Vintage politics
When can you fudge your age? You can if you’re
a) a movie star
b) a California wine
Sadly, the second case is on the cusp of gaining more fudge-factor. Wines in America currently require only 95% of the grapes to come from a given vintage. The Wine Institute is now pushing for a reduction in that level to 85%, further diluting information on the label (although a compromise in the WI led to their request just applying to state, county, or multi-county areas; see story in NapaNews.com).
This is clearly headed in the wrong direction since what consumers need is greater truth-in-labeling, rather than less. You can see the proposed regulation change on the Tax and Trade Bureau’s site here, and also can post a comment here before the comment period ends on August 30.
