C11 - Wine and the Law Flashcards
What is the primary concern of authorities in charge of food and beverage legislation?
To ensure that what is sold is safe and fit for human consumption
Give an example of an area of food safety which is particularly important in the area of wine
SO2
What is the issue if SO2 levels are not monitored?
High levels can be toxic
Name a safety measure taken pertaining to SO2
In most countries, the words ‘contains sulphites’ must appear on the label
Why is it unlikely that a winery will not need to write ‘contains sulfites’?
Because fermentation produces an amount of sulfites anyway
What is the main responsibility of the entity that puts a product on sale when it comes to labelling?
That descriptions and claims made on packaging are accurate
What is the result on labelling legislation stemming from the necessity of accurate information
Label information needs to be clear and able to be checked
Which two aspects of label integrity are the most important?
Geographical indications
Legally defined quality and style indications
Why are geographical indications a common feature on a wine label?
Because the area where grapes are grown can have a defining influence on the style and quality of the wine
Literally speaking, what is a GI?
A designated vineyard area within a country
Roughly how large are GIs?
They can cover an entire region (e.g. Bordeaux) or a single vineyard (e.g. La Romanee)
What is a major risk for wines that sell at a premium price?
Fraud
Why is GI law relatively complicated?
Because when more than one country is involved in the making of the wine, more than one jurisdiction is at play
How are the complications of GI law managed uniformly?
A GI system has been created by the WTO which all major wine producing countries adhere to
Give an example of a wine-labelling situation which has been changed as a result of WTO GIs/agreements
Australians no longer use the term ‘Chablis’ (or any EU GIs) for any of their wines
List two important regulations enforced regarding WTO GIs
If a GI is stated on a label, then typically 85% of the liquid in the bottle will come from that GI (this is not a standard though)
There are significant variations between the way that GI legislation within the EU and outside of it
How are standards different for PDOs?
100% of grapes must come from the stated region for PDOs
How many quality categories are EU GIs split into? What are they?
Two
Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)
Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)