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U.S. hypocrisy on full display in threat to block Brunello imports
The U.S. has threatened to block imports of all Brunello di Montalcino starting June 9 unless each shipment is accompanied by laboratory analysis certifying that the wine is “pure Sangiovese,” according to Decanter.com.
The U.S. is Brunello’s biggest market, importing 25% of total Brunello production, so the threat in a letter from the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has Brunello producers scrambling to arrange for lab tests to keep the Brunello pipeline flowing.
The Decanter story notes that, “Since Brunello must by law be 100% Sangiovese, adding other grapes would be a violation of a strict labelling convention between the U.S. and the EU that stipulates that what is on the label must guarantee what is in the bottle.”
I’m all for taking steps to ensure wine purity, but this smacks of selective enforcement, if not downright hypocrisy. Sounds like some government bureaucrat got frustrated that his office’s initial letters and threats were ignored, so he chose to rattle the saber a bit.
My question: How strictly are government authorities enforcing all of the other wine “purity” rules right here at home — the regulations regarding the mixing of wines from different appellations, and even from different vintages?
My thoughts go back to a conversation I had with David Phillips, co-owner of Michael David, the Lodi, California winery that I wrote about yesterday. With a twinkle in his eye, Phillips told me how, during harvest, the semi trucks would line up along the main highway between Lodi and Napa, be loaded to the brim with bargain-priced Lodi grapes, and head 90 miles to the west. Napa wineries are allowed to blend a percentage of grapes from outside the region — I believe it’s 15 percent — and still, perfectly legally, claim the “Napa” appellation. And Lodi was more than happy to oblige.
Now, I wonder how many “bargain” Napa producers pay razor-sharp attention to ensure they don’t exceed that allowable proportion of outside grapes? And I wonder how robustly our government monitors and enforces those rules?
What do you suppose might happen if some government agency demanded a freeze on sales and a laboratory analysis of every bottle that carried the Napa and Sonoma appellation on its label to ensure “purity?” How long do you think THAT bureaucrat would keep his job?
Consumers will be watching the Italian prosecutor’s probe into Brunello and in the end, I suspect the marketplace will decide this brouhaha more than courts and bureaucrats will.
Until then, the U.S. would do well to avoid engaging in saber-rattling and selective enforcement.
Mark Fisher
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: wine purity
Comments
By Jeff
May 14, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this
It’s called law enforcement. I applaud the ATTB. The fact they had a scandal should throw red flags at all Brunello currently sold.By chiefwino
May 14, 2008 8:40 AM | Link to this
Concerning the comment about truckloads of Lodi grapes heading to Napa -Don’t forget Fred Franzia/Bronco Wines recently built in Napa a hugh crush facility/winery to produce bulk wine. I believe the stories about this facility described it having more capacity than all of the rest of Napa put together. There were also claims/lawsuits/arguments about this facility being able to use the legally allowable term “vinted and bottled in Napa.” So it is not surprising that a lot of grapes from other areas were heading to Napa. This is certainly not the first allegation of wine migrating across appellation boundaries. For example, Spanish and North African wines have “pumped up” less than stellar French wines.By Denise
May 13, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this
Could this be a counter to some EU effort to ban US wines that don’t meet the EU “purity” or varietal blending standards or definitions? Maybe it’s more of a challenge to prove to the EU that EU wines aren’t as pure as they make themselves out to be and shouldn’t be thumbing their noses at US wines?By MJ
May 13, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this
In case you were wondering…as I definitely was! Bill Brinton Proprietor Bill Brinton resides in Sonoma, but his roots are deep in the Midwest. Midwesterners are known for strong American values, respect for family and institutions, and the ability to create and recognize value in products. Bill is a direct descendent of a true pioneer, John Deere. His direct family was at the helm of Deere until its recent transition to a public company. Deere created the self-scouring steel plow, an invention that revolutionized the agricultural world. It is this spirit of innovation and tradition that Bill brings to the company he founded, Charles Creek Vineyard. Charles Creek is named after his son Charley and his grandfather, Charles Deere Wiman. Ten years prior to the start of Charles Creek Vineyard, Bill used this same dedication to create new and innovative beverages. In 1993, Bill, a graduate of the Columbia University MBA program, established a natural products and nutritional beverage firm, The Wiman Beverage Company. This company was sold to a larger firm in 2000. Bill enjoys vineyard selection and development, as well as the critical evaluation and blending of the juice from grapes into wine. The wines are styled to pair wonderfully with a wide variety of fresh foods, and his vision is to create wines that could be sold for $30 to $75 per bottle, but that provide an exceptional value in the $20 to $25 price range. Value and integrity are the cornerstone of Midwestern values, and the basis upon which Charles Creek Vineyard was founded.By Bill Brinton
May 13, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this
You and Michael David should prove your allegations and Make Michael David prove what he says or quit talking and stop printing innuendo! I am waiting…