European Union wine regulations
Encyclopedia
European Union wine regulations are common legislation related to wine existing within the European Union
(EU), the member states of which account for almost two-thirds of the world's wine production. These regulations form a part of the Common Agricultural Policy
(CAP) of EU, and regulate such things as the maximum vineyard
surface allowed to individual EU member states, allowed winemaking
practices and principles for wine classification and labelling
. The wine regulations exist to regulate total production in order to combat overproduction of wine
and to provide an underpinning to Protected designations of origin
(PDOs), among other things. In a sense, the wine regulations therefore try to protect both the producer and the consumer.
The EU wine regulations, as a part of CAP, do not include regulations on age limits for buying or drinking alcohol, regulations on wine advertising or retailing and other aspects of national social
or public health
policies of the individual EU member states.
In the early days of the CAP, the wine sector of the then-European Economic Community
(EEC) was in reasonable equilibrium for a rather short period of time. During this time, there were no regulations as to plantations and few interventions into the market, as this was not needed. However, the early post-World War II saw the introduction of many technological innovations within viticulture, which soon led to increased production, while the demand stayed constant. This resulted in a surplus of wine. The answer from EEC was to intervene in the market to make some guarantee as to sales, while still keeping the freedom to plant new vineyards, which aggravated rather than solved the problem of overproduction. While looking like a very illogical policy in hindsight, this was in keeping with the view that what the EEC was aiming to do was to balance variations in production from year to year.
After the realisation that the surplus was a structural one rather than a temporary variation, the wine regulations were changed to be more interventionist
in 1978, with a ban on additional vineyard plantations, which means that a system of planting rights was introduced to regulate replantations. Also, requirements to distil
the surplus wine into industrial alcohol were introduced, a procedure often referred to as "emergency distillation", although it has remained in force for decades. At about the same time, domestic wine consumption of simpler wine qualities started to drop within the larger wine producing countries of Europe, making it even harder to return to the previous state of market equilibrium. From the 1980s, this has meant a marked reduction in the total demand, in terms of quantity, despite the fact that the wine-importing countries of northern Europe have increased their consumption. Increasing wine exports from the New World
, often in a style arrived at by market research rather than long tradition, also meant increased competition and changing tastes among wine consumers. As a result, the reduced total demand also included a shift in the demand towards higher quality level. Since it was realised that the vineyards in some locations would be unlikely to yield wines of the necessary quality, increased financial incentives for giving up vineyards, so-called grubbing-up schemes or vine pull schemes
, were introduced in the late 1980s. This led to reduced overproduction, but a complete balance has so far never been achieved.
In the mid to late 1990s, much of CAP was overhauled and the legislation was simplified. A major revision was done in 1999, and it has been stated several times since then that the ambition is to phase out interventions such as emergency distillation, since they are "artificial outlets" for wine. However, this aim has proven difficult to achieve.
The latest round of reforms was announced in 2006 and led to agreed legal documents in 2008. Some of the key points were:
Many of the reforms were less sweeping than what had initially been proposed, and the implementation of several items delayed.
through the member states' ministers of agriculture, while the Commission regulations are written by the European Commission
in collaboration with the Wine Management Committee, where the member states are represented.
s (TW) and Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions
(QWpsr), where QWpsr is the higher category. Rules for winemaking practices and labelling are different for TW and QWpsr. The similar categories also exist for sparkling wine
.
The TW and QWpsr categories are translated into different national wine classification for each member state. Thus, some member states may have more than two levels of classification, but all national levels correspond to either TW or QWpsr and are subject to the common minimum standards set out in the EU wine regulations. As an example, France uses four levels of classification. Vin de table and Vin de pays
are both EU Table wines, while Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) and Appellation d'origine contrôlée
(AOC) wines are QWpsr.
varieties, and certain crosses between V. vinifera and other species of the Vitis
genus
. Thus, uncrossed so-called American vines, such as Vitis labrusca
, may not be used for wine and are not allowed in EU vineyards.
Many winemaking practices depend on the classification of the wine – TW or QWpsr. Some practices also depend on where within EU the grapes are grown, since typical challenges to winemakers in colder or hotter climates are somewhat different. The definied European Union wine growing zones
are used to regulate these practices, but some leeway is given for authorising deviations in vintages of exceptional climatic conditions.
s of the European Union member states. Since national wine laws have a much longer history than the EU wine regulations, the EU regulations have been designed to accommodate existing regulations of several member states. In particular, the existing regulations concerning French wine
, with its detailed appellation laws
, formed a basis, while also making room for the very different German wine classification
system. In general, the EU wine regulations provide for minimum standards across EU, while making it possible for individual member states to enact stricter standards in certain areas in their national wine laws.
An example comparing a French and two German wine types made from the same grape variety illustrate what the EU wine regulations stipulate, and how the individual countries have applied various stricter regulations than the minimum for these "quality wines".
In a sense, the EU wine regulations as such are rather invisible to the wine consumers and the wine trade, since the details of quality classifications and labelling practices are generally part of the national wine laws, which provide the visible front-end.
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU), the member states of which account for almost two-thirds of the world's wine production. These regulations form a part of the Common Agricultural Policy
Common Agricultural Policy
The Common Agricultural Policy is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. It represents 48% of the EU's budget, €49.8 billion in 2006 ....
(CAP) of EU, and regulate such things as the maximum vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
surface allowed to individual EU member states, allowed winemaking
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
practices and principles for wine classification and labelling
Wine label
Wine labels are important sources of information for consumers since they tell the type and origin of the wine. The label is often the only resource a buyer has for evaluating the wine before purchasing it...
. The wine regulations exist to regulate total production in order to combat overproduction of wine
Wine lake
The wine lake refers to the continuing supply surplus of wine produced in the European Union. A major contributor to that glut is the Languedoc-Roussillon, which produces over one-third of the grapes grown in France. In 2007 it was reported that for the previous several vintages, European...
and to provide an underpinning to Protected designations of origin
Protected designation of origin
Protected Geographical Status is a legal framework defined in European Union law to protect the names of regional foods. Protected Designation of Origin , Protected Geographical Indication and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed are distinct regimes of geographical indications within the framework...
(PDOs), among other things. In a sense, the wine regulations therefore try to protect both the producer and the consumer.
The EU wine regulations, as a part of CAP, do not include regulations on age limits for buying or drinking alcohol, regulations on wine advertising or retailing and other aspects of national social
Social policy
Social policy primarily refers to guidelines, principles, legislation and activities that affect the living conditions conducive to human welfare. Thus, social policy is that part of public policy that has to do with social issues...
or public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
policies of the individual EU member states.
History
While a large bulk of the text of the regulations is concerned with winemaking practices and the like, much of the history of the EU wine regulations has been linked to the issue of market imbalances and overproduction of wine.In the early days of the CAP, the wine sector of the then-European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
(EEC) was in reasonable equilibrium for a rather short period of time. During this time, there were no regulations as to plantations and few interventions into the market, as this was not needed. However, the early post-World War II saw the introduction of many technological innovations within viticulture, which soon led to increased production, while the demand stayed constant. This resulted in a surplus of wine. The answer from EEC was to intervene in the market to make some guarantee as to sales, while still keeping the freedom to plant new vineyards, which aggravated rather than solved the problem of overproduction. While looking like a very illogical policy in hindsight, this was in keeping with the view that what the EEC was aiming to do was to balance variations in production from year to year.
After the realisation that the surplus was a structural one rather than a temporary variation, the wine regulations were changed to be more interventionist
Economic interventionism
Economic interventionism is an action taken by a government in a market economy or market-oriented mixed economy, beyond the basic regulation of fraud and enforcement of contracts, in an effort to affect its own economy...
in 1978, with a ban on additional vineyard plantations, which means that a system of planting rights was introduced to regulate replantations. Also, requirements to distil
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
the surplus wine into industrial alcohol were introduced, a procedure often referred to as "emergency distillation", although it has remained in force for decades. At about the same time, domestic wine consumption of simpler wine qualities started to drop within the larger wine producing countries of Europe, making it even harder to return to the previous state of market equilibrium. From the 1980s, this has meant a marked reduction in the total demand, in terms of quantity, despite the fact that the wine-importing countries of northern Europe have increased their consumption. Increasing wine exports from the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, often in a style arrived at by market research rather than long tradition, also meant increased competition and changing tastes among wine consumers. As a result, the reduced total demand also included a shift in the demand towards higher quality level. Since it was realised that the vineyards in some locations would be unlikely to yield wines of the necessary quality, increased financial incentives for giving up vineyards, so-called grubbing-up schemes or vine pull schemes
Vine pull schemes
Vine pull schemes are programs whereby grape growers receive a financial incentive to pull up their grape vines, a process known as arrachage in French. A large program of the kind was initiated by the European Union in 1988 to reduce the wine lake glut from overproduction and declining demand...
, were introduced in the late 1980s. This led to reduced overproduction, but a complete balance has so far never been achieved.
In the mid to late 1990s, much of CAP was overhauled and the legislation was simplified. A major revision was done in 1999, and it has been stated several times since then that the ambition is to phase out interventions such as emergency distillation, since they are "artificial outlets" for wine. However, this aim has proven difficult to achieve.
The latest round of reforms was announced in 2006 and led to agreed legal documents in 2008. Some of the key points were:
- The system of planting rights to be abolished by 2015, with the possibility to keep them on a national level until 2018
- Distillation measures to be phased out after four years (in 2012) with progressively less money allowed to be allocated to these measures for each year.
- A three year voluntary grubbing-up scheme for up to 175000 hectares (432,434 acre) of vineyards.
- Introduction of "national financial envelopes" whereby it becomes a national responsibility to choose the right balance of incentives.
Many of the reforms were less sweeping than what had initially been proposed, and the implementation of several items delayed.
Documents
The central document of the EU wine regulations is entitled Council Regulation on the common organisation of the market in wine and it is supplemented by several Commission regulations. The former document has been adopted by the Council of the European UnionCouncil of the European Union
The Council of the European Union is the institution in the legislature of the European Union representing the executives of member states, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The Council is composed of twenty-seven national ministers...
through the member states' ministers of agriculture, while the Commission regulations are written by the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
in collaboration with the Wine Management Committee, where the member states are represented.
Aspects regulated
The aspects regulated by EU fall mainly into the categories winemaking practices, classification and labelling, wine-production potential, documentation of wine industry activities, imports from non-EU countries, and duties of enforcement agencies.Classification and labelling
The wines produced within EU are divided into two quality categories, Table wineTable wine
Table wine is a wine term with two different meanings: a wine style; and a quality level within wine classification.In the United States, table wine primarily designates a wine style - ordinary wine which is neither fortified nor sparkling....
s (TW) and Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions
Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions
Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions is a quality indicator used within European Union wine regulations. The QWpsr category identifies wines with protected geographical indications...
(QWpsr), where QWpsr is the higher category. Rules for winemaking practices and labelling are different for TW and QWpsr. The similar categories also exist for sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
.
The TW and QWpsr categories are translated into different national wine classification for each member state. Thus, some member states may have more than two levels of classification, but all national levels correspond to either TW or QWpsr and are subject to the common minimum standards set out in the EU wine regulations. As an example, France uses four levels of classification. Vin de table and Vin de pays
Vin de pays
Vin de pays is a French term meaning "country wine". Vins de pays are a step in the French wine classification which is above the table wine classification, but below the VDQS and Appellation d'origine contrôlée classifications...
are both EU Table wines, while Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) and Appellation d'origine contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC) wines are QWpsr.
- Labelling information is divided into compulsory and optional information. Information not listed as part of either of these two categories may not be displayed on the bottle. To some extent, this information varies with the quality category.
- The labelling regulations include requirements for how grape varieties and vintage may be mentioned on the label.
- Requirements and procedures for protected designations of origin for wine.
- Label indications of sweetness – from dry to sweet – are regulated in terms of which residual sugar levels they correspond to.
- Certain traditional bottle types may only be used for wines of certain origins; these are the BocksbeutelBocksbeutelThe Bocksbeutel is a type of wine bottle with the form of a flattened ellipsoid. It is commonly used for wines from Franconia in Germany, but is also used for some Portuguese wines, in particular rosés, where the bottle is called cantil, and in rare cases for Italian wine and Greek wine.- History...
and the Clavelin, as well as the Flûte d'Alsace, the use of which is only regulated within France.
Winemaking practices
Perhaps most importantly, the regulations define wine as "the product obtained exclusively from the total or partial alcoholic fermentation of fresh grapes, whether or not crushed, or of grape must". Furthermore, wine can only be made from grape varieties listed as allowed, and only those vine varieties may be planted for commercial purposes. Each EU member state draws up such lists of varieties, which may only contain purebred Vitis viniferaVitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
varieties, and certain crosses between V. vinifera and other species of the Vitis
Vitis
Vitis is a genus of about 60 species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. Thus, uncrossed so-called American vines, such as Vitis labrusca
Vitis labrusca
Vitis labrusca is a species of grapevines belonging to the Vitis genus in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The vines are native to the eastern United States and are the source of many grape cultivars, including Catawba and Concord grapes, and many hybrid grape varieties such as Agawam,...
, may not be used for wine and are not allowed in EU vineyards.
Many winemaking practices depend on the classification of the wine – TW or QWpsr. Some practices also depend on where within EU the grapes are grown, since typical challenges to winemakers in colder or hotter climates are somewhat different. The definied European Union wine growing zones
European Union wine growing zones
The European Union wine growing zones is a tool used in the common European Union wine regulations to regulate certain aspects of winemaking. The zones differ in terms of climate and examples of what is regulated by wine growing zone are required grape maturity at harvest and allowed levels of...
are used to regulate these practices, but some leeway is given for authorising deviations in vintages of exceptional climatic conditions.
- Minimum ripeness of grapes to be used for wine.
- Minimum alcohol content for wine, and maximum alcohol content of non-fortified wine.
- Chaptalisation and related forms of enrichment, the term used by the regulations. An upper limit is set, dependent on the wine growing zone, both on the extent of chaptalisation and the maximum alcohol level that may be achieved by chaptalisation.
- Deacidification, dependent on the wine growing zone.
- The use of sweet reserve (often referred to by its German name, Süßreserve), which is more restricted if the wine is also chaptalised.
- The amount of sulphur dioxide in the wine, the allowable amount of which depends on the colour and sweetness of wine.
EU regulations and national wine laws
The reason why these regulations exist on the EU level is because of the common market inside the EU, which has led to a need to harmonise regulations for various products which traditionally have been regulated on a national level. The EU wine regulations form a framework for the wine lawWine law
Wine laws are legislation regulating various aspects of production and sales of wine. The purpose of wine laws includes combating wine fraud, by means of regulated protected designations of origin, labelling practices and classification of wine, as well as regulating allowed additives and...
s of the European Union member states. Since national wine laws have a much longer history than the EU wine regulations, the EU regulations have been designed to accommodate existing regulations of several member states. In particular, the existing regulations concerning French wine
French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
, with its detailed appellation laws
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
, formed a basis, while also making room for the very different German wine classification
German wine classification
German wine classification consists of several quality categories and is often the source of some confusion, especially among non-German speaking wine consumers. The official classification is set down in the wine law of 1971, although some changes and amendments have been made since then...
system. In general, the EU wine regulations provide for minimum standards across EU, while making it possible for individual member states to enact stricter standards in certain areas in their national wine laws.
An example comparing a French and two German wine types made from the same grape variety illustrate what the EU wine regulations stipulate, and how the individual countries have applied various stricter regulations than the minimum for these "quality wines".
| Regulated aspect | EU regulation (minimum standard) | France: Alsace AOC labelled "Riesling" | German: Riesling Qualitätswein ("QbA") | German: Riesling Prädikatswein (e.g. a Kabinett Kabinett Kabinett , or sometimes Kabinettwein , is a German language wine term for a wine which is made from fully ripened grapes of the main harvest, typically picked in September, and are usually made in a light style... ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grape varieties | If the label indicates a single variety, minimum 85% of that variety | 100% Riesling required | Minimum 85% Riesling | Minimum 85% Riesling |
| Minimum grape maturity required | Depends on wine growing zone European Union wine growing zones The European Union wine growing zones is a tool used in the common European Union wine regulations to regulate certain aspects of winemaking. The zones differ in terms of climate and examples of what is regulated by wine growing zone are required grape maturity at harvest and allowed levels of... . For Zone A (most of Germany), 5% potential alcohol, for zone B (much of France including Alsace), 6% potential alcohol. |
Minimum 8.5% potential alcohol | Minimum grape maturity depends on the wine region, but is at least 6% potential alcohol (50 °Oe) | Minimum grape maturity depends on the Prädikat and the wine region, but is at least 8.7% potential alcohol (67 °Oe) |
| Chaptalisation | Maximum amount of chaptalisation depends on wine growing zone. For Zone A, corresponding to 3% additional alcohol, for zone B, 2%. | Generally allowed up to 2%, but the regional committee may set a lower limit for a certain vintage | Chaptalisation allowed up to the maximum, up to 2% additional alcohol in Baden Baden (wine region) Baden is a region for quality wine in Germany, and is located in the historical region of Baden in southwestern Germany, which today forms part of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg... (zone B) and 3% in the other regions (zone A) |
No chaptalisation allowed for any Prädikatswein |
In a sense, the EU wine regulations as such are rather invisible to the wine consumers and the wine trade, since the details of quality classifications and labelling practices are generally part of the national wine laws, which provide the visible front-end.
External links
- EUR-Lex: Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine, the old version of the regulations valid until 31 July 2008 and now superseded by the 2008 version.
- FIVS Abridge, a database of national alcohol regulations and international agreements 24 August 2009