It's wine, but not as we know it
It's goodbye to Sherry and Tokay and hello Apera and Topaque.
They are the new names chosen for Australian fortified wine following the signing of the Australia-European Community Agreement on Trade in Wine late last year.
Under the agreement Australian wineries must stop using the terms Port, Sherry and Tokay in return for a number of concessions by the European Community.
"The majority of fortified wine producers see this change as an opportunity to reinvigorate Australia's fortified wine sector," said Colin Campbell, chairman of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia steering committee overseeing the project.
"These new names have been developed as a result of extensive market research and mark the first stage of our plan for the industry," Mr Campbell said.
"We expect to announce new terms to describe the various styles of Apera in late February, and we will also provide a full report in the coming months.
"The report will document the research supporting the naming decisions plus details of the industry's first fortified segmentation analysis, insights into fortified wine consumption patterns in Australia and potential growth opportunities for producers."
While the new names, Apera and Topaque, have been registered with the trademarks body, IP Australia, they will be subject to scrutiny and protocol before they can be confirmed.
If confirmed, Australian consumers should start to see bottles of Australian Apera for sale in 2009, as Sherry will be phased out in 2010.
Tokay producers have a further 10 years before they are legally required to stop using Tokay, although producers are likely to introduce the new name much earlier.
It's wine, but not as we know it
19/01/2009 4:47:00 PM
It's goodbye to Sherry and Tokay and hello Apera and Topaque.
They are the new names chosen for Australian fortified wine following the signing of the Australia-European Community Agreement on Trade in Wine late last year.
Under the agreement Australian wineries must stop using the terms Port, Sherry and Tokay in return for a number of concessions by the European Community.
"The majority of fortified wine producers see this change as an opportunity to reinvigorate Australia's fortified wine sector," said Colin Campbell, chairman of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia steering committee overseeing the project.
"These new names have been developed as a result of extensive market research and mark the first stage of our plan for the industry," Mr Campbell said.
"We expect to announce new terms to describe the various styles of Apera in late February, and we will also provide a full report in the coming months.
"The report will document the research supporting the naming decisions plus details of the industry's first fortified segmentation analysis, insights into fortified wine consumption patterns in Australia and potential growth opportunities for producers."
While the new names, Apera and Topaque, have been registered with the trademarks body, IP Australia, they will be subject to scrutiny and protocol before they can be confirmed.
If confirmed, Australian consumers should start to see bottles of Australian Apera for sale in 2009, as Sherry will be phased out in 2010.
Tokay producers have a further 10 years before they are legally required to stop using Tokay, although producers are likely to introduce the new name much earlier.