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HISTORY
That prompted, as a result of a study by a distinguished professor from Buenos Aires, Dr. Pedro Arata, the sanction in 1893 of the first Law of wines, of his authorship. In Mendoza, because of the impulse given by Emilio Civit, a similar decree was issued
in 1898.These were designed to protect the genuine product, defining wine for the first time, as the result of the fermentation of the juice of fresh grapes, and anticipating that the process of adding sugar or alcohol needed to be advertised on the label in order to avoid deceiving consumers.
In 1904, due to the spread in Buenos Aires, of wines prepared
from dried grapes, the second Law was enacted, written by the
prominent lawyer Julian Barraquero. It was declared an
artificial beverage any of which substances were added, and
which still remain natural in genuine wines, may it alter its
composition or cause an imbalance in the relationship of the
components of the original wine.
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The problem of
surplus wine arose due to the difficult overall economic
situation in the late nineteenth century. That was when the
province of Mendoza established the regulatory laws in 1914 and 1915,
in order to eliminate the surplus, creating the Wine Society of
Mendoza to buy the surplus fruit.
The problem of surplus continued and worsened with the global
crisis of 1930. To tackle the problem Wine
Defence Commission, which suggested that the Wine Society of
Mendoza and Wine Association of San Juan, as large cooperatives
should bring together all the producers, and they should defend
the production, lower retail prices, create stock to be aged,
and build wineries for winemakers who could not afford building
one. The experience could not be concretised. The Nation passed
two laws creating the Wine Regulatory Board, the first
authorized organism to buy surplus, and then to acquire land in
production and destine them to other uses.
In the decade of 1940-50, there is
a new situation. Due to internal and external immigration, the
big cities grow, a light industry starts to develop and the
wages increase their participation nationwide. A massive
production of regular varieties begins to develop and the
installation of fractionation plants in the centres of
consumption. This way, there begins a model of winemaking
divided between vineyard owners, winemakers and bottlers.
The wine industry in the 60s, again seeking to ensure the
quality of their wines through the adoption of a comprehensive
law - Act 14,878 - which provides severe penalties for forgery
and the creation of a specialized agency, the National Institute
of Viniculture. The latter should inspect and provide the
development and refinement of production, industry and commerce
of wine, whose expansion in no case could be restricted or
regulated.
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