Winemaker
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Europe economic growth is stunted by massive regulations that aren't proven to stop anything. It's the way bureaucracies increase their self-importance/control of lives & demands for more spending on them. It's why so many Euros are disgruntled with the EU & their country government both. Anything "may" or "concern" is unproven.
Well, yes and no. Politically, I know what you are saying but we're not going there.
But take something like wine. European vs. US. The hardest thing about French wines to Americans is the label. European wines, especially French wines are sold strictly by the region, then domaine. One purchases a wine knowing in advance that a particular wine is made with xx grape, blended with x or y grape, grown by that vineyard, farmed by that organization, and the vintner is part of that organization. (Usually a family) And one pays a price knowing that information always, and only vintage year is different.
In the US however, strict laws regarding labels, drives wineries crazy. A xx wine from a vineyard must have minimum 75% of xx grape in it. The thought is the consumer is paying for xx wine, made with xx grapes, so they must pay xx prices for that wine. God forbid one pay too much, but wines from good wineries are blended to improve taste, not to rip folks off. For example, if my wine contains 78% Cab and 23% Malbec, I may be able to charge $78.00 bottle for it. But if I use 70% Cab and 30% Malbec, it is now a blend,and I may only be able to charge $58.00 for it, because it, by law, is now a blend. In France, unless they sell it in the States, it is still the same wine, and costs the same. I have to get my label approved before I'm allowed to stick it on a bottle, and that takes a fee and a few months time. I have to reapply for a new label approval even if all I change is the year the grapes in the wine was changed. European laws are much more relaxed in this area.
As far as additives, sulfites are added as a formula of pH content, despite there being sulfites formed during the fermentation and growing processes.
There is more sulfites in white wine to prevent browning than red wines, despite claims that one gets headaches from the sulfites in red wine. More histamines are created in red wine, which may be the root cause, unless one is not properly hydrated and drinks too much. There is more sulfites in dried fruit than we put in wine. The use of bentonite (clay dirt) as a clarifier is occasionally used, but it drops out with the dirty grape proteins that cloud a wine. Chitosan, a shellfish derivative, is used also, and it drops out too. They are natural, but they do produce a chemical effect. And if I decide to filter my wine, is that processing? If I filter to 1.8 microns, the wine is more polished, and will have no floaties in it. But if I filter to .5 microns to remove any yeast that may want to revive and create havoc, is that over processing?
I started making homebrew years ago because DW was celiac and could not imbibe in most commercial beers/ales. It was the ability to add an enzyme, Clarity-Ferm, used in Europe, to break down the protein haze, thus removing the gluten, a protein. It is not recognized by the FDA as a gluten remover. After 10 years of occasional controlled quaffing of these malted beverages, it has been quite successful, and she has not grown a third arm due to the use of this additive.
All food preservation is dependent upon some kind of additive or chemical process. Adding sugar or salt to a food is a form of preservation not only seasoning. Is the use of chemical smoke flavoring better than the use of my smoker using my hickory, apple or plum trees? The use of diluted wine that has soured from bacteria and oxygen exposure (vinegar)?
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