By Victor de la Serna
The Consejo Regulador, Rioja s governing boy, is pressing the Spanish government on changes requested in its current regulations, which have been pending for two years. There has been no government response since 2004 to the Riojan demands to ban the use of the same brand for wines produced in more than one appellation. In November, the Consejo received the backing in its demand from all three regional autonomous governments with responsibility over parts of the territory covered by this large appellation, those of La Rioja, the Basque Country and Navarra. Vineyard and wine regulations in Spain are largely decentralized, having been devolved to the autonomous regions, but four appellations - Rioja, Jumilla, Cava and Vino de la Tierra Ribera del Queiles - are spread over more than one region so that they remain directly ruled by the Agriculture Ministry in Madrid.
After a new national law on vineyards and wine was passed in 2003, Rioja requested reforms in its own rules to respond to the legal changes. The new law made it possible for the same brand to be used for wines from different appellations, something that is commonplace in France (think of Chapoutier in 21 appellations from Côte-Rôtie to Banyuls) but was until then banned in Spain. Rioja wants to recover the privilege of banning companies in Rioja from producing wine anywhere else under the same brand.
There are other points in Rioja's new request, as announced by chairman Víctor Pascual, such as the need to transform the very legal nature of the governing body to conform to the new law; but the ban on brand sharing is really at the heart of the looming conflict. Until now, the Agriculture Ministry has remained silent.
