Reflections on the evolution of oenological practices in Europe

Abstract

The regulation of oenological practices put in place in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century was intended to save traditional viticulture from the excesses of liberalism and the manufacture of artificial wines. The foundations of this regulation have been taken up by European texts and are still in force today. Over the last fifteen years, in order to improve the competitiveness of the sector in a context of global competition, practices have become more and more numerous and they are sometimes moving away from these foundations. The new environmental, societal and commercial challenges facing the wine sector may well call into question the current production model and give rise to reflections on the definition of wine.