What’s inside that bottle?

AS a chemical engineer and fine-wine enthusiast, I found the article “A New Wine List” [March 28, by Corie Brown] to be informative and well-written. None of the information presented caused me any concern. Personally, I am against these new wine labeling laws. They are not much different than requiring labels on meat or produce that detail the chemical analysis of the water used to irrigate the crops or nourish the animals. Trace contaminants from the water may be in the food, but you may not be able to prove that they are absent.

I would not oppose a generic allergen warning on a wine label or additional disclosures on a winery website.

KERBY E. ZOZULA

Ventura

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I am glad to hear about the new proposals for labeling on wine bottles. The theory of free market efficiency is based in part on the principle of symmetrical information -- both buyer and seller have equal degrees of knowledge of the commodity being traded. Labeling laws bring us closer to this ideal. More importantly, we should simply respect the rights of consumers to make informed choices.

DAVID HOLLAND

Chatsworth

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FOR the wine industry to not consider allergens as a concern and label their wines is unbelievable. I have a son who has celiac disease. He cannot eat or drink anything that has wheat in it; doing so can lead to stomach cancer as well as other problems. Wine was the one thing that he and I thought was wheat-free. The labeling of wine with sulfites has certainly has helped those who are allergic to sulfites. The same should apply to all additives. Thank you for your very informative and alarming article.

CHARLOTTE SCHMITT

Glendora