WINE AND BRANDY

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 61, 10 September 1945, Page 6

WINE AND BRANDY

OVERHAUL IN LAW

AUSTRALIAN FIRM'S VIEW

! Evidence already before the Commission relating to the wine-making industry clearly indicated the urgent need for a complete overhaul of existing Legislation governing the industry, from the growing of the grape to the point of distribution, said Mr. William Noel Satchell Simpson in evidence before the Royal Commission on Licensing today, on behalf of McWilliams I Wines (N.Z.). Ltd., a subsidiary of an 1 Australian company. ! It was his company's intention as soon as circumstances permitted, to set up its own vineyards and winery and. a distillation plant for brandy production (if possible) and for fortifying ! spirit, said the witness. The wine- . making industry should as far as possible bo the subject of special enactments instead of forming part of the Licensing Act or its amendments. Under, say, a Wine Adulteration Act, wine should be denned as "solely the produce of the alcoholic fermentation of the juice or must of fresh grapes." The prohibition of the use of added sugar, which his company proposed, i would involve the cultivation of greater acreage of vineyards. In 1943 in New Zealand there were produced 309.000 gallons of wine from 404 acres of grapes, equalling 764 gallons of wine—at. say, 30 per cent, proof spirit !—per acre of grapes. This figure was I high in relation to approximately 250 gallons of fortified wine (at the same average strength) per acre in Australia, inclusive of that Commonwealth's ! irrigation area, which had a high yield. j The Dominion could beyond doubt produce excellent light wines. The elimination of the use of added sugar would have an immediate and beneficial effect upon the quality of this class of wine, said the witness. i Fortifying spirit should be denned |as the distillate from the distillation of wine or must. Provision should be made under the suggested Distillation Act prohibiting the use of "bad" wines for such distillation. The use of lower ; grade light wines for that purpose j should result in only the highest quality light wines reaching the consumer. The discontinuation of the use of added sugar' on the basis of the i Dominion's present consumption of j local fortified wines would increase the ! grape acreage by more than three j times. That increase would materially i reduce the overall cost of light wines. [ PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES. I After indicating what substances his company considered should be allowed to be used and added in wine-making, J Mr. Simpson enumerated suggested prohibitions, including several chemicals, essential oils, artificial sweetening and flavouring and colouring substances except whei^e provided; further, no licensed wine-maker should blend with pure grapewine any fermented alcoholic beverage made from fruits such as apples, blackberries, etc. The A\itness suggested that every bottler should be licensed, should label jhis bottles with the net contents and his name, and his licence should be re- 1 vocable should he be guilty of an j offence under the Act. That would ensure maximum care by the bottler. "We are of the opinion that the proposed Act should regulate the maximum strength at which wine may be sold." said the witness. "There should be no limitation of the minimum I strength of any wine, fortified or 'otherwise. The fixing of a minimum strength in wine would have the effect of encouraging the consumption of i fortified wines to the disadvantage of the lighter types. Fortifying spirit is only added to wines as a preservative, and we submit that if one wine-maker can produce a sound fortified wine or any other wine at a lower strength than another maker he should be allowed to do so in the interests of the consumer public." His company favoured the making of brandy in New Zealand and considered that no increase in tariff protection would be required save where there were increases in excise duties on the local product. It would be an important industry, employing a large number. Wine-makers should not require to be 'licensed and should be unfettered except for the provisions of the proposed Wine Adulteration Act. A host of restrictions and regulations would drive the .small maker out of business.