Europe Gets Protection in New Wine Accord With Australia

The European Union and Australia sealed an agreement that safeguards wine production in the EU by establishing principles for the protection of regional names as the bloc faces growing competition from “New World” rivals.

The accord signed today in Brussels specifies when Australia will phase out terms such as Champagne, Port, Claret and Sherry, the European Commission said in a statement. It also outlines the conditions for Australia to continue to use certain quality wine terms such as “vintage,” “cream” and “tawny” to describe wines exported to Europe and sold domestically.

“Crucially, we have obtained protection for our geographical indications and traditional expressions, which was of the utmost importance for European producers,” said EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel.