The European Commission is the executive arm of EU and was going to vote on June 16th on the proposal for allowing production of Rose by blending red wine and white wine, as is the practice in many New World countries like Australia and South Africa. "It's important that we listen to our producers when they are concerned about changes to the regulations," EU Agriculture Commissioner Marianne Fischer Boel said in a statement, reported by AFP.
"It's become clear over recent weeks that a majority in our wine sector believe that ending the ban on blending could undermine the image of traditional rose.
Winegrowers fear such a move could lead to thousands of job losses and endanger their traditional rose, made by the more time-consuming method of leaving crushed red wine grapes to soak with their juice.
Italian Agriculture Minister Luca Zaia declared that "tradition has prevailed. "He said "that's the Europe we want, founded on respect for identity, quality, food security and tradition."
He said: "The cancellation of a reform that would have meant the death of a product with a great history ... was above all secured by the intervention of France and Italy, two countries united by a common passion for wine and the culture that is attached to it."
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