There are currently several ways for Swedes to buy wine, although there is supposedly a monopoly. “Direct import”, where you order wine from another country, from a winery or a wine shop, is one. Here is some information on how this works with details on how to do it. Plus some speculation on what the [...]
Tag Archives | regulations
Planting rights – the circus continues
France (and some other major European wine countries) is fighting tooth and nail to maintain planting rights in Europe. And even though they have managed to obtain an extension they are far from satisfied. The new system of controlled growth (which is not so different from the system that has been in force since the [...]
Even the simplest French wines can now mention the grape variety, except some
How provincial protectionism makes it more difficult to sell French wines Vin de France, that is the new name for “vin de table” (wine without a specific appellation, AOP, or IGP), can now have the grape name mentioned on the label. Except for some varieties. It used to be that Vin de Table (now Vin [...]
Planting rights, no thank you!
Quite some time back I wrote a guest article on the blog Les 5 du Vin on planting rights. They have moved the blog to a new platform and the article seems to have disappeared. Or I just can’t find it. So here it is again. My article on why the anachronistic and protectionist system [...]
Is it time to say that it does not matter if a wine is organic? | Britt’s Friday Column
It is best to judge organic wines on their quality, not by a philosophy Do wine consumers have greater expectations when they drink organic wines? Sometimes it feels that way. They should not. It is always the skill of the producer / winemaker that determines how the wine will taste and how high the quality [...]
We are all French, aren’t we?
The usual infighting between French appellations… Renaming the French table wines to Vin de France was an ingenious move. They were formerly called vin de table, wines without geographical origin. “France” is a brand name that goes down well in most countries and big wine firms with a flair for marketing have been quick to [...]
New rooster and new rules for Chianti Classico
During the launch of the new vintage of Chianti Classico, the “anteprima” or the “primeurs”, in mid-February in Florence the consorzio presented the new design of the black rooster, the gallo nero symbol of Chianti Classico. They also presented the new rules, as of this year, that will apply for Chianti Classico. BKWine’s Åsa Johansson reports. [...]
Environmental friendly electro-dialysis?
There have been more reactions to the EU rules for organic wines. The French company Oenodia is upset about the fact that the rules ban organic wines from using electro-dialysis. Oenodia specializes in the treatment of wine with membranes, including electro dialysis. The company says that electro dialysis is a natural technique that does not [...]
Maine lobster from Kansas? Scotch from the Jura? American Champagne?
Americans must learn to respect names of origin. The Champagne Bureau USA has tried before to teach them and now it is trying again. A new advertising campaign has just been launched in the United States. The idea behind the campaign is to show Americans that it is wrong to call American bubble Champagne. To [...]
Have you seen the “Beaujolais Premier Cru”?
Yes, maybe we will have Beaujolais Premier Cru in less than ten years. Beaujolais continues its struggle to improve its image and to play in the higher leagues. Four years ago it began to analyse its vineyards to find the best plots. To add premier cru vineyards to the 12 Beaujolais appellations will help consumers [...]
Let’s talk business: Why Planting Rights is a bad idea
“Planting rights” is an archaic system that limits the rights to plant new vines and protects the incumbent wine producers from competition. In this article Per Karlsson explains why it is bad for wine consumers and also bad for the long term health of the wine industry as a whole. My primary interest in wine [...]
The end is nigh! Vintage wines as we know them to disappear?
Well, the world did not end last December as some thought it would. But perhaps it is the end of vintage wines as we know them? Some years the vines yield abundantly, other years they give very little. That is life for the wine maker. But now the door is opening for the possibility to [...]
Is it good for the wine consumer that the producers are now allowed to blend vintages with VCI?
A new kind of insurance for the wine producer: “The individual supplementary volume” Many things can happen in a vineyard. Weather problems are frequent. Diseases can reduce quantity and destroy quality. A small harvest could be disastrous for the producer. On the other hand, the change of character in a wine according to the specificities [...]
The new classification in Saint Emilion challenged by chateau owner
After much anguish and agony the new classification in Saint Emilionhas been unveiled. But will it stick? This time? It was already overturned four times – or was it seven? – in courts and in parliament in earlier versions. Pierre Carle at Chateau Croque Michotte says it is illegal and invalid. He points to a [...]
Cooperatives make demands on organic wines
The cooperatives produce almost 50% of all French wines so their opinion matters. They have recently, according to La Vigne, sent a letter to the French Minister of Agriculture with demands relating to the production of organic wines. They do not agree with some of the rules that were established this year for the work [...]
The (still) very strange story of the Saint Emilion classification
Illegal and invalid classification, says Chateau Croque Michotte It seems we have not seen the end of the debate around the new Saint Emilion classification (read our story). It was probably not very far from a classification that everyone could be happy with and not complain about. (Almost) no-one was downgraded. Lots of chateaux were [...]
The new Saint Emilion Classification
All the details and a critical review Saint Emilion has just announced the new classification of the chateaux. It has been a long time coming; the classification should be renewed every 10 years but this has been much delayed due to legal wrangling. The new classification includes some substantial changes but perhaps not dramatic surprises, [...]
Should Bordeaux (or the French) have a monopoly on the term “chateau”?
Another example of outrageous protectionism or justified worries about consumer protection? The Bordeaux producers, or more precisely the Fédération des Grands Vins de Bordeaux (FGVB), the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB, who sent the press release) as well as the Confédération Nationale des AOC (CNAOC) is incensed by a discussion between the EU [...]
Modern era commerce and customer service arrives at the Swedish alcohol monopoly
The Systembolaget alcohol monopoly in Sweden has been given green light by the government to start a trial with home delivery of alcohol. There has been an intense debate in Swedish political circles on this issue for some time; not even the government coalition parties have been in agreement. Some say it would be a [...]
Should ”planting rights” be abolished or not?
“Planting Rights” is an archaic system by which winegrowers are not allowed to plant new vines (extend their vineyards) unless they have “planting rights”. Without these “rights” nothing can be planted. It has been in place for many years in the big wine producing countries in Europe, to some extent as counterpart to the government [...]
The burning issue again: sulphur
In our March Brief we wrote that the habit of burning sulphur inside oak barrels to disinfect them is in danger of being banned. Because sulphur tablets are classified as biocides you need an authorization to be allowed to sell them. And this authorization is expensive. Now things look a bit brighter, according to La [...]
No more subsidies for enrichment. Forbid it, that’s what should be done!
Confédération française des vins de pays (CFVDP, an association for French Vin de Pays-producers) had a congress earlier this June and they discussed among other things the discontinuing of subsidies to enrich wines with concentrated grape must (MCR). La Vigne reports that CFVDP are against the subsidies being discontinued (big surprise…) and that it finds [...]
Allergic to wine? New labelling rules
From this year EU countries as well as Canada require that wine labels provide information about contents in the wine that can cause allergic reactions (allergens). It is already compulsory to mention on the label that the wine contains sulphur (if it contains more than 10 mg/litre). The new substances that have to be mentioned [...]
The simplest Burgundy wine changes name. Farewell Grand Ordinaire!
A new appellation has been born in Burgundy. Or rather, an old appellation has changed its name and its profile. The old name was AOC Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire, or BGO. A wonderful name, I have always thought and now I also know what is behind the name. In the old days the every day wine [...]
Rules for labelling in France
On May 6, new rules were published for the labeling of wines in France. The rules come into force on 1st of July. The ministries involved, writes La Vigne, have taken quite some time to get the rules published but actually they are more or less already in use. The 6th of May publication was [...]
Why the system of Planting Rights should be abolished
“Planting Rights” is an archaic system by which winegrowers are not allowed to plant new vines (extend their vineyards) unless they have “planting rights”. Without these “rights” nothing can be planted. It has been in place for many years in the big wine producing countries in Europe, to some extent as a counter-party to the [...]
Wine and spirits sales liberalised! – In Texas…
It is easy to believe that the USA is the pinnacle of market economies. In the alcohol sector that could not be farther from the truth. The rules around selling alcohol vary much from state to state and even within states. In Texas each county can set its own rules. Some weeks ago 13 votes [...]
“Sustainable” and “Fair Trade”. What is it? Does it make sense?
Fair trade, sustainable, organic,… Is it perhaps a meaningless terminology? “Sustainable” is actually quite a curious terminology. Not least for wine. Sometimes it is used as some kind of “super category” embracing everything that is organic, environmentally friendly and sometimes even “ethical”. At other occasions it is used to describe a more narrow type of [...]
Two new appellations in Touraine: Oisly and Chenonceaux
Two new appellations in the Loire Valley are born on May 1. They are located in Touraine, the large region in the beautiful part of the Loire where most of the big, famous Loire chateaux are located. Touraine already has a number of sub-appellations and now it has two more: Touraine Oisly and Touraine Chenonceaux. [...]
Will a centuries old tradition in winemaking disappear?
The use of sulphur to be banned? To disinfect oak barrels by burning sulphur inside is a century old tradition. Now the procedure could become illegal. According to the EU rules sulphur tablets is classified as biocides, which means that they must have obtained an authorization to be allowed on the market. And to get [...]
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