Alcoholic Beverages explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Part 3 of the Alcoholic Beverages Regulations, 2018 sets the standard for wine and other fermented beverages made from grapes, other fruit, honey, sap or other plant sources. Regulation 3.1 defines wine and its types, and regulation 3.2 adds requirements on clarity, preservation, added water and amelioration.
The text is read as amended up to 19 November 2025 (FSSAI Compendium Version V dated 04.12.2025). FSSAI compendia are reference consolidations and the Gazette text prevails. Later notifications should be checked on fssai.gov.in. Wineries usually need a central FSSAI licence for larger operations.
Wine is the un-distilled alcoholic beverage produced by partial or complete fermentation of the juice of fresh sound ripe grapes, including grape juice concentrate and raisins. It is classed by colour, sugar, carbon dioxide and treatment: table, sparkling, carbonated, fortified, fruit, honey and plant-sap wines and wine-based beverages. Wine must also meet Part 1 and Table-2. Water added in preparation is limited to not more than 70 ml per kg of grape or fruit.
Regulation 3.1: wine and vintage
"Save as specifically mentioned in different categories", wine is the un-distilled alcoholic beverage produced by partial or complete alcoholic fermentation of the juice of fresh sound ripe grapes, including grape juice concentrate, restored or unrestored pure condensed grape must, and raisins. A proviso explains that a vintage wine is made from grapes, at least 85 per cent of which were grown in a particular year, and labelled as such.
3.1.1 Table wine
Red wine (3.1.1.1) is made from red grape varieties or a mixture of red and white, fermented with the skin to extract colour and tannins. A wine with pink colour produced during fermentation with less contact time with skin may be called Rose wine and conforms to the requirements for red wine. White wine (3.1.1.2) is made by fermenting white grapes or the juice extracted after removing the skin of red grapes.
By sugar content, table wine is classed as follows.
| Type | Sugar, as printed |
|---|---|
| (i) Dry wine | contains up to 0.9 per cent. sugar |
| (ii) Medium dry wine | more than 0.9 up to 1.2 per cent. sugar |
| (iii) Medium sweet wine | more than 1.2 up to 4.5 per cent. sugar |
| (iv) Sweet wine | more than 4.5 per cent. sugar |
3.1.2 By carbon dioxide content
Semi sparkling or crackling wine has a carbon dioxide content of 3.0 to 5.0 g/l or 1.5 to 2.5 bar pressure at 20 degrees C resulting solely from primary or secondary fermentation in a closed container, tank or bottle. Sparkling wine has a minimum of 7.0 g/l or 3.5 bar at 20 degrees C from the same source, and is subdivided by sugar: Brut (below 1.2 per cent.), Extra-Dry (more than 1.2 up to 1.7 per cent. with a tolerance of 0.3 per cent.), Dry (more than 1.7 up to 3.2 per cent. with the same tolerance), Semi-Dry (more than 3.2 up to 5.0 per cent.) and Sweet (more than 5.0 per cent.). Carbonated wine is made effervescent with carbon dioxide other than that resulting solely from secondary fermentation.
3.1.3 Fortified wine
Fortified wine has a high alcohol content achieved by adding alcohol (brandy, wine spirits or neutral spirit of agricultural origin), provided a minimum 7.0 per cent comes from fermentation of grapes, grape must and fruits; it is used as aperitif or dessert wine. Two types are named: sherry (3.1.3.1) and aromatized wine (3.1.3.2), the latter obtained from at least 75% by volume of wine, with an actual alcoholic strength by volume between 14.5% minimum and 22%.
3.1.4 Wine from fruits other than grapes
Fruit wine is made from fruit other than grapes; the name of the fruit is to be prefixed (plum wine, apricot wine, pear wine are the examples). An amendment, said to come into force on 1 January 2026, substitutes the heading to "Fruit Wine (other than grape wine) along with Honey wine". Types listed: cider (3.1.4.1: soft cider with more than 0.5 up to 5.0 per cent alcohol, or hard cider with more than 5.0 up to 9.0 per cent), perry (3.1.4.2, pear juice), and honey wine or mead (3.1.4.4). Honey wine or mead is produced by fermentation of an aqueous solution of honey by yeasts without adding any other carbohydrate source, may contain herbs, spices or natural flavourings, and conforms to Table-2 except that ethyl alcohol may vary between 4% and 15.5%. The compendium marks 3.1.4.4 as a compliance date of 1 July 2026 under a Direction dated 27 November 2025.
3.1.5 and 3.1.6 Other plant sources and wine-based beverages
Wine from other agricultural and plant sources is produced by normal alcoholic fermentation of the juice or sap (an amendment adds "or whole grains") with or without sugar or jaggery. Palm wine or toddy (3.1.5.1) and bamboo wine (3.1.5.2) are named. A wine-based beverage (3.1.6) is obtained from at least 50 by volume of wine (the text prints no unit symbol after "50"), with actual alcoholic strength by volume equal to or above 3.5 vol. and below 14.5 vol., the alcohol deriving exclusively from the wine used, and an amendment adds that it may or may not be carbonated.
Regulation 3.2: additional requirements
In addition to Part 1 and Table-2, wine must satisfy these points.
- It shall be clear with the characteristic colour, taste, bouquet and form of its type.
- It shall be preserved by pasteurization or by the preservatives permitted under the Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations, 2011 and must be clear of coliforms and pathogenic microorganisms.
- Water added in preparation shall not be more than 70 ml per kg of grape or fruit, where it is necessary to incorporate a permitted additive and processing aid, necessary to facilitate fermentation, or incidental to winemaking. A proviso lets water be added to dilute high-sugar grape must before fermentation provided it does not dilute the must below 13.5 degree brix.
- Wine may be ameliorated by adding separately or in combination dry sugar or jaggery (not more than 20 per cent) before, during or after fermentation.
An invented example: Nashik Hills Winery bottles a sparkling wine with 6.0 per cent. sugar. On the printed sugar bands it is Sweet (more than 5.0 per cent.). The label rules for wine, including sugar range, origin and vintage, are in Part 5 (see our article on labelling of alcoholic beverages).
Points to note
The sugar bands for table wine and sparkling wine differ and should not be read across; each band is printed separately. Note also that the sparkling bands carry a tolerance for two of the bands only. The compendium flags several amendments with 1 January 2026 and 1 July 2026 dates; both dates have passed as at 3 October 2026, so the amended wording is in force, but the text is shown as the compendium prints it. Part 1 supplies the tolerance of plus or minus 0.5 for wine strength (see Part 1); Table-2 is covered in Tables 1 to 4 and Annexure-1. The preceding standards are in vodka, liqueur and whisky, and the next part is beer.
Need help with a winery licence?
Wineries and wine importers have to match each product to the right category and licence. Our central FSSAI licence team can help with the licence application and the category mapping.
Key takeaways
- Wine is made by fermenting the juice of fresh sound ripe grapes; vintage wine needs at least 85 per cent grapes of the year.
- Table wine, sparkling wine and fortified wine are defined by sugar, carbon dioxide and added alcohol.
- Fruit wine (including cider, perry, honey wine) and plant-source wine are separate categories.
- Added water is capped at 70 ml per kg of grape or fruit; amelioration with sugar or jaggery is capped at 20 per cent.
Read next
- Regulations 2.6–2.9: vodka, liqueur, whisky and pot-still spirit
- Part 4: beer and draught beer
- Part 5: labelling of alcoholic beverages
- Alcoholic beverages regulation under FSSAI
Disclaimer: Based on the FSSAI regulations named above as consolidated in FSSAI's compendium versions or as published in the Gazette, with the later notifications the article names (consulted on fssai.gov.in on 2-3 October 2026). Later notifications and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 provisions referred to should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.