This afternoon the European Commission dropped the proposal to allow the blending of red and white to make rosé. Mariann Fischer Boel, the European Commissioner for agriculture and rural development said that: "I am always prepared to listen to good arguments -- that's why I am making this change."
If there were any good arguments in favour of maintaining the European ban on blending red and whites I haven't heard them. I fear this is another instance of the European Commission and politicians, especially, in France bowing to emotional ignorance and prejudice. Over the last 20 years all attempts to modernise the French wine industry have come to nought and I'm sure that this will continue. I imagine that producers outside Europe will be toasting this climbdown very happy that Europe has decided to remain uncompetitive, especially in new markets in Asia.
I assume that the producers of the Côtes de Provence will now lobby the INAO with vigour pleading that their right to make rosé with four white grape varieties is removed as soon as possible from the rules that govern the production of Côtes de Provence so that there is no longer the possibility of making a Côtes de Mélange.
Had the producers of rosés from Provence been more convinced by the quality of their product, I fancy they would have been more relaxed about a proposal that shouldn't have been a threat.
If there were any good arguments in favour of maintaining the European ban on blending red and whites I haven't heard them. I fear this is another instance of the European Commission and politicians, especially, in France bowing to emotional ignorance and prejudice. Over the last 20 years all attempts to modernise the French wine industry have come to nought and I'm sure that this will continue. I imagine that producers outside Europe will be toasting this climbdown very happy that Europe has decided to remain uncompetitive, especially in new markets in Asia.
I assume that the producers of the Côtes de Provence will now lobby the INAO with vigour pleading that their right to make rosé with four white grape varieties is removed as soon as possible from the rules that govern the production of Côtes de Provence so that there is no longer the possibility of making a Côtes de Mélange.
Had the producers of rosés from Provence been more convinced by the quality of their product, I fancy they would have been more relaxed about a proposal that shouldn't have been a threat.
