Regulation of Organic Wine in the European Union: The New Legal Framework from 2022

Abstract

[EN] Organic wine is situated within the framework of organic farming that was defined in Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007, as "an overall system of farm management and food production that combines best environmental practices, a high level of biodiversity, the preservation of natural resources, the application of high animal welfare standards and a production method in line with the preference of certain consumers for products produced using natural substances and processes. The organic production method thus plays a dual societal role, where it on the one hand provides for a specific market responding to a consumer demand for organic products, and on the other hand delivers public goods contributing to the protection of the environment and animal welfare, as well as to rural development”. In short, organic wine - also called biological and organicis characterized by putting into practice sustainable actions in its different stages of production, from the cultivation of the grape to the treatment in the winery. In the European Union, for a wine to be considered organic and to be labeled as such, it must meet the legal requirements of organic farming; but it was necessary to wait until the entry into force of the Implementing Regulation (EU) No 203/2012, to be able to call it “organic wine”, since, until that date, only the name “wine from organically grown grapes could be used ”, as the production process was not covered by the regulations.