U.S., Europe Negotiate Use of Names Like Port
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While the United States is not even close to considering the legal phase-out of semi-generic place names such as "Port" on wine labels, U.S. and European negotiators are hard at work on what could amount to a broad agreement not to allow new uses.
Years ago, the federal agency that preceded that Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) identified more than a dozen semi-generic terms that require an appellation before them; for instance, "California Champagne" and "California Burgundy."
An agreement now on the table, but not yet finalized by trade negotiators, would state that any brand currently using those terms and having a certificate of label approval could continue to use them. New labels, after a certain date, would not be approved if they include those semi-generic terms.
"That is the way the agreement, which isn't finalized yet, is written," Wine Institute international program director Joe Rollo confirmed.
U.S. trade negotiators are hoping to ink a new agreement with European Union trade negotiators in the next few weeks.
| Source: Originally published by the San Francisco Chronicle – ©2005 San Francisco Chronicle |
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