FRENCH and British Euro-MPs last night used their last meeting before preparing for new elections to defend the good name of rosé wine.
In the middle of an end-of-term mood in Strasbourg, they mounted a last-ditch campaign against EU plans to allow wine made merely by mixing red and white to qualify as rosé .
Not surprisingly the idea has caused most outrage and contempt in France
– not just among traditional wine growers but also drinkers who have overwhelmingly given the thumbs-down to the European Commission plan in a series of French newspaper surveys.
But the Commission says it already has the backing of most member states for a proposal to relax the rules on rosé production and help EU winemakers exploit markets such as Australia and South Africa, where blending red and white wine to make rosé is normal.
For now, rosé wine in Europe is the result of soaking red wine grapes for less time than is required to make red wine. If the Commission proposal is approved, the mixing of red and wine could be labelled and sold as rosé across Europe.
Last night, Tory MEP Neil Parish displayed unity with his appalled French counterparts, pointing out wine growers many EU regions had invested heavily in the development of quality rosé wines which are recognised in their own right.
Allowing the sale of rosé made up of red and white wine could have serious economic, ecological and employment consequences in areas where traditional rose is grown, he warned.
"The outlook may not be so rosy for rosé. Producing the traditional wines we see on our shelves requires substantial investment and considerable effort and it is now recognised as a wine in its own right."
