RESOLUTION ECO 3/2003

DETERMINATION OF SUGARS

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

UPON THE PROPOSAL of the Sub-commission of the Convention on the Unification of the Methods of Analysis and Appraisal of Wines and following the consultation with the Experts groups “Law and Regulation” and the “International Code of Oenological Practices”,

CONSIDERING that the determination of sugar in wines is more commonly done by the cumulation of individual doses of glucose and fructose instead of the global method of determining reducing sugars made up of all sugars exhibiting cetonic and aldehyde functions;

CONSIDERING that it is not necessary to modify the thresholds of sugar enabling the differentiation of different types of wine, but it is appropriate to refer to the determination method which has become common place;

CONSIDERING that these two methods for determining sugar can reveal sensibly different sugar contents,

CONSIDERING that these differences in analytical results can lead to divergent interpretations on a type of wine and create trade barriers for the wine trade,

DECIDES to replace in the codes, standards and related texts of the O.I.V. the references for “reducing sugar”, “residual sugar” and “inverted sugar” contents by referring to the “glucose plus fructose” contents and referring to the method of analysis described in the International Compendium of Methods of Analysis;

DECIDES to add in Part I “Definition” of the International Code of Oenological Practices (2001 Edition), the text from point 3.2 “Definitions relating to sugar content” by the following footnote: “sugar content is determined by the “glucose + fructose” method of analysis described in the International Compendium of Methods of Analysis;

DECIDES to add in Part 3 “Optional Indications” from the International Standard for the labelling of wine, the text from point 3.1.6. “Type of wine” by the following note: “sugar content is determined by the “glucose + fructose” method of analysis as described in the International Compendium of Methods of Analysis;

RECOMMENDS that the Member States of the OIV adapt their references in the same way and that the “glucose + fructose” determination method replace the “reducing sugars” determination method in order to avoid distortions in the classification of wine types depending on their sugar content.