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CHAPTER II
Wine production
Section 1
Wines and products on the basis of must and wine
Art. 15. — Depending on their composition and
quality features as well as on the winemaking technology, wines may be
classified under three heads as: wines for current consumption, quality wines,
and special wines, thus:
a) wines for current consumption are obtained from
highly yielding grape varieties grown in viticultural areas specialized to this
end. They may also be produced out of varieties for quality wines whose grapes
do not meet the conditions required for this class. The wines obtained from
scattered vines shall also belong to the class of wines for current
consumption, as well as those resulting from table grape varieties which do not
comply with the quality norms established by standards concerning their
consumption as fresh grapes.
Wines for current consumption must have an
acquired alcoholic strength of at least 8.5% by volume. Below this alcoholic
strength the products may not be sold for consumption by the name of wine.
The definition of the notions of alcoholic
strength is included in annex no. 2;
b) quality wines are made out of grape varieties
with superior technological properties, grown in viticultural areas assigned to
this destination, according to a specific technological process.
The acquired alcoholic strength of quality wines
must be of at least 10% by volume.
Some of these wines, distinguished by the
originality of their properties imprinted by the place of production, by the variety
or assortment of varieties, by the mode of cultivation and by the winemaking
technology used, may be fitted into the class of wines of superior quality with
denominations of origin.
The wines of superior quality with denominations
of origin shall be marketed under the name of the delimited production area
usually of the viticultural center, possibly of the vinegrowing land — and of
the variety or assortment of varieties, and that of quality wines without
denomination of origin by indicating the vineyard, or the production area,
possibly also the variety or the assortment of varieties;
c) special
wines are obtained from musts or wines by app1ying authorized treatments, their
specific features being determined by the technological properties of the raw
material and the technology used for their production.
The following wines belong to the class of special
wines:
frothy wines, sparkling wines, aromatized wines,
liquorous wines and other similar wines authorized under the terms of the law.
The usc of synthetic aromatic substances for
obtaining special wines shall be prohibited
Art. 16. — (1) In addition to wine, the following
drinks may be obtained from grape must: grape juice, unfermented grape must,
concentrated grape must, rectified concentrated grape must, still turbid and
gassy new wine, mistelle, as well as other authorized products.
(2) The
following products may be obtained by processing wine: fortified wine, wine
distilate, alcohol of viticultural origin, wine vinegar, and from wine
distillates „vinars” and wine brandy may be obtained.
(3) The main
by-products obtained from winemaking are the grape marc and the wine lees. By
their processing different types of brandy, alcohol of viticulttiral origin as
well as other products are obtained.
(4) The utilization
of any by-product for the production of wines is prohibited, regardless of the
technologies used.
(5) The
conditions under which products derived from must wine, and winemaking
by-products are obtained shall be establishcd by the application regulations of
the present law.
ArL 17. — (1) Hybrid wine obtained from direct
producer hybrid grapes shall be used for family consumption, for the production
of alcohol of viticultural origin as well as of vinegar.
(2) Exceptionally, the wine
obtained from hybrids may be marketed as such on condition of bearing the name
of wine from hybrids.
(3) The wines
obtained by mixing together hybrid wines and wines from noble varieties shall
be considered hybrid wines and shall be marketed under the terms provided
undcr para. (2).
Section 2
Wines
and products with denomination of origin obtained
on the basis of must and wine
Art. 18. — (1) Wine may have a denomination of
origin on condition that it be consecrated by tradition and by a renown
resulting from the quality charactcristics of the product and determincd by
natural and human factors.
(2) Wines with
a denomination of origin may be obtained by observance of special conditions
with reference to the production area, varieties or assortment of varieties,
sugar content of the grapes at vintagc, natural and acquired alcoholic strength
of the wine, maximum production per hectare, cultivation methods, winemaking
procedures, analytical and organoleptic examination, packing, labelling, and
performance of control.
(3) Denominations
of origin may also be granted to special wines, aged distillates of wine
“vinars” as well as to other winemaking products that meet the conditions
provided under art. 15.
Art. 19. — (1) Wines with denomination of origin shall be those obtained from
grapes produced within the area delimited for the denomination approved by
order of the minister of agriculture and food industry on conditions that the
winemaking, storagc, conditioning, maturation, and bottling be made within the
same area.
(2) In special
cases and under strict control, the storage, conditioning, maturation and
bottling of wines wih denomination of origin may be made in specialized units
situated outside the areas in which the grapes were produced. In these cases,
the unit in which the bottling was carried out shall compulsorily be mentioned
on the labcl.
(3) Altogether
cxceptionally and over a limited period of timc, an authorization may be granted
for the production of such wines by carrying out the winemaking in specialized
units located in an area neighbouring that in which the grapes were produced.
Section
3
Conditions of quality and production of wines and
ofproducts
on the
basis of must, wine, and winemaking by-products
Art. 20.
— The wines and the other products obtained from must, wine and winemaking
by-products, at the moment of their marketing shall comp1y with the composition
and quality features established by the application regu1ations of the present
law and by the standards in force.
Art. 21. — (1) The practice and treatments used in the production of wines and
of drinks on the basis of must, wine, and winemaking by-products shall have to
ensure a good elaboration, preservation, and evolution of the respective
products. Their application must not lead to modifications concerning the
composition of these drinks outside normal limits, providing the safe
preservation of their natural and authentic proverties.
(2) The
practice and treatments authorized to be applied in the production of musts,
wines, and of the other products derived from must, wine, and winemaking
by-products shall be established by the application regulations of tbe present
law, and they shall permanently be in accordance with the advances achieved in
this domain of activity.
(3) In years
with unfavourable conditions for the accumulation of sugar in grapes the
Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry through the National Office of the
Vine and Wine (O.N.V.V.) may exceptionally authorize the raising of the
alcoholic potential of wines to the equivalence of not more than 2% by volume,
on condition that the total alcoholic strenght of the wines should not exceed
that obtained in normal years, and that it shall not be greater than 12.5 per
cent, in volumes.
(4) The
falsification of wines or of drinks on the basis of must, wine, and winemaking
by-products shall be prohibited and punished according to the law.
Falsifications shall be considered to be: the dilution of wine with water; the
screening of defects or alterations of wines by additives determining modifications
of their taste, flavour, and natural cornposition; the preparation of drinks
from lees and grape marc with addition of sugar as well as the use of any
practice forbidden by the application regulations of the present law.
Art. 22. — (1) The marketing under the name of wine of the products made out of
raw materials other than grapes shall be prohihited.
(2) Drinks
obtained on the basis of wine which do not fulfil the conditions under the
present law as wcll as those providcd in the application regulations shall bear
commercial names in which tho word wlne, alone or by association with
other terms shall not be used.
Art. 25. — Wines and products on the basis of must, wine, and winemaking
by-products, imported or destined for export, shall have to correspond to the
quality and composition criteria established by internal production and
consuimption norms as well as by international norms. For the products that
should be exclusively exported, at the solicitation or with the acceptance of
the foreign customer, other practices and oenological treatments may be also
used as well as other limits of composition authorized in the importing
country.
Art. 24. — (1)
Producers, depositaries and wholesale wine merchants shall have to make a
declaration of stocks which shall be registered with the local public
administration authorities in whose area the products are stored, before the
date of the l5th of August of each year.
(2)