Wine Law

drunkenness and combat alcoholism. The battle focused mainly on distilled or industrial spirits, but not on fermented beverages, where wine takes first place. The hygienism movement really gained momentum in the second part of the 20 th century, shifting from the battle against consistent excessive alcohol consumption, to curbing the occasional excessive consumption of alcohol among young people. More recently, it moved in favour of total abstinence from alcohol consumption (I.). However, wine cannot be relegated to a product containing ethanol. It also involves interaction between the wine-growing regions and terroirs, especially when the wine is produced in accordance with specifications from an appellation or indication of origin. For this reason, collective advertising 12 , which can be defined as being carried out jointly and at common expense by the producers of the same wine region in favour of their region, its terroir, its signs of origin and quality, without the use of a brand being assimilated into a simple commercial operation intended to encourage consumers to purchase and drink alcoholic beverages, the excessive consumption of which is harmful to health. For this reason, the legislative framework for collective wine advertising must allow the promotion of wine-growing regions through the characteristics of the different regions. The same is true for wine tourism advertising as well as all communications that would evoke the socio-cultural aspects of wine, without, however, being its main object (II). Finally, we will discuss the difficulties that all players in the wine industry must overcome when they want to promote wine in France (III.). In view of the applicable texts, the promotion of wine is nothing more than a communication which could have the effect of encouraging the consumption of an alcoholic beverage. For this reason, any communication or promotional advertising must scrupulously respect a relatively rigid legal framework. I. The Emphasis on Hygienism Regarding the Wine Industry Has Evolved Since the Beginning of the 20 th Century The origin of hygienism in France dates back to the middle of the 19 th century when a law was passed on 23 January 1873 aimed at suppressing public drunkenness and combating 12 According to the definition given by the Academy of Commerce Online Dictionary.