Wine Laws Flashcards
What is the significance of the European Union (EU) in relation to the wine industry?
The EU regulates the wine industry in all of its member states.
What regulations does the EU enforce?
In 2009 the EU introduced new regulations designed to standardize the quality levels and labeling of wines with geographical place names.
These new laws were meant to align EU standards with those already adopted by the WTO (World Trade Organization) and to make label nomenclature more uniform across the EU.
The EU divided wine into two major groups?
-Wines with geographical indication
-Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)/Denominazione di Origine Protetta (DOPP)
-Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) / Indicatzione Geografica Protetta (IGP)
-Wines without geographical indication (generic wines)
What is the hierarchical order of the EU quality pyramid from top to bottom?
1) P.D.O. (Protected Designation of Origin)
2) P.G.I. (Protected Geographical Indication)
3) Generic wines with grape and/or vintage
4) Generic wines
What is the hierarchical order of the Italian wine quality pyramid from top to bottom?
1) D.O.C.G. (Wine with controlled Designation of Origin Guaranteed)
2) D.O.C. (Wines with controoled Designation of Origin)
3) I.G.T. (Typical Geographical Indication)
4) Vini da tavola (table wine)
How do the EU regulations effect each EU country?
EU members were expected to adapt their wine regulations accordingly. However, most of the traditional designations of each EU country are still valid (largely because they fit neatly into the EU structure and were therefore legal and compliant).
With the exception of the table wine category, producers can choose as to which of the two designations (traditional or EU) will appear on their labels.
How are the majority of Italian wines labeled with respect to designations?
The great majority are labeled using the traditional designations (DOCG, DOC, and IGT), which continue to be the most common quality designation found on labels today.
