CALIFORNIA WINE INSTITUTE PLEASED WITH WINE AGREEMENT.

The California Wine Institute issued a statement commending the EU-US wine trade agreement that was passed December 20. European names are now more protected than before and the U.S. is safeguarded against the EU, their biggest import. However, the CWI admonishes any remarks that imply US winemaking is not up to standards just because their methods do not conform to some European country’s practices. International Director of the California Wine Institute, Joseph Rollo, says “US wineries produce high quality wines which meet a broad distribution of consumer tastes and price preferences using practice approved and used throughout the wine world.” Since winemaking practices differ throughout the world based on climate and tradition, it is unfair to point fingers according to the CWI. They claim that U.S. wine is not watered down and that using wood chips is a legal, acceptable and common practice that has been used for years.