Wine Law Flashcards

1
Q

What does VCI stand for and what is it’s primary purpose?

A

Volume Complémentaire Individuel (individual complementary volume)

Helps winegrowers plan ahead for potential harvest deficits in terms of quality and quantity. It’s a harvest insurance system where volumes of wine are set aside from one year to be released in a year with low volumes due to weather conditions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the main difference between VCI, QR (Quality Reserves), and VSI (Volume de Substitution Individuel)?

A

VCI: Individual measure to protect against further harvest deficits (both quality and quantity).

QR: A collective system designed to stabilize the market by smoothing out production fluctuations.

VSI: A very old measure to improve wine quality by substituting lower-quality wines with better-quality wines, requiring the destruction of the old stock.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

How is VCI applied to a winegrowers harvest?

A

VCI is determined by the winegrower management organization (ODG) with approval from INAO.

The VCI can’t exceed the buffer yield, and its volume is set aside as insurance for a future bad harvest.

EXAMPLE: If the wine grower produces 73 hl, and the base yield is 68 hl, they can set aside 5 hl as VCI.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the key variables in the Mâcon Villages white AOC VCI example?

A

Base yield: 68 hl/ha
Buffer yield: 75 hl/ha
Annual VCI limit: 7 hl/ha
Maximum stock of cumulative VCI: 20 hl/ha
Example scenario: If the winegrower produces 73 hl, 5 hl can be set aside as VCI.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Describe the first scenario for using VCI in Year 2.

A

In Year 2, the producer only harvests 68 hl (equal to base yield).
No new VCI is set aside, but the previous year’s VCI (5 hl) is refreshed.
Year 2 Declaration:
Authorized volume of AOC wine: 68 hl
VCI used: 0 hl (replacing the 5 hl VCI from Year 1)
New VCI stock in cellar: 5 hl.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What happens in the second scenario when the producer harvests 75 hl in Year 2?

A

In Year 2, the producer harvests 75 hl, setting aside 7 hl as VCI.
The previous year’s VCI (5 hl) is refreshed, and an additional 7 hl of VCI is created.
Year 2 Declaration:
Authorized volume of AOC wine: 68 hl
VCI used: 7 hl
New VCI stock in cellar: 12 hl (5 hl from Year 1 + 7 hl from Year 2).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What happens in the third scenario when the producer harvests only 50 hl in Year 2?

A

The producer harvests 50 hl in Year 2 (below the base yield).
The previous year’s VCI (5 hl) is added to the harvest to meet the authorized volume.
Year 2 Declaration:
Authorized volume of AOC wine: 50 hl
VCI used: 0 hl (no new VCI set aside)
Total volume claimed: 50 hl + 5 hl VCI from Year 1 = 55 hl
New VCI stock in cellar: 0 hl.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the fourth scenario in Year 2 where the vintage is of lower quality?

A

In Year 2, the wine quality is low, so no new VCI is set aside.
The VCI from Year 1 is substituted, and the producer is required to distill an equivalent volume.
Year 2 Declaration:
Authorized volume of AOC wine: 68 hl
VCI used: 0 hl
Volume sent for distillation: 5 hl (from Year 1 VCI)
Total volume claimed: 68 hl (63 hl + 5 hl VCI from Year 1).
New VCI stock in cellar: 0 hl.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are the rules for VCI declarations and checks?

A

The appellation management organization oversees VCI declarations, ensuring the volumes are recorded, checked, and that VCI wines are not sold.
VCI is voluntary, and producers are responsible for setting it up and using it.
Undeclared VCI volumes cannot be sold under the AOC; they must be separated and identified.
VCI wines from the current year cannot be commercialized.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the key difference between VCI and Quality Reserves (QR)?

A

VCI is managed by the winegrower, with approval from the INAO, and is used for individual protection against harvest deficits.
QR is managed collectively by the BIVB (Bourgogne Wine Board) and aims to stabilize market prices. It is voluntary, and wine can be stored but not sold until released by the BIVB.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How does the VSI system work?

A

The VSI (Volume de Substitution Individuel) allows producers to substitute old, lower-quality wine with new, higher-quality wine.
Old wine must be destroyed via distillation.
It’s mostly used for white wines and remains a rarely used system today.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the key differences between VCI, QR, and VSI in terms of management, yield, and objectives?

A

VCI: Individual Managment of winegrowers set aside volumes between authorized and buffer yields; protects against poor harvests.

QR: Collective management by BIVB; aims to stabilize the market and smooth production fluctuations; can be stored by négociants.

VSI: Individual management; sibsitution of old lower quality wine with new wine; old wine must be destroyed.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly