LAW IN WINE & SPIRITS INDUSTRY

OENOLOGICAL PRACTICES IN COMPARATIVE LAW: ADDITIVES IN WINE, COMPARATIVE

ANALYSIS BETWEEN EU AND AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND RULES

PART 1: COMPARISION OF PERMITTED ADDITIVES IN

EUROPEAN AND AUSTRALIA
- Yeast, yeast nutrition and malolactic bacteria
Both Europe and Australia: yeast, some yeast nutrients and Malic acid bacteria are permitted.
- Alcohol increase by addition of substances 
Australia Not permitted ，except sparkling wine.
New Zealand: Be allowed as a processing aid.
Europe: achieved by adding sucrose, concentrated grape must or rectified concentrated grape must.
- Water
Europe：NO addition of water, except where required by specific technical necessity”
Australia : “may contain water in proportion not exceeding 30 mL/L"
- Acidification
Australia /New Zealand allow citric, lactic, malic and tartaric.
EU, acidification is only allowed in Zones C II and C III in normal weather conditions and in these zones and in Zones
C I in exceptional years.
Both Europe and Australia do not allow hydrochloric. phosphoric or sulphuric acid, it can only be used for
stabilization and not for acidification.
- Deacidification
The EU permits deacidification with potassium tartrate, potassium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate and calcium tartrate,
in all zones except Zone C III (b).
New Zealand/Australia: Calcium carbonates, potassium carbonates, potassium sodium tartrate, potassium tartrate and
sodium carbonates.
- Gases
The EU permits use of carbon dioxide, argon or nitrogen to prevent oxidation.
Australia / New Zealand allows carbon dioxide as additive and processing aid,
Inert gases can be used to clarify wine by flotation, where bubbles bring suspended particles to the top where they can
be removed .
- Improvement of colour, flavour and aroma
Australia /New Zealand and EU：Carbon is allowed to remove the un-desirable color. But It is limited to white must
and wine in EU.
Australia/ New Zealand are permitted addition of flavor concentrate extracted from grapes. Europe are no permit this
addition.
Australia /New Zealand permit Copper sulphate to improve aroma cupric and cupric citrate on a bentonite base.
- Tannin
Oak aging adds small amounts of tannin.
Australia /New Zealand and EU：permitted the oak chips and tannin powder into wine as a processing aid.
- Clarification agent
Australia/New Zealand and EU: Gelatine, Isinglass, Casein, Egg albumin, Siliceous earths (silicon dioxide, silica gel,
silica sol), PVPP, Proteins
- Biological stabilization 
Acetaldehyde, DMDC (to kill micro-organisms), Sulphur dioxide (SO2 ) and sorbic acid (Regulations may mention
different sources of these products) New Zealand: Sorbic acid as well as sodium, potassium and calcium sorbates.
- Prevention of oxidation
Australia/ New Zealand and EU: Ascorbic acid and related compounds, Inert gases, Sulphur Dioxide
- Prevention of tartrate precipitation
Australia and EU: Meta tartaric acid, Potassium bitartrate and Calcium tartrate (during cold stabilization)
EU: Mannoproteins (obtained from yeast cell walls)
- Prevention of turbidity due to proteins in white wine
Australia and EU: Some form of bentonite and tannin
Bentonite: Kaolin is allowed in the EU. Australia and New Zealand allow cupric citrate on a bentonite base.
Tannin: Australia allows tannin as an additive. New Zealand allows both tannin and grape skin extract. The EU allows
tannin for clarification of must and as an addition to wine.
- Prevention of turbidity due to colouring matter in red wine
Bentonite, Gum Arabic (obtained from certain acacia trees, and is a protective colloid)
 - Prevention of metal hazes
Australia/New Zealand and EU: Citric acid, Ascorbic acid, Potassium ferrocyanide, Phytate (in the EU only calcium
phytate is permitted, and only for red wine)
Both potassium ferrocyanide and phytates can only be used as a processing aid.

AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND ：FOOD STANDARDS CODE：

Compared to the strict old-world regulations, Australia's regulations are more wide range, allowing
technical means to achieve consistency of taste. it is freer and more unrestrained.

EUROPEAN：OIV：
The purpose of OIV is to preserve the regional character of the wine itself while ensuring the quality
of the wine.

 THE LEGISLATION COMPARE WITH AUSTRALIA/ NEW

ZEALAND AND EUROPEAN
 Different jurisdictions have different locations within their legal framework for their wine legislation. 
 The main aim of all the legislation is to describe what is permitted, and explicitly states that
what is not permitted is forbidden.
 A difference in legislation is the amount of detail that is given: the rea- sons for adding the
substance, and at what stage of the winemaking process it can be added. 
 There are also differences in the level of specification

 Types of Additives Allowed in Different Countries

Jurisdictions
Reason/additive
ALL Australia/ New Zealand European Union
yeast, nutrients, malolactic
Fermentation
bacteria
Alcohol increase by
Concentrated must, sucrose A: NO, expect sparkling
addition
Tartaric(EU's CII CIII area and A/N: malic, citric, lactic; N:
Acidification
part of the CI area allow) fumaric
Deacidification Calcium carbonate
A: Not exceeding 30ml/L
Water NO
N: Yes
oxygen, carbon dioxide,
Gases Yes Yes
nitrogen argon
lysozyme, urease, pectinase, A: enzymes (without further
Enzymes
beta-lactamase specification)
Sulphur dioxide, ascorbic acid,
Prevention of oxidation
carbon dioxide, nitrogen argon
A/N: plant proteins; A: agar
galantine, egg albumin, casein, collagen
Fining
siliceous earths, isinglass, PVPP
N: fish collagen
Sulphur dioxide, sorbic acid,
Biological stability A/N: DMDC; N: fumaric acid
lysozyme
Tartrate stability AEN: meta tartaric acid A: potassium bitartrate; A/N: E: potassium
tartaric acid bitartrate

2
 Protein and color N: kaolin; A: cupric citrate on
bentonite, tannin, gum arabic E: kaolin
stability a bentonite base
citric acid, gum Arabic, ascorbic
Prevention of metal
acid, bentonite, potassium
hazes
ferrocyanide phytates
copper sulphate,
Removal of off-odors, A/N: milk products cupric
charcoal/activated E: fresh yeast lees
flavors or color citrate on a bentonite base
carbon, PVPP, casein
Addition of color or A/N: flavor extract from
flavor grapes; N: grape skin extract
Sweetening Concentrated must, must A: mistelle
Wooding A/N: oak
Ion exchange resins A/N: various uses
Alcohol increase by
E: concentration
removal
SO2removalby physical
E: various processes
processes
E: removal of
Electrodialysis
tartrates