Recognizing Wine's Taste of Place – Second of Five Parts
Linda Murphy, Chronicle Wine Editor – September 28, 2005

The declaration

Representatives from seven vintner associations signed a declaration on July 26 advocating the protection of winegrowing place names. The declaration states:

"Whereas, it is acknowledged that there are extraordinary places on earth from which great wine is consistently produced.

Whereas, the names of these places are printed on labels side-by-side with the names of the producers to identify the origin of the wine.

Whereas, wine, more than any other beverage, is valued based on its association to its place of origin.

Whereas, even before modern technology allowed us to tie specific definitions to the soils, terrain, and climates of noted wine regions, winemakers were drawn to these special places.

Whereas, the names of these places are familiar, and synonymous with quality.

Whereas, we respectfully submit that the place where wine is grown plays a very important role in a consumer's selection process.

Whereas, we are furthermore united in our belief that the geographic place names of wine regions are the sole birthright of the grapes that are grown there, and when these names appear on wines that do not contain grapes from the region, they lose their integrity and their relevance to consumers.

Therefore, be it resolved that we, as representatives of some of the world's leading wine regions, join together in supporting efforts to maintain and respect the integrity of these place names, which are fundamental tools for consumer identification of great winegrowing regions and the wines they produce."