The victory of the Rosé wine over the European Commission |
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Collection title
JT local Toulon
First broadcast date
06/09/2009
Abstract
The decision by the European Commission to abandon the possibility to mix white wine and red wine to produce Rosé wine ravishes the wine growers of Var who are the main producers of this wine whose Provence produces more than one million hectoliters. The report takes place at the Bunan domain, installed since 1962 in the Bandol appellation area, which vinifies 50% of its harvest into Rosé wine.
Production companies
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France 3 - Own production
Primary theme
Agriculture, breeding
Map locations
- France - South East - Bandol
Context
Mediterranean Landmarks
The European Commission abandons its plans to get authorization from the European Union to allow wine producers to make rosé wine by mixing red and white wine. The announcement and therefore the preservation of the traditional rosé winemaking (from red grapes) constitutes a victory for the winemakers of Provence. In fact, the Provence region is the first world producer of quality rosé under controlled designation of origin (AOC), with 170 million bottles from producers and 70 trading companies in 2011. Mixing the wine as proposed in Brussels was therefore a threat against a production so emblematic that it became inseparable from the touristic and cultural image of the region.
The proposed amendment to EU regulations almost passed. French representation had not opposed it on the 27th of January, during a first indicative consultation. The project was strongly supported by the traders (the European Committee of Wine Companies) who saw it as an opportunity to take advantage of the rosé's success with consumers to dilute red wine with low-end white wine which is difficult to sell. Introduced in the new European regulations on winemaking practices, the mixing was to be done on the basis of 98% white and 2% red wine. The official pretext was that this was already done by Europe's main competitors, in Australia and South Africa, and it would help enter the Asian market. The risk was distorting the image of the rosé which was noticeably improving thanks to the long-term work of the vintners and oenologists, especially in Provence, to transform this "small" holiday wine into a quality product. The economic stakes in the region are essential as for several years, rosé wine exportations are growing and its consumption is increasing in France while the world wine consumption is dropping.
Having almost been trapped, the Provencal viticulture community was mobilized during the first half of 2009, bringing in to the defense of authentic rosé the local communities, starting with the Regional Council as reflected in the large banner that blocked the front of the Hotel de Region. They wanted to convince Brussels (Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer-Boel) and the French Government (Minister of Agriculture Michel Barnier) responsive to other regional or professional interests, proposing a clear distinction between "mixed" and "traditional" rosé. France was supported by Hungary, followed by Greece which expressed its "reservations" in Brussels, and the European Commission said it was aware of the "concerns of producers in some regions, such as Provence", abandoning the project before the final decision, which was expected in June 19.
The report voiced the satisfaction of the producers of the Bandol Designation (appellation Bandol). It takes place in one of the most important wineries of Bandol (sixty producers and 55 000 hl of wine on 1500 hectares), the Bunan family winery, a family repatriated from Algeria to settle in La Cadière and Le Castellet in 1962. Choosing this winery is paradoxical but significant. The Bandol AOC is, in fact, one of the first in the region having built its reputation around the production of red wine for aging from Mourvèdre grapes. But the consumers' infatuation and the association between the touristic Provence and rosé wine and cash flow requirements (since rosé wine does not have to be kept in the cellar for many years) led the winemakers of Bandol to produce rosé wine. Nowadays, it constitutes nearly 65% of the total production.
The heart of the production remains nonetheless, the AOC Côtes de Provence which covers most of the Var and the Bouches-du-Rhône and makes rosé wine from 80% of its grapes production (1 million hl). The neighboring AOC Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence and Coteaux varois covers a little more than 6000 ha from the Alpilles to the Brignoles region and 70 to 80% of its grapes production goes to rosé wine (200,000 hl). In total, the Provence represents 45% of the national rosé wine production and exports 10% especially to Europe (Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Holland). In 1999, the wine producers and traders from Provence created the Center of Research and Experimentation on rosé wine in Vidauban (Var), expressing their ambitions and desire to promote high-end production.
