History
The VDQS category was created in 1949 to fill the gap between Vin de pays (VdP) and the AOC category, which is meant to be the most prestigious category with demanding requirements. Typically VDQS is a stepping stone to full AOC status, and unlike VdP covers local rather than regional areas.
When Algeria was still a French colony, a number of Algerian crus were granted VDQS status. At the time of Algerian independence in 1962, they numbered 12.
The frequency with which new VDQS are created have varied over the years; between 1984 and 1994 not a single new VDQS was added.
As a result of the on-going crisis in the French wine industry, Bernard Pomel was tasked with making proposals on how to remedy the situation. The so-called Pomel report, which was presented to the French minister of agriculture on March 23, 2006 among other things proposed a simplification of the French wine classification. This included eliminating the VDQS category. After political deliberations that somewhat delayed the initial timelines for the reform, the French parliament made the proposal into law in December 2007. The final wines that can be labelled VDQS will be those of the 2010 vintage, and by December 31, 2011, VDQS will be removed from the classification system. Existing VDQS areas will have until then to either qualify for full AOC status, or to become Vin de pays. Almost all VDQS areas have opted to try for AOC status. They initiated the relevant procedures in 2008-2009.
Read more about this topic: Vin Délimité De Qualité Supérieure
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“Boys forget what their country means by just reading “the land of the free” in history books. Then they get to be men, they forget even more. Liberty’s too precious a thing to be buried in books.”
—Sidney Buchman (1902–1975)
“The history of our era is the nauseating and repulsive history of the crucifixion of the procreative body for the glorification of the spirit.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)
“At present cats have more purchasing power and influence than the poor of this planet. Accidents of geography and colonial history should no longer determine who gets the fish.”
—Derek Wall (b. 1965)