Warren G, Moscato Regulator

• Unfiltered's favorite Regulator is mounting up for Bronco Wine Company. It was announced this week that rapper-producer-DJ Warren G has signed on with Bronco and Brand Elite as the new face of Allure Bubbly Wines. Sourced from Warren G’s native California, they include Allure Moscato (described by our own Tim Fish as “a party in a glass”), Allure Pink Moscato and Allure Peach Bubbly. "It's Official! I just signed a deal with Allure Moscato!!" Warren G tweeted Tuesday. “Who would’ve known that my favorite Moscato would ask me to be their brand partner,” he followed in a press release. “I’m impressed by Warren G’s interest in wines, and I know we’re going to have a big success,” said Bronco's Fred Franzia. “He has the bright, lively style of our Allure wines, and the same belief in top quality and value.” Warren G joins the growing playlist of hip-hop artists on the Moscato tip, including Nicki Minaj, E-40 and Christina Milian. And if you think the Moscato craze seems inescapable, try getting Warren G's "Regulate" featuring Nate Dogg out of your head for the rest of the day.

• The Champenois and the British have enjoyed a grand history of happy vinous symbiosis over the years, with millions of bottles of the venerated bubbly marked up and shipped off to London and Southampton to be stocked in local markets, where shopkeeps have their own special relationship with thirsty local ne'er-do-wells who do their best to nick as many bottles as possible. But one magistrate of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, South Wales, dared upend tradition by extending the sentence of two Champagne thieves this month after discovering the pair of pilferers had made off with some $2,100 worth of Moët, Veuve Clicquot and Dom Pérignon in three separate heists in the towns of Llandovery, Lampeter and Cross Hands. The men were already serving time (for stealing Champagne) when the new injustices, committed prior to their current incarceration and preserved for posterity on videotape, came to light. Alas, for each new crime, the judge has handed down three more months' time in the local gaol, to be served consecutively, and a two-year revocation of driver's licenses. According to the Carmarthen Journal, the lawyer for the defense noted, "In interviews with police, [the perpetrators] said it was all drunk by them." The paper added, "During sentencing the pair looked visibly shocked," as both were expected to be released at the end of the month. Once Warren G settles into his role as Moscato promoter, he may want to expand his wine interests: It sounds like the U.K. could use a Regulator of their own when it comes to Champagne sales.

• What’s next for wine labeling? Now that producers have the option of including a Serving Facts label, a wine bottle could potentially tell you where it clocks in for calories, carbs and fat, in addition to the already-mandatory announcements of alcohol by volume and sulfite additions. But the question remains: Is your wine gluten-free? Adam and Dianna Lee of Siduri Wines in Sonoma, Calif., decided they wanted to find out. “We have an employee with gluten sensitivity,” explained Adam. “And that got us thinking that we really should include that information on the wine notes.” Gluten can potentially appear in the winemaking process in two forms, as a wheat-based paste used to seal barrels, or as a fining agent. Although the Lees don’t fine their wines, they do use barrels sealed with the paste, so they decided to run some tests. All of the Siduri Pinot Noirs tested so far have come in at less than 1 part per million gluten—well below the 20 ppm threshold at which the FDA considers an item gluten-free. This information won’t be visible on the bottle itself, but will be included in the wine notes, which can be accessed on the Siduri website via a QR code on the label. However, Unfiltered would encourage gluten-cautious readers not to fret too much about wine, whether or not it’s been tested like the Siduri Pinots: it’s unlikely that a significant amount of gluten from barrels or fining agents will make its way into any finished wines.