It is possible to find a wine on the Société des alcools (SAQ) website according to its region, according to its color and, for the past few days, according to the amount of sugar it contains. However, this new search criterion does not only make people happy. Indeed, this new labeling policy only applies to wine, and not to spirits.
Posted at 4:00 p.m.
Branch advisors and import agents are unanimous: product taste is no longer the sole selection criterion for consumers. They are now looking for products that contain as little sugar as possible.
The SAQ noticed it too. In the comments section of his mobile app, consumers were asking him to add a search filter by sugar level. It is now possible.
However, this novelty worries the industry.
“We value wines that don’t have a lot of grams of sugar per liter,” notes Catherine Lessard, general manager of A3 Quebec, which represents 78 wine, beer and spirits agencies. “There are elements missing in the equation. »
For his part, the president of the Association of agencies specializing in the promotion of private imports of alcohol and wine (RASPIPAV), Pierre Birlichi, is delighted with the transparency of the SAQ. But he believes the Crown corporation needs to do more to help consumers understand what’s in the glass. “Why not put an acidity level and the balance point? Because if the wine is balanced, you don’t taste the sugar anymore,” he says.
Benoît Marsan, a professor in the chemistry department at the University of Quebec in Montreal and a specialist in wine science, believes that wine lovers need to be educated more.
We cannot rely solely on the sugar of a wine. Riesling, for example, has so much acidity that the sugar helps create balance.
Benoît Marsan, professor in the chemistry department at UQAM
He adds that, contrary to popular belief, the residual sugar in wine provides few calories.
“It’s the alcohol that provides the calories,” he says. In a glass of wine with 12% alcohol, the 150 ml portion corresponds to 100 calories. If the wine contains 2g of sugar per litre, it only adds 1 calorie, so 101. Don’t go crazy with that! »
In addition to allowing a search according to the sugar level, the SAQ website now allows you to select your bottle according to the amount of alcohol. Both filters will be available on the mobile app in November.
Equity demanded
As with wine, it is also possible to choose a spirit according to the amount of alcohol. However, it is not possible to know how much sugar his favorite liqueur or gin contains. A way of doing things that Catherine Lessard finds unfair. “We asked for fair treatment for all products,” she adds. Not just for wine. »
SAQ spokeswoman Linda Bouchard said the state-owned company does not intend to publish the sugar content of spirits. “It’s not a requirement in the analysis of our products,” she explains. We do not plan to display it. »
In Ontario, the LCBO also does not display the sugar content of the spirits it sells.
In the meantime, the president of RASPIPAV, Pierre Birlichi, hopes that the SAQ will take the lead and add new information to its site: the amount of sulphites added to each wine. “A lot of producers claim to be natural, but they are not,” he adds. It would be clear! »
Asked about this, Linda Bouchard argues that the state corporation does not plan to add this data to its site either, since this figure is not stable. “Between the amount of sulfites analyzed and what the wine contains, the value could change,” she believes.