The Auswine Forum

Check out page 6 of this precious little document, and then see how many Aussie wines you can list that are mislabeled so that the consumer is confused about whether they are wines from Australia or Bordeaux.

Mike

Mike, I can think of none just now, I thought our labelling laws were very clear. In Australia at least there is little to be confused about: we dont use the word Chateau anymore, we cant use the word Claret etc. Can you start us off with some examples?

Wizz wrote:Mike, I can think of none just now, I thought our labelling laws were very clear. In Australia at least there is little to be confused about: we dont use the word Chateau anymore, we cant use the word Claret etc. Can you start us off with some examples?

Wizz, The request for a list was facetious. My impression is exactly the same as yours. I don't remember exactly when it was but I thought that Oz had been forced to drop the use of monikers like Claret, Burgundy, and Champagne etc. There might be some wines that have a few lines on the back label that refer to the wine as a Bordeaux blend, but that does not qualify (in my mind) as misrepresentation of location. What got me about the publication cited in my post is that page 6 lists examples of misrepresentation of location, the most egregious implying that Australian wines were being misrepresented as Bordeaux wines.

It be consistent with other examples on that page they should have said "Bordeaux not from France?" rather than say "Bordeaux from Australia?"

Mike

sorry Mike, my sense of humour is average at this time of morning!

AB

Wizz wrote::oops: sorry Mike, my sense of humour is average at this time of morning!

AB

No problem.

For those who want to make the effort to find out about Australian Wine Law, Making and Labelling I suggest you read this.

Under Register of Protected Names is the following "Please note that it is illegal to use protected names in the description and presentation of wine in any context whatsoever, even in an otherwise true statement in textual form on a back label (eg. ‘this wine is made from a typical Bordeaux blend of grapes’,..." . So it seems that Bordeaux can't be used in any fashion.

Mike

or how about wine bottled in bordeaux, labelled as bordeaux but not from bordeaux, although this liitle EU funded PR would not be interested in fraud inside the EU would it, no, those europeans are much too honest and passionate about there origins to do that, only those upstart new worls countries could do that.

I would have thought shiraz would almost be a style of wine as much as a variety, can you protect it

cheers

MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS ON WINELABELS IS A BIG NONO!

BORDEAUX FROM AUSTRALIA is just not going to happen, especially as it wouldn't get to the US as it wouldn't get past the AWBC checks for export approval.

I would suggest that making false claims to the contrary is a big NONO as well, but hey the site is funded by the EU!

Cheers
Smithy

Can the label refer to the wine as a "Bordeaux-style blend," or perhaps a "Rhone style blend?"

There was big litigation in California a few months back when Fred Franzia (the king of Charles Shaw and boxed white zin fame) bought the Napa Ridge label and bottled up millions of gallons of non-Napa wine. The California Supreme Court said it led to "consumer confusion" even though the label bore tiny print that said "this juice ain't from Napa" or something to that effect.

Golf&PinotNut wrote:Can the label refer to the wine as a "Bordeaux-style blend," or perhaps a "Rhone style blend?"

There was big litigation in California a few months back when Fred Franzia (the king of Charles Shaw and boxed white zin fame) bought the Napa Ridge label and bottled up millions of gallons of non-Napa wine. The California Supreme Court said it led to "consumer confusion" even though the label bore tiny print that said "this juice ain't from Napa" or something to that effect.

In a word, No. From Australian Wine Law, Making and Labelling under Register of Protected Names is the following "Please note that it is illegal to use protected names in the description and presentation of wine in any context whatsoever, even in an otherwise true statement in textual form on a back label (eg. ‘this wine is made from a typical Bordeaux blend of grapes’,..." (For links see post above.)

Mike