Australian [and internationl too I guess] labelling regulations [85%]

variety

IIRC, California requires only 75% for a varietal designation or appellation designation, 85% for a viticultrual designation and 100% from the same estate if labeled estate grown but the blend still need only be 75%.

Perfectly legal in Germany, Austria, Italy. Not allowed in French AOC wines. Don't know about the rest of the EU (Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Greece).

M.

That would be true of appellation in terms of 100% of the grapes must be from the appellation but the French do allow blending from within the AOC don't they? If not. how would one explain the blending done in Bordeaux or the Rhone?

If you are blending two different AOC Côtes du Rhône wines into one third, this latter would bear the same AOC Côtes du Rhône. I don't quite see your problem?

M.

No problem. The OP question was regarding the blending of varietals not appellations and the blending of varietals is allowed in France is it not?

Mat wrote in news:4227c677 snipped-for-privacy@news.iprimus.com.au:

In the US the standard is 75% varietal

EU labelling law states that varietally labelled wine must contain at least 85% of the variety on the label.

In varietal Alsace AC wine I was recently told it must be 100%.

Depends on the AOC. But a lot do, yes.

Depends on what a particualr AOC rule says. Some allow many varietals in more or less defined proportions (Bordeaux), some allow only one (Bourgogne). Either way you are not allowed to mention them on the front label.

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

Except Alsace...

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

Herr Pronay, surely you are talking about Alsace, as no other AOC mentions varietal...

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

And some more obscure greater Burgundy AOCs, e.g. "Macon Chardonnay".

M.

Not quite correct. EU leaves it up to national legislations how tight they set the requirements, but it cannot be less than 85 percent.

In French AOCs it's 100 percent, not only in Alsace. Details see Mike's posting.

M.

"Macon Pinot Chardonnay"?

M.

That's the minimum requirement, but IIRC Oregon and perhaps Washington have a tighter standard of 85%.

Mark Lipton