California Winemakers rejoice new agreement with Europe
California Winemakers have been a buzz since Wednesday, when the EC (European Community) announced they would allow California wines to be imported without having to meet the rigid European standards of wine making. The new world techniques employed by many California wineries, such as the addition of Malic Acid to balance a Wine, were allowed in a temporary agreement, but that could have changed at any time. This new agreement provides some relief to wineries that employ such methods, as this one is more permanent. The EC will also accept appellation names, such as Alexander Valley, while not allowing new wines to use names synonymous with Europe, like Champagne or Burgundy. Wineries that have been using the semi-generic place names can continue to do so. California Winemakers have been hoping for a permanent agreement since 1983 when these trade talks first began.
More information can be found at the Wine Institutes website.
Read[SFGate]
