From single vineyards to cross-regional blends 7 September 2006

Small print for the geeks: new Wine of Origin regulations

Labels bearing a claim that the wine inside comes from a single vineyard are becoming a little commoner now. Such claims are closely monitored by the authorities, and the requirements for single vineyard wine have now been formally included in the Wine of Origin scheme, says the Wine and Spirit Board, which is in charge of such matters. They summarise the regulations as follows:

(a)   Prior registration of the vineyard as a unit for the production of single vineyard wine is required.

(b)   A unit must consist of a single vineyard block on which a single cultivar is grown.

(c)   The area of a unit may not exceed 6 hectares.

(d)   A single vineyard wine is solely from grapes harvested on a single registered unit.

(e)   The expression ‘single vineyard wine’ must be indicated anywhere on the label. The expression ‘wine of origin’, with the name of the relevant origin area, must be indicated as usual.

The Board also reminds producers that the name under which a single vineyard wine is marketed is not protected under the Liquor Products Act or the Wine of Origin scheme. It is the owner's responsibility to make sure the trade or brand name concerned is protected under trademark legislation.

Blending across WO areas
Legislation has been changed to allow for blending wines (or grapes) from different Wine of Origin areas and still mentioning those areas. So it is now possible to sell a certified wine as, for example, ‘Wine of Origin Stellenbosch and Constantia’ – previously, such a wine could only have been labelled ‘Wine of Orgin Coastal’. The new rules apply to all geographical units, regions, districts and wards.

But the process is far from being a free-for-all, and is still closely monitored. The Wine and Spirit Board points out that each of the wines in such a blend must be produced in terms of a separate authorisation, and permission to blend must be obtained from the authorities.

The label of the wine must indicate the names of the different areas in descending order. However, if any one of the wines is less than 30 percent, volumes must also be indicated, for example, ‘Wine of Origin Paarl (80%) and Stellenbosch (20%)’.

The Board has approached the relevant bureaucrats in the European Union to confirm that wines with such indications on their labels will be allowed for export to EU countries.