As Expected, Blanket Ban on Chaptalization 'Watered Down'

Yesterday the EU Parliament voted to "water down" a reform on the wine sector that included a blanket ban on adding sugar to the mix.

Adding sugar to a wine increases the alcohol content of the final product. Typically, blends with a high alcohol content fare better on the mass market than blends that do not.

Subsidies to maintain distillation, and to assist low-quality producers who desist production to be disbursed in three years (versus five), were brought to table. Subsidies for wine "enrichment" via must were also called for. Complete reforms are expected to appear next week.

The reforms are intended to clear the "wine lakes" in Europe and improve sales.

EU to Empty 'Wine Lakes' Into Sucrose-Lined Caskets

Here's a winning proposition: hold off on a proposed ban to adding excess sugar (chaptalization) to European wine, and instead penalize vineyards that aren't turning a profit or are distilling wine for too long.

This will bankroll the European wine industry. It will also flood our market with wine that does little besides daze us with a high concentration of alcohol.

Small wineries that sacrifice short-term profit for a quality vintage will fall to the wayside.

If the world wants so much alcohol, why not leave wine alone and turn to our old friend vodka?