From 31 December 1997 it is illegal for Australian wine makers to use the terms Chianti, Frontignan, Hock, Madeira and Malaga for Australian wines, although existing labelled stocks may be sold for another three years. For the time being it is still legal for Australian wines to be labelled as Burgundy, Chablis, Champagne, Claret, Graves, Marsala, Moselle, Port, Sauternes, Riesling (as a generic), Lambrusco and Hermitage. All these terms are destined for phasing out in the future, the time of which is ‘dependent on their economic importance to Australia and the result of the negotiations with the EU’, according to the AWBC. Let’s hope it’s sooner than later.
