Unbelievable

[Thomas]

Thraz, to insert a smiley just type the colon and the end paranthesis.

My understanding of viticultural controls is that producers must sign on to the controls. Of course, over time I am sure bureaucrats wrest the control, but producers are supposed to be involved in the process, and I guess by consensus--or by pressure--the controls can be changed, and they are being changed (ever so slowly in France).

The free market idea has a lot going for it, but you also have to remember that controls were established to reign in the corruption of free markets. After Rome and Greece, the first major controls were established in Portugal, at the complaints of the British market to prevent massive adulteration and fraud.

Before France put teeth into its control systems all kinds of fraud took place, not the least of which was adding southern Italian wine to stretch volume (some say they still do).

One reason guys like me like the AOC is that while I am quite familiar with the characteristics of various grape varieties, I really place more value on regional identity.