SIX NEW REGIONS JOIN FIGHT FOR PLACE NAMES
In the past couple of years, several different waves of litigation to protect place names have passed through the United States, lead by regions such as Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. As a result, it’s no longer acceptable to include the word “Napa” or “Sonoma” on your wine label if the majority of your grapes do not hail from the famous California region.
As a part of a movement to protect wine place names, a group of thirteen wine regions have added their names to the Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place Names & Origin. The six new regions to add their signatures during a signing ceremony in Washington D.C today are Sonoma County and Paso Robles, California; Chianti Classico, Italy; Tokaj, Hungary; and, Victoria, and Western Australia, Australia.
They join the seven founding members of the coalition: Napa Valley, Oregon, Washington, Walla Walla Valley, Champagne, Porto, and Jerez
Representatives from each wine region met with members of congress and Bush administration officials to discuss their group’s efforts to halt misleading labels.
The first step in protecting place names in the US was taken in 2005 when the California Supreme Court ruled that Bronco Wine Co.’s (founder Fred Franzia) Napa Ridge brand was required to use grapes from the Napa Valley or stop using the word “Napa” in its label. Then, last September Gov. Schwarzenegger signed a bill that requires any label bearing the “Sonoma” name must source as least 75% of its grapes from the region.
Officials from the US and EU also signed a deal last year that prevents new wine producers from using semi-generic names, such as port and burgundy.
The Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place Names & Origin was signed by the original seven members on July 26, 2005. Here’s a link to the full declaration: http://www.protectplace.com.
As a part of a movement to protect wine place names, a group of thirteen wine regions have added their names to the Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place Names & Origin. The six new regions to add their signatures during a signing ceremony in Washington D.C today are Sonoma County and Paso Robles, California; Chianti Classico, Italy; Tokaj, Hungary; and, Victoria, and Western Australia, Australia.
They join the seven founding members of the coalition: Napa Valley, Oregon, Washington, Walla Walla Valley, Champagne, Porto, and Jerez
Representatives from each wine region met with members of congress and Bush administration officials to discuss their group’s efforts to halt misleading labels.
The first step in protecting place names in the US was taken in 2005 when the California Supreme Court ruled that Bronco Wine Co.’s (founder Fred Franzia) Napa Ridge brand was required to use grapes from the Napa Valley or stop using the word “Napa” in its label. Then, last September Gov. Schwarzenegger signed a bill that requires any label bearing the “Sonoma” name must source as least 75% of its grapes from the region.
Officials from the US and EU also signed a deal last year that prevents new wine producers from using semi-generic names, such as port and burgundy.
The Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place Names & Origin was signed by the original seven members on July 26, 2005. Here’s a link to the full declaration: http://www.protectplace.com.
posted at 2:29 PM
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