Two Renowned Wine Regions Join Growing Global Coalition to Protect Wine Place Names

Declaration Expands to 15 with Addition of Long Island, NY and Rioja, Spain

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The wine regions of Long Island, NY and Rioja, Spain became the latest signatories of the Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place & Origin, a global movement aimed at ensuring wine place names are protected and not abused or miscommunicated to consumers.

With the addition of Long Island and Rioja, the Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place & Origins now boasts 15 of the world's most prominent wine regions – all jointly advocating for better protection of place names. Other signatories of the Declaration include: Champagne, Chianti Classico, Jerez, Napa Valley, Oregon, Paso Robles, Porto, Sonoma County, Victoria, Tokaj, Walla Walla Valley, Washington state, and Western Australia.

"We are honored to join this esteemed group of the world's leading wine regions.  Long Island wines, like all those represented in this coalition, are unique. They can't be duplicated anywhere else in the world and today we come together to recognize that nothing shapes a wine's character like its location," said Chris Baiz, president of the board of directors, Long Island Wine Council and owner of The Old Field Vineyards.

"On behalf of all the bodegas that make up the DOC Rioja, we are thrilled to join the Declaration partners and express our unequivocal support for the integrity of wine place names," said Victor Pascual Artacho, president of the Denominacion de Origen Calificada Rioja. "No matter where a wine comes from, consumers deserve to know if the wine they drink is what it says it is on the label."

By becoming signatories of the Declaration, members agree that geographic names are fundamental tools for consumers to identify the special wines associated with specific winegrowing regions. And as such, they commit to work together to bring the necessary awareness and advocacy to bear to ensure these names are protected and respected. From great winegrowing regions to consumer rights groups to everyday wine consumers, more and more are making their voices heard in the campaign to protect wine place names.

"The attention around protection of place names has really taken off in recent years. The addition of such prominent regions as Rioja and Long Island only underscore that," said Linda Reiff, executive director of the Napa Valley Vintners, one of the founding signatories to the Declaration. "While we all may compete in the marketplace, through the Declaration initiative, we want to take a very clear, collective stand that protection of place names is always in the consumer's best interest."

The Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place Names & Origin was signed by the original seven members on July 26, 2005. These founding members included Champagne, Jerez, Napa Valley, Oregon, Porto, Walla Walla Valley, and Washington state. On March 21, 2007, six more renowned wine regions joined in the global effort including Chianti Classico, Paso Robles, Sonoma County, Tokaj, Victoria and Western Australia. To lend support and read the full text of the Declaration visit www.protectplace.com.

SOURCE Champagne Bureau; Center for Wine Origins