informed and responsible purchasing andconsumption decisions. We’re making information availabletoday on some of the top selling brands, but the federal governmentneeds to require standardized and complete alcohol labeling on allalcoholic beverages.”

While I’ve never really monitored my carbohydrates intakebeyond watching them go into my mouth, it was a bit surprising to see the difference in carbs between oneserving of chardonnay (0.8 grams) and cabernet (5.0 grams). PerhapsI’ll put that on my list of things to worry about someday.