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Thursday 11 December 2014

Loire - region du Centre: 'Pas de sauvignon en dehors des appellations'

Sancerre from above Chavignol


From a report in La Vigne, the Central Loire Vineyard producers are claiming that there should be a ban on planting Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir close to their appellations. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir that would be used to make IGP wines or Vin de France. They claim that such wines could confuse the consumer and undermine the reputation and fame of their appellations such as Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Menetou-Salon etc. In particular they claim that IGP or Vin de France wines produced in Neuilly-en-Sancerre, not on AC land, would be confusing. Apparently new plantations will be allowed in 2016. 

Although I can see, for instance, that an IGP Sauvignon Blanc produced in Neuilly-en-Sancerre might be confusing, I find it hard to see why it should be right for people on land outside the ACs to be banned for planting Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir. Let the consumer decide whether the IGP/Vin de France wines produced close to the Central Loire ACs are good and offer value for money. Apart from place names like Neuilly-en-Sancerre and assuming that the wine isn't confusingly labelled, it seems to me no different from the competition offered by Sauvignon Blancs etc. from Touraine, New Zealand, South Africa etc. 

Nor can I see why they should have exclusive rights over Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. I thought they were selling their appellation not varietal wines.   

  
Start of La Vigne report:
'Les producteurs de la région Centre estiment que des plantations de sauvignon ou de pinot noir à proximité de leurs appellations risquent de leur faire du tort en captant leur notoriété. Ils promettent de bloquer tout projet s’ils n’obtiennent pas les moyens d’empêcher de tels détournements. 
Mardi 9 décembre, à la Maison des Sancerre, la Fédération des unions viticoles du Centre (FUVC) a donné rendez-vous à la presse et à une quinzaine de vignerons pour une « visite sur le terrain ». Sujet de la journée : les risques d’un détournement de la notoriété de ces vignobles par des plantations nouvelles d’IGP ou de vins sans IG. Les viticulteurs redoutent une « captation » de la renommée de leurs AOP.'

1 comment:

Luc Charlier said...

"Protectionnisme", as it is called, is a French specialty. Funny thing is: it doesn't work.