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

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 that is –

(a) necessary to incorporate any substance specified in clause 3 or clause 4; or

(b) necessary to facilitate fermentation; or

(c) incidental to the winemaking process.

(7A) Wine, sparking wine and fortified wine must not contain added water other than added water permitted by subclause 7.

(7B) Wine, sparkling wine or fortified wine must not contain more than 70 mL/L of the following –

(a) water added to incorporate any substance specified in clause 3 or clause 4;

(b) water incidental to the winemaking process; or

(c) any combination of water listed in paragraphs (a) and (b)

(7C) Water may only be added to wine, sparkling wine and fortified wine to facilitate fermentation if the water is added to dilute the high sugar grape must prior to fermentation and does not dilute the must below 13.5 degrees Bé.

(7D) Subject to subclauses (7A) (7B) and (7C), wine, sparkling wine or fortified wine must not contain more added water than is consistent with *GMP.

(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.

Amendment History

The Amendment History provides information about each amendment to the Standard. The information includes commencement or cessation information for relevant amendments.

These amendments are made under section 92 of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 unless otherwise indicated. Amendments do not have a specific date for cessation unless indicated as such.

About this compilation

This is compilation No. 15 of Standard 4.5.1 as in force on 26 October 2017 (up to Amendment No. 174). It includes any commenced amendment affecting the compilation to that date.

Prepared by Food Standards Australia New Zealand on 26 October 2017.

Uncommenced amendments or provisions ceasing to have effect

To assist stakeholders, the effect of any uncommenced amendments or provisions which will cease to have effect, may be reflected in the Standard as shaded boxed text with the relevant commencement or cessation date. These amendments will be reflected in a compilation registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments including or omitting those amendments and provided in the Amendment History once the date is passed.

The following abbreviations may be used in the table below:

ad = added or inserted am = amended

exp = expired or ceased to have effect rep = repealed

rs = repealed and substituted

Standard 4.5.1 was published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. FSC 5 on 24 October 2002 as Standard 4.1.1 (F2008B00809 – 23 December 2008) and has been amended as follows: