By: Lucie Morton

Lucie Morton — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:44:20 +0000

The idea that Labrusca wines have toxic levels of methanol is total EU Vinifera protectionist propaganda. It is not true and sites like this perpetuate the myth. Isabella became a cherished farm family wine grape that the slow food movement would like to see preserved.
Classic red wine (*Vitis vinifera*)
~100 to 250 mg/L
OIV / EU maximum limit (Red wine)
400 mg/L
Red wines from *Vitis labrusca* / Hybrids (e.g., Isabelle, Concord, Noah)
200 to 600+ mg/L (varies based on maceration time)
Is it toxic in wine? Acute methanol toxicity causes damage to the optic nerve (blindness) and severe neurological impairment. However, the lethal dose of pure methanol is approximately 70 to 100 g. Even with grape varieties high in methanol, these lethal or blindness-inducing thresholds cannot be reached without first dying from an alcohol-induced coma caused by the ethanol present in the drink.

Comments on: The rise and fall of Fragolino, the forbidden red wine

By: Lucie Morton