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