When Chateauneuf du Pape got its official name in 1893 the initiative probably
was taken for commercial reasons. The wines had then for a long time been known under
the name Chateauneuf du Pape.
Other initiatives were initiated to protect the good reputation of the wines and
secure the quality.
In 1894 the first
trade union of wine growers was created, “Syndicat Viticole”,
chaired by the mayor J.
Ducos.
The goal was to be commited to make wines
collected on their territory
of good
quality and guaranteed
by "the stamp" of the trade union.
About 100 wine growers were
gathered,
but the union fell apart because of political divisions. This first try
proves the will of the
wine growers to improve and guarantee the quality of
their wines.
In 1905, a commission of 18 members is created "to avoid the entry of the
foreign grapes".
Also in
1905 the French government introduced the term Appellation
d’Origin. It should lead to declaration of protected names of agriculturel
products that could only be used for products from specified areas. Some names
were declared a few years later, among them Champagne and Bordeaux. The World
War I temporarily put this work on stand by.
In 1911, the town council names a commission of 34 wine growers "to carry out
the classification of the wines known as of Châteauneuf-du-Pape
and to safeguard the authenticity and the fame of our vintage".
This was a result of the governments initiative.
In 1919
the government of France restarted the task of declaration of products.
In
Chateauneuf du Pape the wine growers were of the opinion, that not only the
name had to be protected but also the quality had to be safeguarded. It was
not enough to point out, where the vines could be grown it was just as
important to regulate the way the wine was made.
With this intention, they
went
as a delegation to the
Chateau Fortia and asked
the new owner
baron Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarié, lawyer and
now
wine
grower, to help them in this immense task.
The baron answered
them, "I
will do
this, but a condition is that you
all
give the example of honesty and discipline".
Then in 1923 was created "Syndicat des Propriétaires
Viticulteurs de Châteauneuf-du-Pape" - chairman was Baron le Roy. |
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Several
decisions was to be made by the wine growers. First of all they had to
decide the limits of the appellation according to the law of 1905. The map
to the left shows the area they decided to include: nearly the total area of
Chateauneuf du Pape and parts of the neighbouring Orange, Courthezon,
Bedarrides and Sorgues.
The other proposals were not demanded by the authorities but the wine
growers' own proposals made to secure the autensity and quality of the wines.
These proposals were in short terms:
13 grape varieties were to be allowed: the red varieties,
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Picpoul, Terret
Noir,
Counoise, Muscardin, Vaccarèse,
Cinsault
and the white varieties,
Picardan,
Clairette,
Roussanne, Bourboulenc,
and
Grenache
Blanc.
In fact it's 14 varieties, but red and white Grenache are counted as one
variety.
A part of the harvest has to be discarded - minimum 5% of the yield.
The degree of alcohol must be minimum 12,5%.
The maximum output must normally be 35 hl. per ha. (Normally the output in
the 1920s were lower)
Rules for cutting and plantation.
The proposals from the
the
trade union
are brougt to the court for approval in 1924 but
the law of 1919 does not require any condition of production. The court
then can not
be based on this law but
the court
appoints three experts charged to establish "the conditions of territorial
origin and honest and constant local uses concerning appellation Châteauneuf-du-Pape".
Their report, presented in 1929, after four years of work, will be used as a
basis for all the later judgements
concerning other appellations in France.
21 November 1933 the court then confirms the
delimitation and the conditions of production of Chateauneuf du Pape.
In spite of some light modifications, in 1936 and 1966, they
are
still
in force today.
In 1935 the government created Institut
National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) and from 1936
the creations of appellations all over France could start. One of the first was Appellation Châteauneuf-du-Pape Contrôlée approved 1. Maj 1936.
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