Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 (repealed)Show full title

E. Use of certain specific terms U.K.

1. The name of a geographical unit other than a specified region, and smaller than a Member State or a third country, may be used only to supplement the description of: U.K.

• a quality sparkling wine psr,

• a quality sparkling wine to which the implementing provisions have given the name of such a geographical unit, or

• as sparkling wine originating in a third country the conditions for whose production are recognised as equivalent to those laid down in point I of Annex V for a quality sparkling wine bearing the name of a geographical unit.

Use of such a name shall be allowed only if:

(a)

it conforms to the rules of the Member State or third country in which the sparkling wine was produced;

(b)

the geographical unit in question is defined exactly;

(c)

all the grapes from which the product was obtained came from that geographical unit, with the exception of the products contained in tirage liqueur or expedition liqueur;

(d)

in the case of a quality sparkling wine psr, the geographical unit is situated within the specified region whose name the wine bears;

(e)

in the case of quality sparkling wines, the name of that geographical unit is not laid down for describing a quality sparkling wine psr.

Notwithstanding clause (c) of the second subparagraph, Member States may authorise use of the name of a geographical unit smaller than a specified region to supplement the description of a quality sparkling wine psr if at least 85 % of the product was obtained from grapes harvested in that unit.

2. The name of a vine variety may be used only to supplement the description of a product referred to in paragraph 1 of point A, U.K.

• at (a),

  or

• at (c) where the conditions for its production are recognised as equivalent to those laid down in point I of Annex V or point K of Annex VI.

The name of a vine variety or a synonym of that name may be indicated only if:

(a)

the cultivation of that variety and the use of the products obtained thereform conform to Community provisions or to the provisions of the third country in which the grapes used were harvested;

(b)

that variety appears on a list to be adopted by the Member State in which the products used for constituting the cuvée were obtained; in the case of quality sparkling wines psr, that list shall be drawn up pursuant to paragraph 1 of point B or paragraph 10(a) of point K of Annex VI;

(c)

the name of that variety cannot be confused with the name of a specified region or geographical unit used to describe another wine produced in the Community or imported;

(d)

the name of that variety shall not be repeated in the same expression unless more than one variety bearing that name exists and that name is on a list to be adopted by the producer Member State. That list shall be communicated to the Commission, which shall inform the other Member States accordingly;

(e)

the product was obtained entirely from the variety in question, with the exception of the products contained intirage liqueur or expedition liqueur, and if the variety has a preponderant effect on the nature of the product in question;

(f)

the length of the production process, including ageing in the establishment of production, reckoned from the start of the fermentation process designed to make the cuvée sparkling, has not been less than 90 days and provided that the duration of fermentation designed to make the cuvée sparkling and the presence of the cuvée on the lees have lasted:

• at least 60 days,

• at least 30 days if the fermentation takes place in containers with stirrers.

This provision shall not, however, apply to sparkling wines of the aromatic type referred to in paragraph 3 of point I of Annex V or paragraph 10 of point K of Annex VI.

Notwithstanding the second subparagraph, producer Member States may:

• authorise use of the name of one vine variety if at least 85 % of the grapes from which the product was obtained came from that variety, with the exception of the products contained in tirage liqueur or expedition liqueur, and if that variety has a preponderant effect on the nature of the product in question,

• authorise use of the name of two vine varieties where the regulations of the producer Member State so provide and on condition that all the grapes from which the product was obtained come from those three varieties, with the exception of the products contained in tirage liqueur and expedition liqueur and if the blend of those two or three varieties is critical for the product's distinctive character.

• limit such use to certain names of vine varieties referred to in the second subparagraph.

3. The expression ‘bottle-fermented’ may be used only to describe: U.K.

• a quality sparkling wine psr,

• a quality sparkling wine,

  or

• a sparkling wine originating in a third country the conditions for whose production are recognised as equivalent to those laid down in point I of Annex V or in point K of Annex VI.

Use of the expression referred to in the first subparagraph shall be allowed only if:

(a)

the product was made sparkling by a second alcoholic fermentation in the bottle;

(b)

the length of the production process, including ageing in the undertaking where the product was made, reckoned from the start of the fermentation process designed to make the cuvée sparkling, has not been less than nine months;

(c)

the process of fermentation designed to make the cuvée sparkling and the presence of the cuvée on the lees lasted at least 90 days;

(d)

the product was separated from the lees by filtering in accordance with the racking method or by disgorging.

4. The expressions ‘bottle-fermented by the traditional method’or ‘traditional method’ or ‘classical method’ or ‘classical traditional method’ and any expressions resulting from a translation of them may be used only to describe: U.K.

• a quality sparkling wine psr,

• a quality sparkling wine,

  or

• a sparkling wine originating in a third country the conditions for whose production are recognised as equivalent to those laid down in point I of Annex V or in point K of Annex VI.

Use of one of the expressions referred to in the first subparagraph shall be allowed only if the product:

(a)

was made sparkling by a second alcoholic fermentation in the bottle;

(b)

stayed without interruption in contact with the lees for at least nine months in the same undertaking from the time when the cuvée was constituted;

(c)

was separated from the lees by disgorging.

5. An expression relating to a method of production which includes the name of a specified region or of another geographical unit, or a term derived from either of these, may be used only to describe: U.K.

• a quality sparkling wine psr,

• a quality sparkling wine,

  or

• a sparkling wine originating in a third country the conditions for whose production are recognised as equivalent to those laid down in point 1 of Annex V or in point K of Annex VI.

Such expressions may be used only to describe a product entitled to one of the geographical ascriptions referred to in the first subparagraph.

6. With regard to quality sparkling wines psr which fulfil the conditions laid down in the second subparagraph of paragraph 4: U.K.

(a)

[F1 the term ‘ Winzersekt ’ shall be reserved for quality sparkling wines psr produced in Germany, the term ‘ Hauersekt ’ shall be reserved for quality sparkling wines psr produced in Austria, the term ‘ pěstitelský sekt ’ shall be reserved for quality sparkling wines psr produced in the Czech Republic and the term ‘ Termelői pezsgő ’ shall be reserved for quality sparkling wines psr produced in Hungary, all of which are:]

• produced from grapes harvested in the same vineyard, including producer groups, where the producer, as defined in paragraph 4 of point D, makes into wine grapes intended for the preparation of quality sparkling wines psr,

• marketed by the producer referred to in the first indent and made available with labels indicating the vineyard, the vine variety and the year.

Under the arrangements applicable, additional conditions may be imposed on use of the term ‘Winzersekt’ and on use of equivalent terms in other Community languages. Under the same arrangements, a Member State may be authorised to lay down special and, in particular, more restrictive arrangements.

The terms referred to in the preceding subparagraphs may be used only in the language of origin;

(b)

the term ‘crémant’ shall be reserved for quality sparkling wines psr:

• to which this term has been applied, in combination with the name of the specified region, by the Member State in which the wine was made,

• made from must obtained by pressing whole grapes, with regard to white quality sparkling wines psr, the quantity of must obtained not exceeding 100 litres for every 150 kg of grapes,

• with a maximum sulphur dioxide content of 150 mg/l,

• with a sugar content of less than 50 g/l,

  and

• produced in accordance with any additional special rules governing their production and description laid down by the Member State in which they are made.

By way of derogation from the first indent, for the quality sparkling wines psr to which the term ‘crémant’ has not been applied by the Member State concerned in accordance with that provision, the producers of these quality sparkling wines psr may use this term provided they have traditionally used the said term for at least 10 years prior to 1 July 1996.

The Member State concerned shall inform the Commission of the cases in which use is made of this derogation.

Textual Amendments

F1 Substituted by Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the European Union is founded.

7. The vintage year may be used only in the description of: U.K.

• a quality sparkling wine psr,

• a quality sparkling wine,

  or

• a sparkling wine originating in a third country the conditions for whose production are recognised as equivalent to those laid down in point I of Annex V or in point K of Annex VI.

Reference to the vintage year shall be allowed only if at least 85 % of the product was obtained from grapes harvested in the year in question, with the exception of the products contained in tirage liqueur or expedition liqueur.

However, Member States may prescribe that the vintage year may be given for quality sparkling wines psr produced in their territory only if the product was obtained entirely from grapes harvested in the year in question, with the exception of the products contained in tirage liqueur or expedition liqueur.

8. Reference to superior quality shall be allowed only in the case of: U.K.

• a quality sparkling wine psr,

• a quality sparkling wine,

  or

• a sparkling wine originating in a third country the conditions for whose production are recognised as equivalent to those laid down in point I of Annex V or in point K of Annex VI.

9. The name of a Member State or of a third country, or the adjective derived from that name, may not be used in combination with the sales description referred to in paragraph 2 of point D, unless the product is produced in the territory of that Member State or third country and is made exclusively from grapes harvested and processed into wine in that same territory. U.K.

10. The description of a product referred to in paragraph 1 of point A may not be supplemented by a reference or symbol relating to a medal or prize obtained after taking part in a competition, or to any other distinction, unless they have been awarded, by an official body or a body officially recognised for the purpose, to a given quantity of the product in question. U.K.

11. The terms ‘Premium’ or ‘Reserve’ may be used only to supplement: U.K.

• the term ‘quality sparkling wine’,

  or

• one of the terms referred to in paragraph 2(c) of point D.

The term ‘Réserve’ may, if appropriate, be supplemented by a description under the conditions laid down by the producer Member State.

12. Where necessary, the implementing provisions may lay down: U.K.

(a)

conditions for the use of:

• the expression referred to in paragraph 8,

• terms relating to a manufacturing method other than those referred to in paragraphs 3 to 6,

• expressions referring to the specific characteristics of the vine varieties from which the product in question is made;

(b)

a list of the expressions referred to at (a).