South African wine producers want to legally add water to their wine.

Some wine producers already do so secretly, as it is difficult to detect, but South Africa’s progressive wine producers are the first to openly discuss the issue. They also want to look at how to deal with changing customer demands.

By Annette Schmidt

The measure will improve the quality of the wine and meet the growing trend for lower alcohol levels. The proposal has already been approved by South Africa's Wine and Spirit Board.

Riper grapes, riper flavours
As a result of climate change, grapes in the Southern Hemisphere contain more sugar. Consumers are used to riper fruit flavours, but riper grapes mean higher alcohol levels. "The problem in a country like South Africa is how to make ripe-tasting wine with lower alcohol levels", says Jeffrey Grier, winemaker for the M'Hubi label. Udo Göebel, a Dutch wine importer, agrees. "More and more consumers look at labels and if the alcohol level is above 14 percent .... people won't buy the wine."

High alcohol percentages are not very popular with consumers, so wine producers have had to come up with solutions on how to lower the level of alcohol while keeping the taste. There are different methods to reduce the alcohol level, but many of them affect the flavour of the wine. One solution is to add water to the ‘must’ (grape juice) in controlled quantities before fermentation. It is a more natural technique than ‘spinning cones’, in which steam is used to evaporate the alcohol.

EU rules
However, EU rules do not allow water to be added to must. According to Andre Morgenthal, communication manager at Wines of South Africa, you cannot have two separate rules, one for domestic products and one for products exported to the European Union. "We cannot pass a law that is going to destroy the ability to sell to our main markets", says Jeffrey Grier. Wine producers are divided, as some fear the new law will damage their image and affect sales.

Protective
The question is: will South Africa push the boundaries by passing new legislation allowing water to be added to wine? And if it does, will Europe ban wines that have been treated in this way? Udo Göebel fears the latter will be an obstacle.  "The European Union is protective and has old laws. South Africa is very keen for new things and new techniques."

As yet nothing been decided, and the proposed legislation still has to be passed. Either way nothing will change before the end of 2011.