EU Passes New Rules for Organic Wines

(First off, I want to acknowledge the similarity in subject matter from my last post, which touched somewhat on organic wine and wine labeling. I will not deny this. What can I say? If you have an interest, you have an interest.)

                

             Anyhow, on Feb. 8, 2012 , the EU’s Standing Committee on Organic Farming agreed to new rules governing “organic wines.” The ruling will now officially allow organic winemakers to label their wine as “organic wine.” These new rules will apply to the 2012 harvest, and wine with these labels must show the EU-organic-logo and the code number of their certifier, and must respect other wine labeling rules. Before now, standards across Europe existed only for wine produced from organically grown grapes, but not organic production methods. These previous standards allowed only a declaration describing such wine as “wine produced from organically grown grapes.” Argue amongst yourself whether this is a substantial difference or not, but this is what the EU agriculture commissioner Dacian Cioloş had to say:

                “I am pleased we have now developed regulations that, as is the case for other organic products, clearly differentiate between conventional and organic wine. Consumers can rest assured that stricter rules have been followed in the production of ‘organic wine.’”

                This represents an extension of organic standards from just the growing of grapes, but not the wine making process itself, to the entire process “from grape to wine.” These new regulations set out a host of wine-making practices and substances for organic wines, as well as being made with organic grapes. The new rules are thus more consistent with the “organic” objective and principles and understood by consumers, which is generally seen as using more holistic, sustainable and “caring” methods of growing and producing. It is believed that this will help wines produced from the EU to compete in the international organic market that is currently dominated by wines from other countries, including the United States.

                In the United States, organic wines are regulated under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. This power is vested in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which has authority over domestic and imported agricultural products to be sold, labeled, or represented, as organically produced. The USDA has established the National Organic Program (NOP) under the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). However, pursuant to the Federal Alcohol Administration Act (FAA), the Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulates has authority the labeling and advertising of distilled spirits, wines, and malt beverages, both domestic and imported. Thus, any use of the organic labeling is to be reviewed by the TTB under the NOP regulations established by and interpreted by the USDA and AMS.

                So, how does all that relate to the new EU standards? According to an FAQ set up by the EU, organic products imported into the EU are done so under “equivalency rules, meaning that they have been produced according to a standard equivalent to the EU one and that they have been controlled under a control system of equivalent effectiveness.” All in all, this is a good thing, as more and more countries and consumers have come accustomed to, at the very least, a presumption of what a product affixed with an “organic” label, really means. As these products proliferate and consumer demand continues to grow, equivalency amongst these standards is essential to protect consumers, growers, and producers of organic products (including wine).

                A positive step in that direction came on February 15, 2012, when the EU and US signed an organic equivalence arrangement. Under this agreement, the EU will recognize USDA’s NOP as equivalent to their own program, and vice versa. Presumptively, this will also apply to organic wines.