Vin de Pays (VDP), the French national equivalent of PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) at the European level, is a quality category of French wines, positioned between Vin de Table (VDT) and Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). This layer of the French appellation system was initially introduced in September 1968 by the INAO, the official appellation authority. It underwent several early revisions in the 1970s, followed by substantial changes in September 2000 and again in 2009, when all existing VDT titles were automatically registered with the European Union as PGI. Producers retain the choice of using either the VDP or PGI titles on their labels, or both - in the form "IGP-Vin de Pays".
There are now more than 150 VDP/IGP titles, mainly covering the southern third of France. The "Vin de Pays" level is intended to benefit both consumers and wine producers. It allows consumers to know clearly where a wine comes from, while producers are empowered to produce wine outside the constraints of traditional AOC laws. The most obvious freedoms are the higher yields allowed and a more comprehensive list of permitted Grape varieties.
Wine lovers with a valid passport can apply for the Majestic ‘vintern’ scheme, launched this week and dubbed by the retailer as ‘the best summer job ever’. A three-day placement will include a visit to Quinta da Boavista vineyards in Portugal’s picturesque Douro region. Majestic said the vintern will also taste wines from its Wine Club’s Spain & Portugal Summer Case ‘in situ’, before trying the same wines back at home for comparison. It is offering £600 remuneration for three days, which it ...
The fine wine market goes into autumn 2022 after a particularly strong period of gains, although there has been greater uncertainty about momentum in recent weeks. At Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade, the Liv-ex 100 index dipped 0.3% in July 2022 but had risen every month for two years prior to that. UK-based merchant Bordeaux Index recently reported prices on the market up by 10% in the first half of 2022, with Burgundy up 26% on average. Strong activity on the LiveTrade online tradin ...
Last week, Basque National Party (PNV) spokesperson Aitor Esteban announced the withdrawal of a bill that, if passed, would have granted Basque winemakers of the Rioja Alavesa region greater autonomy. A proposal to establish a breakout Viñedos de Álava DO for Rioja’s Basque enclave was originally launched in 2016 by the Association of Rioja Alavesa Producers (ABRA), which represents over 100 local wineries. While a number of Basque producers continue to battle for the creation of an entirely sep ...
