Government bans sales of Sovio wine
A Government agency has banned all sales of Sovio semi-sparkling wine, stating it breaches European regulations.
The Wine Standards Branch (WSB), part of the Food Standards Agency insists that Sovio, an eight per cent ABV wine, infringes European law because it is produced using an unauthorised technology. It has now banned all sales of the product.
However, parent company Sovio Wines has hit back stating that it will take legal action to challenge the sales freeze.
It argues that statements from European Union chiefs confirm that the lower alcohol product is legal and can be sold in the UK, as at eight per cent it cannot be classified as a conventional wine under European law.
Tony Cass, operations manager for Sovio Wines says: 'The WSB says that it is simply enforcing European Law, yet it obviously didn't understand what that law meant. And how ironic it is that they are banning a product that champions more moderate drinking, a cause that the Government claims to support.
'Unless this unfair decision is reversed, further job losses and redundancy will become unavoidable. If that happens, the WSB will surely have blood on their hands. We have no choice but to take our dispute to the very highest level.'
Despite this the WSB insists it is within its rights, stating the compny has no right to call the brand a wine.
"Although currently labelled as "semi-sparkling" it does not meet the criteria for this defined wine product," said a spokeswoman.
"If re-labelled under a different name, not using the term wine in any way that may cause confusion with wine or table wine produced traditionally, it might be able to be sold in the UK, (provided it complies with food labelling legislation)
The dispute was sparked by Sovio's use of a technology that reduces the product's alcohol content to just eight per cent. Sovio is produced via a method called the Spinning Cone Column, widely used in winemaking throughout the world but as yet not fully incorporated into the code of winemaking practice in Europe.
The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is supporting Sovio's campaign and is calling for an immediate lift on the ban.
WSTA chief executive Jeremy Beadles said: 'The UK Government wants the drinks industry to provide a wider range of lower alcohol products. Our research shows that consumers are interested in having a wider range to choose from. Retailers are seeking to list new lower alcohol products and producers and agents are keen to supply them. To ban a lower alcohol wine such as Sovio is simply not in the consumers' best interest.'
