European Union wine regulations

Last updated September 16, 2021

European Union wine regulations are common legislation related to wine existing within the European Union (EU),^[1] the member states of which account for almost two-thirds of the world's wine production.^[2] 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.

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 (EEC) was in reasonable equilibrium for a rather short period of time.^[2] 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.^[2]

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 distill the surplus wine into industrial alcohol were introduced, a procedure often referred to as "emergency distillation", although it has remained in force for decades.^[2] At about the same time, domestic consumption of inexpensive wine 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.^[2] 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.^[2] 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.^[3]^[4] 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 175,000 hectares (430,000 acres) 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.^[5]

Documents

The central document of the EU wine regulations is entitled Council Regulation on the common organisation of the market in wine^[6] and it is supplemented by several Commission regulations.^[7] The former document has been adopted by the Council of the European Union 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.

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.^[1]^[6]

Classification and labelling

The wines produced within EU are divided into two quality categories, Table wines (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.

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 Bocksbeutel and the Clavelin, as well as the Flûte d'Alsace, the use of which is only regulated within France.^[8]

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".^[9] 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 vinifera varieties, and certain crosses between V. vinifera and other species of the Vitis genus.^[10] 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 defined 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.

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 laws 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".

Regulated aspect	EU regulation (minimum standard)	France: Alsace AOC labelled "Riesling"	German: Riesling Qualitätswein ("QbA")	German: Riesling Prädikatswein (e.g. a Kabinett)
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. 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%.^[11]	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 (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.

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Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and winemaking is known as oenology. A winemaker may also be called a vintner. The growing of grapes is viticulture and there are many varieties of grapes.

The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine:

In Spain, the denominación de origen is part of a regulatory geographical indication system used primarily for foodstuffs such as cheeses, condiments, honey, and meats, among others. In wines, it parallels the hierarchical systems of France (1935) and Italy (1963), although Rioja (1925) and Jerez (1933) preceded the full system. In foods, it performs a similar role, namely regulation of quality and geographical origin among Spain's finest producers. There are five other designated categories solely for wine and a further three specifically covering food and condiments, all recognised by the European Union (EU). In Catalonia, two further categories – labelled A and Q – cover traditional Catalan artisan food products, but were not recognised by the EU as of 2007. In recent decades, the concept of the denominación de origen has been adopted by other countries, primarily in Latin America. In 2016, the use of the term Denominación de Origen (DO) was changed in many cases for the European Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, but the traditional term of DO can still be used legally on labels.

German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of German wine is produced in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where 6 of the 13 regions (Anbaugebiete) for quality wine are situated. Germany has about 103,000 hectares of vineyard, which is around one tenth of the vineyard surface in Spain, France or Italy. The total wine production is usually around 10 million hectoliters annually, corresponding to 1.3 billion bottles, which places Germany as the eighth-largest wine-producing country in the world. White wine accounts for almost two thirds of the total production.

The German wine classification system puts a strong emphasis on standardization and factual completeness, and was first implemented by the German Wine Law of 1971. Nearly all of Germany's vineyards are delineated and registered as one of approximately 2,600 Einzellagen, and the produce from any vineyard can be used to make German wine at any quality level, as long as the must weight of the grapes reaches the designated minimum level. As the current German system does not classify vineyards by quality, the measure of wine ’quality’ is the ripeness of the grapes alone.

Chaptalization is the process of adding sugar to unfermented grape must in order to increase the alcohol content after fermentation. The technique is named after its developer, the French chemist Jean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal. This process is not intended to make the wine sweeter, but rather to provide more sugar for the yeast to ferment into alcohol.

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. Certain information is ordinarily included in the wine label, such as the country of origin, quality, type of wine, alcoholic degree, producer, bottler, or importer. In addition to these national labeling requirements producers may include their web site address and a QR Code with vintage specific information.

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Spanish wine includes red, white, and sparkling wines produced throughout the country. Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 1.2 million hectares planted in wine grapes, making it the most widely planted wine-producing nation, but the second largest producer of wine in the world, behind Italy and ahead of France and the United States. This is due, in part, to the very low yields and wide spacing of the old vines planted on the dry, infertile soil found in some of the Spanish wine regions. The country is ninth in worldwide consumption with Spaniards drinking, on average, 21.6 litres per person a year. The country has an abundance of native grape varieties, with over 400 varieties planted throughout Spain, though 88 percent of the country's wine production is from only 20 grapes — including the reds Tempranillo, Bobal, Garnacha, and Monastrell; the whites Albariño, Airén, Verdejo, Palomino, and Macabeo; and the three Cava grapes Parellada, Xarel·lo, and Macabeo.

The glossary of wine terms lists the definitions of many general terms used within the wine industry. For terms specific to viticulture, winemaking, grape varieties, and wine tasting, see the topic specific list in the "See also" section below.

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The classification of wine can be done according to various methods including place of origin or appellation, vinification methods and style, sweetness and vintage, or variety used. Practices vary in different countries and regions of origin, and many practices have varied over time. Some classifications enjoy official protection by being part of the wine law in their country of origin, while others have been created by, for example, grower's organizations without such protection.

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 and Protected designations of origin. The European Union regulates and defines the status of "quality wines" according to production method, management and geographical location. Its original, fundamental role is in differentiating quality wines from table wines, broadly in line with the system traditionally employed by the French government, amended to account for the preferences and methodology of Italian and German growers, among others in the EU.

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European Union wine growing zones are 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 chaptalisation. There are 21 wine producing countries in the European Union, with 14 of them having significant levels of production. In the 2004-2005 vintage, total European Union wine production was around 184 million hectoliters which accounted for nearly 70% of total worldwide production. Of that total, nearly 55% was classified as table wine with 4% used in the production of grape-based distilled spirits such as Armagnac and Cognac.

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 procedures in winemaking and viticulture. Legislation affecting all kinds of alcohol beverages, such as the legal drinking age and licensing practices related to distribution and sales, are usually not considered wine laws.

A winemaking cooperative is an agricultural cooperative which is involved in winemaking, and which in a similar way to other cooperatives is owned by its members. The members in a winemaking cooperative are usually vineyard owners, who deliver grapes to the cooperative, which is involved in production of wine from the grapes and the subsequent marketing activities.

British Columbia wine Canadian wine produced in the province of British Columbia

British Columbia wine is Canadian wine produced in the province of British Columbia. Wines made from 100% British Columbia grapes can qualify for classification under one of British Columbia's two classification systems, depending on the variety, the winemaking techniques employed, and various other restrictions.

References

1 2 UK Food Standards Agency: Guide to EC wine legislation Archived 7 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
1 2 3 4 5 6 European Commission: Wine sector – Homepage.
↑ Decanter.com 22 June 2006: EU plans radical overhaul of wine sector Archived 16 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
↑ European Commission: Wine sector – Reform of the wine sector.
↑ Decanter.com 30 April 2008: Watered-down EU wine reform ratified Archived 3 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
1 2 Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 of 29 April 2008 on the common organisation of the market in wine.
↑ European Commission: Wine sector – Legislation.
↑ Council Regulation (EC) No 753/2002 of 29 April 2002 laying down certain rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 as regards the description, designation, presentation and protection of certain wine sector products, Annex I: Reservation of certain types of bottle.
↑ Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 of 29 April 2008, Annex IV.
↑ Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 of 29 April 2008, Article 24, Paragraph 1.
↑ These are the lower limits set out in the 2008 version of the regulations, which will be implemented on the national level from 2009/10.

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
Discussion of new EU regulations requiring labelling ingredients in wine

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[UK_FSA-1] 1 2 UK Food Standards Agency: Guide to EC wine legislation Archived 7 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine

[EC_Wine-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 European Commission: Wine sector – Homepage.

[3] Decanter.com 22 June 2006: EU plans radical overhaul of wine sector Archived 16 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine

[4] European Commission: Wine sector – Reform of the wine sector.

[5] Decanter.com 30 April 2008: Watered-down EU wine reform ratified Archived 3 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine

[CMO_08-6] 1 2 Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 of 29 April 2008 on the common organisation of the market in wine.

[7] European Commission: Wine sector – Legislation.

[8] Council Regulation (EC) No 753/2002 of 29 April 2002 laying down certain rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 as regards the description, designation, presentation and protection of certain wine sector products, Annex I: Reservation of certain types of bottle.

[9] Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 of 29 April 2008, Annex IV.

[10] Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 of 29 April 2008, Article 24, Paragraph 1.

[11] These are the lower limits set out in the 2008 version of the regulations, which will be implemented on the national level from 2009/10.

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