The reputation of French wine rightly assures French and foreign consumers that the products put on the market comply with the specific rules of the industry. This is why the entire production chain, up to distribution, is controlled several times a year by agents of the General Directorate of Competition, Consumption, and Fraud Control (GDCCFC).

Is the labelling compliant? Does it contain all the mandatory information?

Are the claims mentioned true (PDO, organic, barrel-aged, bottled at the property…)?

Are the wines presented in a way that does not mislead the consumer?

All these questions are part of the investigations carried out by the GDCCFC agents during controls to ensure the fairness of the products and the information provided to consumers.

More than 3,600 inspections of wine producers or traders were carried out last year, and the industry is generally in compliance with regulatory requirements. However, anomalies are sometimes observed. These include, among others, the lack of record keeping ensuring proper traceability, and therefore the origin of products or errors or deception in the labelling.

The same applies to the various points of sale (cafés, hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, Internet sites, etc.) which must meet the same requirements. Nevertheless, consumer information is lacking: lack of certain mandatory information, no reminder of the legal 14-day withdrawal period, no information on the possibility of objecting to marketing or legal guarantees, no contact information for a consumer ombudsman.

These random controls make it possible to prevent serious fraud, and in particular the falsification of wines by the use of prohibited products or by the implementation of illicit blends.