Wine Law

Currently, the work of the Instituto de la Uva of the Universidad Centro Occidental Lisandro Alvarado 19 , located in the northeast of El Tocuyo, Municipality of Morán in Lara state, stands out. After the corresponding taxonomic and fertility studies, it was determined that, contrary to what was believed at first, the place had excellent climatic conditions for growing grapes. Nowadays, the Instituto de la Uva produces various types of low-cost, less elaborate and medium-quality wines 20 . It should also be mentioned the Centro Vitícola del Zulia, created in 1977 in order to “carry out research aimed at optimising the farming of grapes and the search for alternatives for its products” 21 . This centre has specialists from Spain, the United States, Germany and Italy and currently produces Viñas del Sol wine Finally, the perhaps most important initiative in Venezuela crystallised with Bodegas Pomar, created in 1985 by Empresas Polar, in collaboration with Casa Martell in France, being “the first winery producing wines on a commercial scale, in Venezuela and the tropics; made with grapes from their own vineyards, located in Altagracia (Carora), Lara state” 22 . After several studies in different Venezuelan regions, Carora has been a chosen place for its climatic and soil conditions. Of the 22 grape wine varieties of high lineage brought from Europe, with which the tests were carried out, Bodegas Pomar works today with eight, which have “sprouted with vigor: Syrah from Côtes du Rhone, Petit Verdot from Bordeaux, Tempranillo from La Rioja, Sauvignon from Bordeaux, Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley, Macabeu from Penedés, Malvoisie from Languedoc-Roussillion and Muscat D’Petit from Frontignan” 23 . Bodegas Pomar has state-of-the-art technology and specialists in field and winery work, which combine with a hand- made harvest: “one by one, the bunches are harvested in special baskets and quickly transported 19 Source : http://www.ucla.edu.ve/dagronom/uva/default.htm. 20 “The products that have been produced with great pride so far are: Vino El Tocuyo (white, pink and red), Vino Viña Tocuyana (white, pink and red), Vino Valle Larense (white, pink and red), Vino Tinto Dulce Tipo Oporto San Lucas, Vino Moscatel (to consecrate) San Lucas, Vino Seco San Lucas (white, pink and red), Sangría La Guarita, y Vino Espumante (Champagne) Las Damas”; in : http://www.ucla.edu.ve/dagronom/uva/default.htm. 21 Source: http://elvinoenvenezuelahotelescuela.blogspot.com/2018/04/normal-0-21-false-false-false-es-x- none.html; according to its document of incorporation, its objective is research and provide technical assistance to farmers and industrialists, producers and processors of grapes harvested by themselves or through third parties. 22 Source : http://www.bodegaspomar.com.ve/conocenos/historia. 23 Source : http://www.bodegaspomar.com.ve/conocenos/capital-de-la-uva.