No C 87/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 2.4.87 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Regulation on the preparation and marketing of liqueur wines produced 
in the Community 
COM(87) 91 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 18 March 1987) 
(87/C 87/11) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 43 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas at present no Community provisions govern the 
conditions under which liqueur wines are prepared and 
marketed; whereas, in view of the economic importance 
of such products, common provisions are required to be 
adopted in this area in order to contribute towards the 
operation of the wine market as a whole; 
Whereas Council Regulation (EEC) No X/87 establishes 
the common organization of the market in wine and 
Council Regulation (EEC) No Y/87 lays down special 
provisions relating to quality wines produced in specified 
regions; whereas those Regulations should be 
supplemented by adopting corresponding provisions for 
all liqueur wines produced in the Community; 
Whereas liqueur wines should be made subject to a 
system comprising common rules governing production, 
preparation, marketing and controls which, while main­
taining quality distinctions, will ensure that distortions of 
competition are avoided, that free movement of such 
products is enhanced and that consumers are protected; 
Whereas such a measure will help to guide the consumer 
in his choice by providing him in particular with the 
assurance that each product presented meets specific 
quality requirements; whereas it is thereby likely to 
protect the interests of the producer, to encourage intra-
Community trade, to increase demand and therefore to 
ensure increased opportunities for the disposal of wine 
products; Whereas, in order to avoid the use of sucrose in the 
sweetening of liqueur wines, the use of rectified 
concentrated grape must should be permitted in addition 
to that of concentrated grape must; 
Whereas all liqueur wines and the products used in their 
preparation must be made subject to minimum quality 
requirements; whereas provision should accordingly be 
made for their minimum characteristics; 
Whereas the preparation of certain quality liqueur wines 
produced in specified regions, hereinafter referred to as 
quality liqueur wines psr, calls for a special process of 
ageing sous voile; whereas it should accordingly be 
defined; 
Whereas additional provisions should also be laid down 
on the analytical characteristics of the products used for 
the preparation of liqueur wines, in particular where 
neutral spirits of vinous origin or wine distillate is 
employed; 
Whereas the process of preparing liqueur wines requires 
operators to keep a wide range of raw materials and in 
particular of spirits which may be used in particular for 
the manufacture of artificial wine; whereas provision 
should consequently be made for better controls on such 
activity and in particular, in order to avoid such manu­
facture, for a prior authorization to be required; 
Whereas, with a view to preserving the typical character 
of the origin of each quality liqueur wine psr and to faci­
litating the task of control bodies, the Member States 
should be permitted, within the limits laid down by this 
Regulation, to adopt production, preparation and 
movement disciplines supplementing Community rules, 
Whereas, in view of the traditional practices which have 
contributed to the reputation of port quality liqueur wine 
psr, the geographical ascription in question should be 
recognized by way of a derogation, in respect of that 
designation only, as covering a delimited area different 
from that where the raw materials used were produced, 
2.4.87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 87/11 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
This Regulation lays down rules for the preparation and 
marketing of liqueur wines as defined in point 14 of 
Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No X/87. 3. ageing 'sous voile'shall mean: 
the process of biological ageing in contact with the air 
involving the development of a film of typical yeasts 
at the free surface of the wine after total alcoholic 
fermentation of the must. 
TITLE I 
General provisions 
Article 2 
The descriptions 'liqueur wine' and 'quality liqueur wine 
produced in a specified region' or 'quality liqueur wine 
psr' shall be used only for the products referred to in 
Article 1. 
Article 3 
For the preparation of the products referred to in 
Article 1: 
1. basic products shall mean: 
— grape must, 
— grape must in fermentation, and 
— wine; 
2. addition products shall mean: 
(a) in the case of liqueur wines: 
— added alcohol, i.e. 
— alcohol with an alcoholic strength greater 
than or equal to 95 % vol, obtained from 
neutral spirits of vinous origin including 
spirits obtained from the distillation of 
dried grapes, 
— wine distillate with an alcoholic strength 
greater than or equal to 52 % vol, and less 
than or equal to 80 % vol, 
— concentrated grape must, and 
— a mixture of the products referred to in the 
two preceding indents; 
(b) in the case of quality liqueur wines psr: 
— grape must in fermentation obtained from 
raisined grapes, 
— concentrated must obtained by the action of 
direct heat, meeting, with the exception of this 
operation, the definition of concentrated 
grape must, and 
— the products referred to under (a) with the 
exception, for certain red quality liqueur wines 
psr to be determined, of wine distillate the 
alcoholic strength by volume of which must be 
greater than or equal to 70 % vol; Article 4 
A liqueur wine is obtained either: 
— by adding to one of the basic products, where appro­
priate after ageing sous voile, one of the addition 
products alone or in combination, 
— by freezing one of the basic products. 
Article 5 
The basic products used for the preparation of liqueur 
wines must: 
— comply with the definitions in Annex I to Regulation 
(EEC) No X/87 and be obtained from specific vine 
varieties selected from those listed in Article 69 of 
that Regulation, 
— have undergone, where appropriate, only the 
oenological practices referred to in Title II of and in 
Annex VI to Regulation (EEC) No X/87. However, 
with the exception of freezing and the addition of the 
products listed in Article 3 (2), all enrichment 
operations including those involving fresh grapes 
shall be prohibited. 
Article 6 
Addition products used for the preparation of liqueur 
wines must: 
— comply with the definitions laid down in Annexes I 
and II to this Regulation as regards neutral spirits of 
vinous origin and wine distillate respectively, 
— have undergone, where appropriate, only the 
oenological practices referred to in Annex VI to 
Regulation (EEC) No X/87 as regards concentrated 
grape must and grape must in fermentation obtained 
from raisined grapes. 
Article 7 
Without prejudice to any more restrictive provisions 
which the Member States may adopt for liqueur wines 
prepared within their territory, such products shall be 
authorized to undergo the oenological practices referred 
to in Annex VI to Regulation (EEC) No X/87. 
No C 87/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 2.4.87 
In addition, sweetening using concentrated grape must 
or rectified concentrated grape must shall be authorized 
provided that the increase in the total alcoholic strength 
by volume of the liqueur wine in question is not 
increased by more than 2 % vol and that the operation is 
the subject of a declaration as provided for in Article 2 
of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1618/70 O-
Article 8 
All producers of liqueur wines shall be required to 
possess a prior authorization for such activity. 
Without prejudice to Article 71 of Regulation (EEC) No 
X/87, all producers of liqueur wine shall be required to 
keep goods inwards and stock utilization registers for the 
basic and addition products listed in Article 3. 
Article 9 
Without prejudice to provisions adopted pursuant to 
Article 72 (1) of Regulation (EEC) No X/87, liqueur 
wine may only be released to the market in containers 
bearing a label on dispatch from the place of 
preparation, indicating the description of the product 
together, where applicable, with the name of the 
specified region, and under cover of commercial or 
official documents accompanying such products and 
indicating the same particulars. 
TITLE II 
Provisions on liqueur wines 
Article 10 
The list of vine varieties selected among those referred to 
in Article 69 of Regulation (EEC) No X/87 from which 
the basic products are obtained shall be adopted in 
accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 83 of 
that Regulation. 
Article 11 
The natural alcoholic strength by volume of the basic 
products used for the preparation of liqueur wines may 
not be less than 12 % vol. 
Article 12 
Without prejudice to any more restrictive provisions 
which the Member States may adopt where liqueur wines 
are prepared within their territory, the total sulphur 
dioxide content of the latter may not exceed 200 mg/1 
when they are released to the market for direct human 
consumption. 
O OJNoL 175, 8. 8. 1970, p. 17. TITLE III 
Provisions on quality liqueur wines produced in specified 
regions 
Article 13 
The operations referred to in Article 4 for the 
preparation of quality liqueur wines psr may be 
performed only within the specified region which 
produced the basic products and, where applicable, the 
concentrated grape must or the grape must in fermen­
tation obtained from raisined grapes from recognized 
vine varieties suitable for the preparation of quality 
liqueur wines psr in the specified region whose name 
they bear. 
However, for the quality liqueur wine psr designated 
port, the preparation may be carried out in a different 
delimited area from that in which the basic products 
were produced. 
Article 14 
Without prejudice to any more restrictive provisions 
which the Member States may apply as regards: 
(a) the basic products used within their territory for the 
preparation of quality liqueur wines psr, with the 
exception of quality liqueur wines psr on the list 
provided for in the third subparagraph of point 14 of 
Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No X/87 and the 
quality liqueur wines psr referred to in point 14 (a) 
and (c) of the abovementioned Annex, the natural 
alcoholic strength by volume of grape must, grape 
must in fermentation and wine may not be less than 
12 % vol; 
(b) quality liqueur wines psr: 
— the actual alcoholic strength by volume may not 
be less than 15 % vol or more than 22 % vol, 
— the total alcoholic strength by volume may not be 
less than 17,5 % vol. 
However, the minimum total alcoholic strength by 
volume may be 15 % vol for certain quality liqueur 
wines psr on a list adopted in accordance with the 
procedure laid down in Article 83 of Regulation (EEC) 
No X/87 where national laws applicable thereto before 
1 January 1985 expressly so provide. 
Article 15 
Without prejudice to any more restrictive provisions 
which the Member States may apply to quality liqueur 
wines psr prepared within their territory, the total 
sulphur dioxide content of such products may not exceed 
175 mg/1 when they are released to the market for direct 
human consumption. 
2.4.87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 87/13 
Article 16 
Quality liqueur wines psr referred to as vins doux 
naturels may be obtained only from basic products 90 % 
of which are produced from vine varieties listed in Annex 
III, with a natural alcoholic strength by volume not less 
than 14 % vol. 
Article 17 
Quality liqueur wines psr referred to as vino generoso 
may be obtained only from white grapes, aged sous voile, 
produced from vine varieties listed in Annex III and 
released to the market after they have been kept for at 
least two years in oak barrels. 
Article 18 
Quality wines psr referred to as vino generoso de licor 
may be obtained only from vino generoso to which grape 
must in fermentation obtained from raisined grapes or 
concentrated grape must has been added and which has 
been released to the market after it has been kept at least 
two years in oak barrels. 
Article 19 
In addition to the provisions provided for in this Regu­
lation, producer Member States may lay down, taking 
into account fair and traditional practices, any additional 
or stricter characteristics or conditions governing 
production, preparation, ageing and release to the 
market, for liqueur wines produced in specified regions 
as referred to in this Title and prepared within their 
territory. 
TITLE IV 
Final provisions 
Article 20 
1. The methods of analysis required for the 
application of this Regulation shall be those adopted 
pursuant to Regulation (EEC) No X/87. 2. Where no Community methods of analysis are laid 
down, the methods of analysis applicable shall be: 
(a) those set out in Annex A to the International 
Convention for the Unification of Methods for the 
Analysis and Appraisal of Wines of 13 October 1954; 
(b) or, where that Annex makes no such provision, 
methods scientifically recognized. 
Article 21 
The Member States and the Commission shall send each 
other the information required for the application of this 
Regulation. 
Article 22 
Liqueur wines whose conditions of preparation or certain 
analytical characteristics of which do not comply with 
the provisions of this Regulation but are in accordance 
with the national laws previously in force may be held 
with a view to sale, released to the market and exported 
until stocks are exhausted. 
Article 23 
Detailed rules for the application of this Regulation and 
in particular those relating to Articles 8, 10 and 14 shall 
be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down 
in Article 83 of Regulation (EEC) No X/87. 
Article 24 
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 September 
1987. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and 
directly applicable in all Member States. 
No C 87/14 Official Journal of the European Communities 2.4.87 
ANNEX I 
Characteristics of neutral spirits of vinous origin as referred to in Article 6 
1. Organoleptic characteristics 
2. Total alcoholic strength by volume 
3. Maximum residues 
— total acidity 
expressed as acetic acid g/hl alcohol at 100 % vol 
— esters 
expressed as ethyl acetate g/1 alcohol at 100 % vol 
— aldehydes 
expressed as acetaldehyde g/1 alcohol at 100 % vol 
— higher alcohols expressed as methyl-2 propanol-1 g/hl at 
100 % vol 
— methanol g/hl alcohol at 100 % vol 
— dry extract g/hl alcohol at 100 % vol 
— volatile nitrogenous bases 
expressed as nitrogen g/hl alcohol at 100 % vol 
— furfural absence of unpleasant taste 
96 % vol 
1,5 
1,3 
0,5 
0,5 
50 
1,5 
0,1 
not detectable 
ANNEX II 
Characteristics of wine distillate as referred to in Article 6 
1. Organoleptic characteristics 
2. Minimum alcoholic strength by volume 
Maximum alcoholic strength by volume 
3. Content of total volatile substances other than ethyl and 
methyl alcohol 
4. Maximum methyl alcohol content absence of unpleasant taste 
52 % vol 
80 o/o vol 
more than 200 g/hl alcohol at 
100 % vol 
1 000 g/hl alcohol at 100 % vol 
ANNEX III 
LIST OF VINE VARIETIES AS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 16 
Muscat — Grenache — Maccabeo — Malvoisie. 
LIST OF VINE VARIETIES AS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 17 
Palomino de Jerez — Palomino fino — Pedro Ximenes — Moscatel — Malvoisie.