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CAFIA revealed deception in keeping record of grapes’ origin

08/23/2010
 
In past weeks Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority carried out an extensive inspection focused on keeping wine record. CAFIA inspectors particularly aimed at origin traceability of purchased grapes processed to quality variety wines declared as domestic. Inspections, which were carried out both at grape producers, middlemen and wine producers themselves, brought surprising results.
CAFIA inspectors revealed in total 1,070,480 kilograms of grapes of unknown origin. Varieties Welschriesling, Pinot Blanc, Müller Thurgau, Traminer, Moravian Muscat and Blauer Portugieserwere concerned. In case of these grapes companies České vinařské závody JSC and Vinium JSC were not able to substantiate their origin with evidentiary documents. Vinium JSC bought out these grapes of unknown origin from three different companies which had bought the grapes from different middlemen. Vinium JSC then sold grapes and products thereof (crashed grapes, musts and young wines) to company České vinařské závody JSC. Both Vinium JSC and České vinařské závody JSC then put wines from these grapes into circulation as quality variety wines of domestic origin. When buying up company Vinium JSC verified neither if delivered grapes came from the producer declared in purchase documents or purchasing slips, nor if it was possible that grapes could have been delivered in given volume from the grower concerned considering the area of his vineyard. By means of inspection at wine-growers declared on invoices as growers of grapes, it was found out that they had used own grapes for their own use or had sold them to completely different companies. Thus, it can be only speculated about true origin of the bought up grapes; it cannot be ruled out that they come from abroad.  
Due to non-keeping regular and evidentiary wine record CAFIA imposed a measure to both companies on basis of which they have to document what lots of wines they produced from the above mentioned grapes of unknown origin. Subsequently, all these wines will be banned and it will be ordered to withdraw them from the market. For the present the ban on putting into circulation was imposed on nearly 145,000 litres of wine; however, this number is not definitive. As from one million kilograms of grapes one can produce 700 to 750 thousand litres of wine.

With companies České vinařské závody JSC and Vinium JSC administrative procedures will be launched on the basis of inspection results. Such focused in depth inspections will be also carried out at other wine producers and their grape suppliers. CAFIA holds the above mentioned practices for a serious injury not only of consumers, but also of honest wine producers and vine-growers.


Author: Mgr. Petra Hoferková - Communication Unit (CI CAFIA)