If you like high-alcohol wines, you won't care about this story. But if you don't, take notice: a US federal agency is about to make a monumental decision that will change the way you order wine.

The issue is the tolerance for misstated alcohol on wine labels. Currently in the US, if you order a wine and the label says it has 13.5 percent alcohol, you can be certain that it does not have 14.5 percent. Some people order wines based on this knowledge; it can be the difference between a refreshing Chardonnay and a flabby one.