Europe opts for blended rosé U-turn

Mariann Fischer Boel, Europe’s agriculture and rural development commissioner, says that proposals to drop laws preventing blending red and white wines first announced back in 2008, will not be adopted following consultation with producers.

“It’s become clear over recent weeks that a majority in our wine sector believe that ending the ban on blending could undermine the image of traditional rosé,”​ she states. “I am always prepared to listen to good arguments, and that’s why I am making this change.”​

Some Professional wine organisations have objected to the production amendments, which were accepted by the European Commission back in March and had been set to come into place on 1 August.

“The implementing regulation, to be voted on by Member States later this month, will maintain the status quo for rosé wine,”​ states Fischer Boel.

Blending rules​

The initial decision was made in an attempt to bring European manufacturers in line with the approved practices of Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), which already allow producers from outside the EU to export their own blended products into the bloc.

This would have also led to adopting a new standard for wine labelling, creating two separate designations for rosé.

According to the EC, these would have required products to be labelled either as a ‘traditional rose’ or ‘rose by blending’ for products that are derived from red and white wines.

Appellation blending​

Under the Commission’s ‘appellation’ wines system, designed to protect certain trademarks by requiring specific geographical or production criteria to be met, some blended wines are already allowed.

French rose champagne was one such example of a product sometimes produced from blending together wines, while a derogation had also existed allowing Spanish table wine to be blended and marketed up until 2004, said the Commission.