Wine label law change positive for south coast

Tools

Story Published: Feb 18, 2008 at 12:10 PM PDT

By Britt Carlson

Video

NEAR MYRTLE POINT- A recently updated wine-labeling law allows for expansion among the south coast vineyards, opening up new blending opportunities.

Hawksview wine-maker Terry Luce joined in with the Oregon Winemaker's Association back in may to petition the previous labeling law, which required 90% of a wine to be from one type of grape.

For Luce and other south coast wine-makers who depend on blending to create new products this was a necessary step to make their own versions of classic Burgundy, German white and Spanish style wines.

Luce says, "When you have the ability to blend which is 90% of a fine wine, it starts with grapes and goes through fermentation, but actually the key is how you blend it when you're making that final product. That's how you make up deficits in the original grape."

Name recognition is key in the market place, and the high standards of Oregon's former label law were too tough, Luce says, in comparison to federal laws that only require 75% of the labeled varietal.

"By law, I wouldn't be able to call it Pinot Noir. I'd have to figure out some what they call fanciful name to make it more marketable. It would have to be Pink Fancy or some silly name like that and when you do that, you lose market recognition, they don't know what it is."

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission did change the 30-year old law in October, now allowing for 18 different types of grapes to be blended and labeled as varietals.

Current Weather

Current Temp 55.0 °F

Overcast

Video

More Weather

Current Weather

More Weather

New:

Upload directly from your mobile device.

Learn how

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.