WINE LABELLING 183 wines (if one compares, for example, the meaning of “Premier cru classé” in Medoc and “Premier cru” in Burgundy). Naturally, the root of the variety of French regional (one could also say “internal”) classifications is historical and cultural54, and, in our opinion, very fascinating. However, one may wonder how disoriented the average wine consumer may be. The existence of a standard geographical origin indication system for all European wines (based on the French model) can at least provide consumers with comparable information among all European wine regions. Therefore, even if a consumer is puzzled by navigating among Medoc, Graves and St. Emilion, different classifications systems within the Bordeaux area55, at least they can be reassured in knowing that a French AOC is the equivalent of an Italian DOC (Denominazione d’Origine Controllata) or Spanish DO (Denominación de Origen)56. Unfortunately, this is not completely true because pre-existing geographic indications are protected according to article 112 of Regulation 1308/2013, meaning an ample range of indications do not fall into the panEuropean standardisation; for example, there is no equivalent of the Italian DOCG (Denominazione d’Origine Controllata e Garantita) – a level above the DOC – in most EU Member States, including France, but excluding Spain, with their DOCa (Denominación d’Origen Calificada). According to the same principle, Germany has retained its rather complicated system concerning QmP (Qualitätswein mit Prädikat) wines, with additional potential confusion coming from regional classifications such as Großes Gewächs or Erste Lage. Moreover, Member States apply very different standards to award comparable indications of origin – Italy has 78 DOCGs, compared to Spain’s 2 DOCas. The obvious conclusion here is that the harmonisation of legislation cannot, in itself, provide a successful level of information and understanding among consumers. Unlike most food products, wine poses complex communication problems that cannot be solved by a legislator simply establishing common rules on labels. Inevitably, expert consumers will either understand that compulsory and optional particulars may only be minimally informative or seek wines where 54 M. FOURCADE, The Vile and the Noble: On the Relation between Natural and Social Classifications in the French Wine World, in The Sociological Quarterly, 2012. 55 For a specific insight on the complexities of consumer perception within wine classifications, see L. STUART & C. E. SMITH, The Use of Quality and Reputation Indicators by Consumers: The Case of Bordeaux Wine, in Journal of Consumer Policy, 1997; M. P. SÁENZ NAVAJAS, E. CAMPO, A. SUTAN, J. BALLESTER & D. VALENTIN, Perception of Wine Quality according to Extrinsic Cues: The Case of Burgundian Wine Consumers, in Food Quality and Preference, 2013. 56 See Regulation 1151/2012.
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