Wine Law

s Rector of the University of Salamanca, it is an honour to present this monograph on Wine Law, promoted by Professor Carlos Torres of Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies (ESHTE), with the support of the University of Salamanca, through Professor Javier Melgosa, and the University of Sorbonne, through Professor Laurence Jégouzo. Three countries that, without a doubt, have a long tradition of winemaking and are among the world's leading wine producers. In 2020, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) estimated the global vineyard area at 7.4 million hectares, the world production of wine at around 260 million hectolitres and the world consumption at 244 hectolitres. OIV’s study also highlights the importance of the export market, both in terms of volume and value (31.8 billion euros). Concerning Spain, the 2019 study “ 10 años de evolución del vino en el mundo y en España ” (10 years of wine’s evolution in the world and in Spain) carried out by the Spanish Wine Mark Observatory (OeMv), states that the country has become, in the last 10 years, the world’s largest exporter of wine by volume, registering a 50% growth in that period. Spanish wines are mainly destined for the European Union, accounting for 78% of the total volume and 63% of the turnover of wines sold outside Spain. In short, wine is a product with great economic weight and the source of many jobs, which requires a legal analysis of a multitude of rules that affect vineyard authorisations, grape production, processing, safety, promotion, transport, marking and so on. In Spain, the Wine and Alcohol Statue was regulated by Decree of 8 September 1932 and, in 1993, it was amended by Law of 26 May 1993, raising it to legal status. Subsequently, Law 25/1970, of 2 December, regulated the Statute of the Vine, Wine and Alcohols, which remained in force until the approval of Law 24/2003, of 10 July 2003, on the Vine and Wine. Nowadays, in addition to the vast amount of State legislation on vine quality, food safety, designations of origin, organic farming, wine production and distribution, hygiene, packaging, labelling, marketing and promotion measures, there are also the laws of the Autonomous Communities on the organisation of the wine A