Wine Law Flashcards
What is the OIV
Organization of Wine and Vine
What are three different legal wine classifications
Regular wine, Grape wine (table 7-14% and dessert 14-24%)
What trade agreement was made in 06 that changed EU definition of wine?
USA wines exported to EU over 15% are now considered wine (not so before)
Describe the problems of wine supply and hybrid varieties in France in the early 20th century
Post phyloxera (1875-1879) production dropped about 73%. This of course opened up a demand for imported wine, at first mostly form Spain. France applied big ole tariffs on these trying to push buyers towards colony produced wines (mostly from Algeria) Of course the hybrid/grafting solution came into play, with many winemakers planting the highest yielding cheapest vines possible. Even worse many planted direct hybrids, not vinifera, which could produce straight away without requiring grafting. This led to awful plonk in the vin to table. Reforms in 1919-1935 banned or limited many of the varieties (due to poor quality, over supply, and some even containing toxic levels of methyl alcohol). In 1950's still 1/3 of the vineyards were direct hybrids. Nutz
What was the “Griffe Law”
Passed in 1889 Defined wine as fresh fermented grape juice. Also added some guidelines for wine making and additives.
Give a quick evolution of French wine law 1900-1920
1905 saw a law governing agricultural products within which provisions were added for wine in 1907.
These allowed the government to punish inaccurate labeling and required those to prove what was in the bottle.
Geographic clarification was added from 1908-1912 for the big guys, just on origins.
on May, 6, 1919 the first appellations d’origin further defined these regions and gave the courts power over enforcement. This failed.
Set the stage for …. CDP
French wine appellations 1920-1935
The move to more controls over production as opposed to just area of origin was spearheaded by producers in CDP in 1923.
They made a self governing body with limits over production and vilification in addition to geographic qualifiers.
Limited to 10 grapes, prohibited capitalization, eliminated rose, and set a min alcohol content .
Of COURSE local jellyfish sued them but the courts sided on the side of the CDP body.
A senator pushed a law based on these requirements through parliament in 1927 (defined grapes and production in Champers, reduced more hybrid varieties)
The law was enforced by local courts, which were impressionable (talkin dolla bills ya’ll)
The need for a single independent regulatory body was needed… enter: Comite National de Appellations d’Origin
est. 1935
Name of leader of CDP consortium and name of Senator that drew out legislation based on CDP’s requirements
Baron le Roy of Chateau Fortia
Joseph Capus
What are the 3 basic philosophical goals of an AOC?
local, loyal, and constant
What is the document that assembles AOCs?
Cahier de Charges
What happened to the regulatory body for AOCs in 1947?
Changed its name from Comite National des Apellations d’Origin to Institute National des Appellations d’Origin (INAO)
What is the term for chaptalized wine in Germany? Chaptalization?
Verbesserte (improved)
Anreicherung
What are the 4 levels applied by the Deutscher Weingesetz and when?
1971 (after 1970 European wine reforms) Einzellagen Grosslagen Bereiche Anbaugebiete
Now there are Qualitatswein and Qualitatswein Erstes Gewachs (Riesling or Pinot Noir coming from classified sites in the Rheingau)
Which two German Anbaugebiete were added when?
1990
Sachsen and Saale-Unstrut
What’s the difference between Qualitatswein and Pradikatswein?
Pradikatswein is a subset of Qualitatswein (indication the wine comes from a single Anbaugebiet) that denotes a designated level of sugar
Levels of Pradikatswein
Kabinett Spatlese Auslese Beerenauslese Trockenbeerenauslese Eiswein
Which Pradikatswein was added later and when?
Eiswein in 1982
What’s the term for a Landwein region?
Landweingebiete (see a theme?)
Must be trocken or halbtrocken)
What the pooping butts is the EEC?
European Economic Communitya est. 1957
What in the name of all that is good and holy is the CAP? CMO?
-Common Agricultural Policy
-Common Market Organization
Can’t you just smell the waffles?
Two major wine categories in EEC?
- QWPSR Quality wine produced in a specific region
- Table Wine
Spell out what happened to EU wine reforms in 2008
Post 2015 the ban on planting rights will be lifted
in 2013 a addendum was added keeping the planting and replanting of vineyards to only 1% of planted areas, from 2016-2030
-Grubbing up scheme: paid growers by the vine to pull up… the vines (400k hectares worth)
-2012 subsidies for distillation were suspended
-National Envelopes: giving money to nations to use in add campaigns, green harvesting, and winery upgrades
-Loosened regulations on techniques like oak chips, dehydrated must used as sugar
-Limits on chaptalization by climate zone (A 3% adjust, B 2%, C 1.5%)
Where chaptilazation (addition of sucrose) is forbidden the addition of sussreserve may still be allowed.
-Varietal and Vintage labeling are approved for all wines,
Which are the two over arching categories for wine in the EU as of August 1st 2009?
Wine with/without geographic designation.
The main improvement is that wine without geographic designation can include vintage and varietal on the label at least 85% (exceptions apply based on each countries laws, Austria won’t allow varieties that may be confused for regions, Italy only allows popular non native varietals)
These wines are simply labeled wine, vino, wein, etc.
What exception is made for stated varietal grape percentages in the EU?
USA wines imported are allowed to be 75%
Who is responsible for overseeing appellations in the EU?
An independent public body or third party. In France the INAO worked but Spain and Italy use third parties as the wine makers paid dues originally to the organizations there
What are the two categories for wines with geographic indication in the EU?
PDO (protected designation of origin)
Must be 100% from the PDO
must be vitis vinifera
must be produced in area
PGI (protected geographic indication)
85% from the area (remainder in the same country)
it is obtained from vines of the genus vitis
What is the margin of error for alcohol in the EU?
+/- 05%
Indications required on a bottle label from the EU
Indication designation (PDO, PGI, or local equivalent) some are excepted (champagne, sherry, Marsala, others)
Alcohol
Country
Importer
Bottler
Sugar content if bubbles
Allergens if used (i.e. milk, eggs in fining)
What are the names and dates of the prohibition amendments?
18th in January 1920 and 21st in 1933
What major regulatory change (other than legalizing alcoholic bevs) did the repeal of the prohibition lead to?
The management of laws on alcohol were placed in the hands of states. This “balkanized” our regulations. NICE WORD
What is a “tied house?”
A situation where an alcohol supplier applies direct influence over a retailer/restaurant to sell their product (through vertical integration or just pay to play)
Can the TTB punish a retailer for taking money in a tied house violation?
A sommelier will sometimes be violating state law if they accept a gift in exchange for selling something
Can a wine grower sell their product directly to a consumer or retailer?
Yup, an exception to the three tier rule
What is the dormant commerce clause (and what does “dormant” mean in this context)
Dormant means the inverse of.
The Dorment commerce clause states that there may not be regulations that impede trade between the states
Which company is responsible for the deregulation of Washington’s alcohol sales?
Costco was the main donor and started the fight that eliminated the three tier requirement in that state in 2012, the first state in the country to do this
