Long Island joins global declaration

It has been nearly five years since the first regions signed "The Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place & Origin," described as a set of principles aimed at educating consumers about the importance of location to winemaking. The number has now jumped to 15 with the addition of Long Island and Rioja, Spain.

The declaration was first signed in Napa Valley, CA, on July 26, 2005, by representatives to the wine regions of Napa, Walla Walla, Washington State and Oregon along with Champagne, Porto and Jerez.

On March 21, 2007, six more renowned wine regions joined in the global effort. The new signatory regions included Sonoma County and Paso Robles in California as well as Western Australia and Victoria from Australia, and the European regions of Tokaj and Chianti Classico.

The specific text of the declaration reads as follows:

JOINT DECLARATION TO PROTECT WINE PLACE & ORIGIN

Whereas, it is generally acknowledged that there are a handful of truly 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 – and with good reason.

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 fruit from that region, they lose their integrity and their relevance, becoming merely words.

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

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