Wine

People have been making wine for almost 8,000 years.
Although the location, the wine grape variety, and the winemaking method are decisive for a good wine, the quality of a wine depends, as it always has, on the sensory qualities it shows when it is tasted.

Location

The location, which represents specific geographical, climatic, and geological conditions, influences the character of a wine because it governs the life of the vines. The soil affects the type of wine and its character, but the quality and flavour of a wine also depend on the wine grape variety and winemaking method.

Wine grape variety

Worldwide, there are about 8,000 wine grape varieties. About 50 varieties are cultivated in Germany. They include Blauer Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Portugieser, Silvaner, and many other grapes.

Wine making method

The main differences here lie in the production of white, red, rosé, sparkling, and fortified wines. The indication of the geographical origin of wines from a Community wine-growing area or from a third-country wine-growing area is of great significance for their commercial value and are consequently an important economic issue.

The geographic location, the climate, and the nature of the soil are all inextricably linked. The unique character of a wine, which derives from the region, the location, the climate, the soil, and the traditional methods by which it is produced, is often identified using geographical indications. The use of geographical indications is economically important.

Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 provides effective instruments to steer the wine sector towards a competitive and sustainable development.

These instruments have been introduced in order to achieve the following objectives:

• to increase Community wine producers’ competitiveness,
• to strengthen the reputation of Community quality wines as the best in the world,
• to recover old markets and win new ones in both the Community and worldwide
• to create a wine regime that operates according to clear, simple, and effective rules that balance supply and demand,
• to sanction the unlawful use of designations of origin and geographical indications

The final objective shown above is by no means new, but one that was pursued as long ago as 1498 by the Reichstag of the Holy Roman Empire that met in Freiburg in Breisgau. Even then it promulgated a "Wine Regulation and Articles" to combat the counterfeiting of wines.

There are two ways to find out which wines enjoy the protection of a registered designation of origin or geographical indications.
In the C series of its Official Journal, the European Union from time to time publishes lists of

• quality wines produced in specified regions
• table wines with an indication of origin.

For information about wines originating from third countries the relevant agreement should be inspected.

With the eAmbrosia database, the European Commission has provided a mandatory register of names of agricultural and food products, wine, flavored wine products and spirit drinks that are registered and protected in the EU. This contains information on the protected third-country wines as well as on the protected wines of the European Union.