Standard 4.5.1

WINE production requirements

(Australia only)

Purpose

This Standard includes requirements for the production of wine in Australia only.

Table of Provisions

1 Interpretation

2 Application

3 Substances used in production

4 Processing aids

5 Composition

6 Sparkling wine

7 Fortified wine

Schedule Specifications for the Purposes of this Standard

Clauses

1 Interpretation

In this Standard –

brandy means the spirit obtained by the distillation of wine in such a manner as to ensure that the spirit possesses the taste, aroma and other characteristics generally attributed to brandy, in accordance with the requirements set out in the Schedule to this Standard.

fortified wine means the product consisting of wine to which has been added grape spirit, brandy or both.

grape spirit means the spirit obtained from the distillation of wine or the by-products of wine making or the fermented liquor of a mash of dried grapes and contains methanol in a proportion not exceeding 3 g/L at 20˚C of the ethanol content.

sparkling wine means the product consisting of wine that by complete or partial fermentation of contained sugars has become surcharged with carbon dioxide.

wine means the product of the complete or partial fermentation of fresh grapes, or a mixture of that product and products derived solely from grapes.

2 Application

This Standard applies to the production of wine in Australia only, notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary elsewhere in this Code.

3 Substances used in production

(1) Subject to any limits imposed by clause 5 of this Standard, any of the substances specified in the Table to this clause may be used in the production of wine, sparkling wine or fortified wine.

(2) In this clause –

mistelle means grape must or grape juice prepared from fresh grapes to which grape spirit has been added to prevent fermentation and which has an ethanol content between 120 mL/L and 150 mL/L at 20˚C.

Table to clause 3

4 Processing aids

(1) Subject to any limits imposed by clause 5 of this Standard, any of the substances specified in the Table to this clause may be used in the production of wine, sparkling wine or fortified wine.

(2) In this clause –

cultures of microorganisms means yeasts or bacteria (including yeast ghosts) used in wine manufacture with or without the addition of any one or more of thiamine hydrochloride, niacin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, biotin and inositol.

(3) Thiamin chloride and thiamin hydrochloride may only be added to wine, sparkling wine and fortified wine to facilitate the growth of microorganisms.

Table to clause 4

Table to clause 4 (continued)

5 Composition

(1) Wine and sparkling wine must contain no less than 45 mL/L of ethanol at 20˚C.

(2) Notwithstanding subclause (1), wine must not contain added ethanol.

(3) Fortified wine must contain no less than 150 mL/L and no more than 220 mL/L of ethanol at 20˚C.

(4) Deleted

(5) Wine, sparkling wine and fortified wine must contain no more than –

(a) 250 mg/L in total of sulphur dioxide in the case of products containing less than 35 g/L of sugars, or 300 mg/L in total of sulphur dioxide in the case of other products; and

(b) 200 mg/L of sorbic acid or potassium sorbate expressed as sorbic acid; and

(c) 1 g/L of soluble chlorides expressed as sodium chloride; and

(d) 2 g/L of soluble sulphates expressed as potassium sulphate; and

(e) 400 mg/L of soluble phosphates expressed as phosphorus; and

(f) 1.5 g/L of volatile acidity excluding sulphur dioxide, expressed as acetic acid; and

(g) 0.1 mg/L of cyanides and complex cyanides expressed as hydrocyanic acid; and

(h) 200 mg/L of added dimethyl dicarbonate.

(6) If potassium ferrocyanide has been used as a processing aid in the manufacture of a wine, sparkling wine or fortified wine, the final product must have residual iron present.

(7) Wine, sparkling wine and fortified wine may contain added water in proportion not exceeding 70 mL/L where that water is necessary for the incorporation of any substance specified in clause 3 or clause 4, or where that water is incidental to the winemaking process and where the presence of water in wine is in conformance with good manufacturing practice.

(8) Where this clause does not otherwise specify a maximum permitted level for –

(a) a food additive listed in the Table to clause 3; or

(b) a processing aid listed in the Table to clause 4;

of this Standard, then the use of the food additive or processing aid must be consistent with conditions of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

6 Sparkling wine

(1) In addition to the substances permitted by clauses 3 and 4 of this Standard, sparkling wine may also contain –

(a) grape spirit; and

(b) brandy; and

(c) sugars.

(2) The addition of those foods specified in paragraphs (1)(a), (b) and (c) to sparkling wine must not increase its ethanol content by more than 25 mL/L at 20˚C.

(3) Sparkling wine must contain no less than 5 g/L of carbon dioxide at 20˚C.

7 Fortified wine

(1) In addition to the substances permitted by clauses 3 and 4 of this Standard, fortified wine may also contain caramel.

SCHEDULE

SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS STANDARD

Brandy

(1) Brandy –

(a) must be matured in wooden containers for no less than 2 years; and

(b) must contain no less than 250 mL/L of the spirit distilled at a strength of no more than 830 mL/L at 20˚C of ethanol; and

(c) may contain –

(i) water; and

(ii) caramel; and

(iii) sugars; and

(iv) grape juice and grape juice concentrates;

(v) wine; and

(vi) prune juice; and

(vii) honey; and

(viii) flavourings; and

(d) must not contain methanol in a proportion exceeding 3 g/L at 20˚C of the ethanol content thereof.

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