NoBullGrape

Names, location talked about everywhere!

Tom over at  Fermentations makes some very good points about the previously mentioned Center for Wine Origins.  By the way, they seem to have launched a very nice web site since we last spoke about them.

I highly recommend reading Tom's piece.

In addition, Daniel Sogg of the Wine Spectator does a great job outlining how the California Supreme Court (protecting the name Napa against the Fred Franzia's of the world who want to use the words on bottles that do not include grapes from Napa) are in direct opposition to the position of the US Government (read Wine Institute) in the Wine Accords.

In the end, all 3 -- Sogg, Fermentations and the Center for Wine Origins -- come to a similar conclusion.  Place names matter and semi-generics should cease being used.  As Fermentations makes clear, these names do not inherently guarantee quality, but -- whether it is a truth-in-labeling issue or time for everyone to stand on their own two feet -- they certainly should only be used by these particular regions. 

Wine regions agreeing

I mentioned the Napa Declaration earlier, but I am reminded by it again as there has been a wide range of  coverage about the event and its repurcussions.  The San Francisco Chronicle wrote a front page article about it, GrapeRadio has the audio from the press conference as well as supporting interviews up, and Wine Spectator wrote about it.  As a reminder, the Napa Declaration is an historic coming together of both US (Napa, Washington and Oregon) and European (Champagne, Port and Sherry) wine regions to pronounce their shared belief in the importance of place, the effect it has on the wines that are produced from the grapes and how important it is to educate consumers about the sanctity of all wine growing areas.  I can't say enough positive things about the importance of location.  Winemakers can wax poetically about the effects of microclimates, etc. (and I believe them), yet I see this as a truth-in-labeling issue.  If we found out our "Florida Orange Juice" really came from Louisiana or Oklahoma, we would cease buying the product immeditely and it would be a scandal.  The same should go for wine.  Napa comes from Napa.  When I buy a Napa wine I expect to get a wine made with Napa grapes in it.   I shouldn't have to look on the label to see if it comes from Napa California or Napa China.  And anyone who hides behind the claim that there are other words on the label that  differentiate the products  is just trying to use a loophole to mislead the consumer.
From an article by Cyrill Penn in the San Francisco Chronicle the EU and US governments can't agree on how to handle these names and how to end this practice.  This is a shame.  But I don't think it should take a government mandate to put consumers first, it should be the winemakers -- like those that signed the Napa Declaration -- who take the lead and end this practice once and for all.   
The Napa Declaration seems to be a watershed event where wineregions from different places came together to agree on something very simple. In a world where the wine press likes to pit region vs. region and Old World vs. New World, I think we should herald this kind of cooperation and urge others to use this as the kind of thing that needs to happen more often so that consumers can focus on the wine, not the ugly policy differences.