Swiss canton relaxes wine quality requirements

The wet weather has resulted in canton Valais in southwest Switzerland taking the extraordinary step of relaxing the requirements for the AOC seal of quality. In order to produce more expensive and exclusive AOC wines, the grapes must contain a minimum amount of sugar. However, due to the poor weather this year, they barely reach the required sugar content for AOC wine. Valais is therefore lowering the sugar limit. This means that winegrowers can produce AOC wine despite the wet weather. But is this even legitimate? Or is a wine of inferior quality being sold as a quality product? One thing is clear: canton Valais is doing nothing wrong. The authorities may reduce the minimum amount of sugar that a grape must contain in order to produce AOC wine. Winegrowers receive a higher price However, Claude Crittin, president of the Valais Wine Buyers' Association, says this has never happened in the 25 years that he has been working in the wine industry. "The fact that grapes with a lower ...