RFK Jr.'s Food Dye Crackdown: Will It Impact Your Caymus?

The wine world has long been abuzz with accusations about Caymus Vineyards and its flagship Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Especially in Facebook wine groups. Critics claim the winery uses an additive called Mega Purple to achieve its famously dark color and rich, sweet flavor profile. Despite the Wagner family's consistent denials, the speculation persists, raising questions about winemaking transparency and the use of additives.

This debate now intersects with a new political reality: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the new Secretary of Health and Human Services. A key part of his agenda is to address the issue of artificial dyes and other food additives, with a stated goal of getting them out of the U.S. food supply.

RFK Jr.'s Efforts and the FDA's "Loophole"

As HHS Secretary, Kennedy has directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to close a long-standing "loophole" that allowed food companies to self-certify new ingredients as safe without a full regulatory review. He has publicly announced plans to phase out "petroleum-based synthetic food dyes," a move that has garnered bipartisan support.

This initiative is a significant step toward greater transparency and public health. However, it's important to understand what it targets. The focus is on synthetic, petroleum-based dyes commonly found in processed foods like cereals, candy, and soft drinks.

The Key Difference: Mega Purple is Not a Synthetic Dye

This is where the distinction becomes crucial for wine lovers. Mega Purple is not a synthetic, petroleum-based food dye. It is a grape concentrate made from teinturier grapes, which are a variety with red flesh, unlike most red wine grapes that have clear flesh. The juice from these grapes is concentrated to create a deeply colored, sweet liquid. While it is an additive used to manipulate wine's color and body, it is derived directly from grapes.

Because Mega Purple is a grape product rather than a synthetic chemical, it does not fall under the category of "petroleum-based synthetic food dyes" that Secretary Kennedy has specifically targeted. Therefore, his current efforts to ban these particular dyes are unlikely to have any direct effect on its use in winemaking.

The debate over Mega Purple in wines like Caymus will likely continue to be a conversation within the wine community, driven by consumer demand and industry standards, rather than by new federal regulations on synthetic food dyes.  So, with RFK Jr. as the new HHS Secretary, Mega Purple, the premise of most attacks against Caymus, is not going anywhere, at least for now.