The designation “Sud de France” is prohibited from the 2025 vintage. It is not a place name of a wine-growing region and does not represent the name of a geographical unit, as required by EU regulations for labels. This was stated by the French Council of State in its reasoning. According to a report by the magazine Vitisphere, not only 93 million bottles of wine are affected. The logo introduced in 2006 by the regions of Languedoc-Roussillon, later also Occitanie, is also used on agricultural products and food. The Union of Southern French Wine Companies (UEVM) estimates the costs for removing the logos at a total of 70 million euros. Representatives of the wine industry regret this decision, as the logo has primarily provided visibility and structure in exports.
Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie region, says: “Every second, 51 bottles of wine from Occitanie are sold worldwide.” In anticipation of this ruling, she has already developed an alternative: The brand “Sud de France Occitanie.” It features the geographical silhouette of France with a circle on the Mediterranean, symbolizing a landscape of valleys and mountains. She also announced a new industry contract for viticulture. The budget for this is around 15 million euros. In addition, she is establishing a new market observation office, which will be financed with one million euros: “Sud de France will continue to exist and develop.”
(al; Image: Vignobles Occitanie)
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