The Power of a Name
The Mike Dunne reports that the Governator, I mean Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, recently signed legislation “to prohibit the use of ‘Sonoma’ on bottle labels unless at least 75 percent of the grapes that make the wine are grown in Sonoma County.” He points out that the label at right will not have to change, but wines using “California” on the label will. This move by the Legislature and the Governor is the newest in an apparent trend to tighten standards on the place names used by wineries on their labels.
“This bill will help ensure that consumers are not misled by labeling,” Schwarzenegger said in signing the legislation, SB 1380, introduced by Sen. Wesley Chesbro, D-Arcata. “Sonoma transcends a county name and has become nearly a brand name synonymous with quality wine produced by some of the greatest vintners in the world,” Schwarzenegger said.
Thus, if a bottle of wine says “Sonoma” anywhere on the front label, most of the juice is to be squeezed from grapes grown in Sonoma soil.
