"Taste cannot be controlled by law."
-Thomas Jefferson
While this is true, the law has its hand in wine just as it does everything else. As an attorney, it would only be fitting that I write about the wine laws of different countries. This will just be a brief overview to demonstrate the differences between United States laws and two countries, Italy and France. Obviously, all countries have their own laws, but so as to not make this blog entry become too cumbersome, I will only examine three.
In the United States, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) govern wine laws in the United States. They have written a Beverage Alcohol Manual Booklet which establishes clear definitions of wine laws. These are set forth at www.ttb.gov/regulations. In the United States, wine laws are more flexible than the European standards with regard to what viticultural and winemaking practice are allowed in each wine region.
In the United States, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms defines and approves applications for areas to become American Viticultural Areas. Augusta AVA in Missouri was the first AVA to be named on June 20, 1980. There are also standards in the U.S. related to the grape variety and how much is harvested in that vintage year (75% and 95% respectively). Some states, such as Oregon, have raised the percentages. The bulk of U.S. laws surround wine labeling practices and include these stipulations that if an AVA name appears on the label, at least 85% of the grapes used to produce that wine must come from that AVA. In addition to AVA's, every American state and county can produce wine and label it under their state/county wide appellation, provided 75% of the grapes come from that area.
(Information obtained from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_law)
United States' laws state what must be contained on a wine label. This is another area where the U.S. differs from other countries. In the U.S., wine labels must contain:
1. Brand-Any name is fine as long as it does not mislead the consumer;
2. Vintage date-the year in which the grapes were harvested;
3. Appellation of Origin-the place in which the dominant grape used were grown. The appellation
on the label means that 75% of the grapes were grown from the region named;
4. Viticultural Area-grape grown region with soil, climate, history and geographic features which
set it apart from other areas;
5. Net contents-stated in the metric system and is the amount of product in the bottle;
6. Varietal designation-names of dominant grape(s) used in the wine. 75% of the grapes must be
of that varietal and 75% must have come from the appellation of origin stated.
7. Estate bottled-100% of the wine came from grapes grown on land owned or controlled by the
winery which must be located in a viticultural area.
8. Name and address-the name and address of the bottler or importer must be on the bottle.
9. Country of origin-a country of origin statement is required on all imported wines.
10. Alcohol content-a statement of alcohol content in percent by volume appears on most labels.
(Wine with 7-14% alcohol content can be labeled as "light wine" or "table wine".
11. Declaration of sulfites-required on any bottle that contains more than 10 parts per million of
sulfur dioxide.
12. Health Warning Statement-must appear on anything containing .5% or more alcohol.
13. General requirements-this includes the size of the lettering.
14. Other designations- Bottles are not required to included a varietal designation.
(information obtained from https://ussommeliercom.terrasite.com/)
ITALIAN WINE
Italian wines are classified under four designations:
1. Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG): This is the highest classification
for quality Italian wine. Some regions only have DOCG status for certain wines.
2. Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC): DOC is the quality classification equivalent to
the Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) in France.
3. Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT): This category is the same level as vin de pays in France.
Many of the finest wines in Italy may be named IGT to avoid strict DOC or DOCG regulations.
4. Vino da Tavola (VdT): Table wine accounts for the vast majority of Italian wine production.
It is usually of low quality, but exceptions still exist.
FRENCH WINE
French wines are also classified in four categories:
1. Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC or AC): This acts as a guarantee that a wine has been
produced in a designated area in accordance with local laws and regulations. Rules cover factors
such as the boundaries of the appellation, permitted grape varieties, the style of wine, vine
training, and yield harvest dates, among others. Some AOC regions in France further rank and
categorize estates or vineyards (i.e. Bordeaux)
2. Vin Delimite de Qualite Superieure (VDQS): This is a relatively unimportant category which
is in the process of being phased out. It is a stepping stone for regions to attain AOC status.
3. Vin de pays (VdP): Country wine originates from a broad, designated area. Regulations are
not as strict as those for AOC and VDQS, and certain producers adopt the category in order to
make wine from grape varieties prohibited under AOC and VDQS.
4. Vin de table (VdT): Humble table wine can originate from any region in France. This is the
most basic, least regulated category and neither the vintage, the region, nor the names of
individual grape varieties are permitted on the label.
(Information obtained from Wines of the World, Susan Keevil.)
These are just a few examples of wine laws that differ from the United States.
United States' laws state what must be contained on a wine label. This is another area where the U.S. differs from other countries. In the U.S., wine labels must contain:
Wine Fact: Thomas Jefferson helped stock the wine cellars of the first five U.S. presidents and was very partial to fine Bordeaux and Madeira.
Wine Fact: Chilling tones down the sweetness of wine. If a red wine becomes too warm, it may lose some of its fruity flavor.
(Information obtained from http://www.800wine.com/winefacts.cfm)
There are many on line resources that list the legal classifications of wine in each country. It is very interesting to note that not everything you see on a U.S. bottle of wine can be found on a European bottle.
Take a good look at the bottle the next time you sit down for a glass of wine!
Cheers!
Mary Jo
Wine word
Must - the juice and liquidy pulp which is a result of pressing or crushing grapes before the fermentation process.
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