The French government has presented a plan to reform, renew and revive the wine sector. Wines should be categorised in three new (rebranded?) categories:
– VdF – Vignobles de France, that will replace Vin de Table. The label may show information on e.g. the grape variety and the vintage, which is illegal with today’s rules. Modern “international” production methods may be used such as adding oak chips, tannins, sorbic acid, or concentrated grape must (methods that are frequently used in various wine regions across the world).
– IGP – Indication Géographique Protégée, protected geographic indication. Replacing today’s Vin de Pays
– AOP – Appellation d’Origine Protégée, corresponding to the current Appellation Contrôlée (AOC)
The proposed changes to VdF would certainly be a step forward compared to the current outdated rules, in particular regarding labelling, but to what extent the rest is just a question of rebranding remains to be seen. We await more details of the reform…
Read more on Decanter.com and TimesOnline.co.uk
