Rose Wine

After months of debate over legislation that would allow European Rosé wine to be made from the mixing of red and white wines, the European Union commission has dropped its plans to vote this month on the proposed change.

Rosé is traditionally produced by leaving the skins of red wine grapes in along with the grape juice for several hours to create a rose color. The proposal, however, would have allowed European winemakers to blend red and white wine and label it Rosé — a technique used by certain producers outside of Europe. In May, the measure's opponents, which included France, Italy, Greece, and numerous European wine producers, led the fight for a veto on the legislation.

In response to the heated objections, the commission rescinded its plans to vote on allowing blended Rosés. "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," said European agricultural commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel. I'm pleasantly surprised to hear that the commission chose to preserve the time-honored tradition of rosé winemaking over commercial growth. Would you have cared if European Rosés were a mix of red and white wines?

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The battle between Europe's rosé wine producers and the European Union remains far from over. To oppose the EU's vote next month to allow rosé wine to be made by mixing red and white wines, rosé producers from France led the fight for a veto, in conjunction with other producers from neighboring countries.

France, which reported a 10 percent drop in wine sales this year, has joined forces with winemakers from Italy and Spain to oppose the legislation, to be voted on June 19. The trio represents the world's top three winemaking countries. "If the proposal goes forward, it will be the death of the sector," said Xavier de Volontat, president of France's General Association of Wine Production.

Rosé makers have the backing of French, Italian, and Greek governments, but to stand any chance of successfully blocking the vote, would also require the support of German and Spanish governments. Otherwise, the EU has proposed a compromise wherein old-method rosés would be labeled "traditional rosé." Since I'm against this legislation, it's my hope that other European countries come around. Where do you stand on this issue?

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Everything is not coming up roses for French producers of rosé wine. Winemakers have been up in arms over proposed EU Commission legislation that would allow rosé wine to be made from the mixing of red and white wines.

Rosé is traditionally produced by leaving the skins of red-wine grapes in along with the white juice for several hours, a method that tints the wine to a blush color. The European Commission, however, believes that relaxing its rosé guidelines will allow France, Italy, and Spain to increase exports to burgeoning markets like China. To producers of classic blush wine, allowing red wine mixed with white wine to be called rosé could be considered heresy.

Classic rosé makers have won the right to carry a special designation indicating their wines are made by "traditional" methods but see the concession as insufficient. Said Anjou wine growers association president Olivier Lecomte:

We have worked very hard to improve the quality of our wines and to prove that a genuine rosé is not just a mongrel or hybrid, but a different and excellent wine in its own right. In recent years, our sales have been rising rapidly. It is not surprising that others want to jump on the bandwagon. Now, abruptly, we are told that rosé wine can be concocted any old way, to an industrial formula, a money-driven formula.

Judgment day comes on April 27, when the commission will vote on the proposed legislation. In my opinion, the new law chooses commercial interests over deeply rooted, venerable quality standards. How do you feel about this debate: should mixed wine be allowed to be called rosé?