FRENCH/ITALIAN WINES

[JMG]

IF A WINE HAS A FRENCH LABEL, MUST THE GRAPES HAVE BEEN GROWN AND PROCESSED IN FRANCE. LIKEWISE, FOR AN ITALIAN WINE OR, ANY OTHER COUNTRY.

[Innkeeper]

Hi JMG, and welcome to the Wine Board. The answer is yes. The laws have always said so. However, prior to the European Union gaining some clout, the laws were frequently bypassed. Up until not so long ago, tank cars of wine from Southern Italy would roll into the top wine regions of France, and end up mixed into some very expensive wine. Stopping that practice has resulted in a glut of wine in Italy's south, and is the primary reason why we are getting such great values on wine from that region now.