Draft Wine (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2024

Ian Lavery Excerpts

Wednesday 17th January 2024 General Committees

[Mark Spencer]

I actually think they will be marketed by the half-bottle—in my limited experience, dessert wines tend to come in half-bottles. If the hon. Gentleman reaches for the internet when he makes these purchases, I am sure there will be more information there.

The changes before us align with those adopted by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine since 2009 and approved by the UK through our membership of that organisation. The instrument was notified to the World Trade Organisation’s Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, and no comments were received.

[Ian Lavery (Wansbeck) (Lab)]

Will the Minister give examples of the different oenological practices introduced by the IOVW? I am a bit stumped by that.

[Mark Spencer]

I can help the hon. Gentleman out. The regulations are about making sure, for consumers who buy ice wine, that the correct process has been followed, and that includes the grapes being frozen on the vine. It is possible to create dessert wine by harvesting the grapes and then freezing them mechanically to change the sugars so that the wine becomes sweeter. However, ice wine is produced only as a result of a natural frost while the grapes are on the vine, and the regulations are about protecting that process, although we do not use it in the UK, and it is quite uncommon in Europe as well. They are about protecting this product so that consumers buying ice wine know that the grapes have been frozen naturally rather than in a freezer.

[Ian Lavery]

Is it ice wine or nice wine?

[Mark Spencer]

It is ice wine, but I am told it is also quite nice.