According to one U.S. trade official, who asked to remain anonymous, this subset of U.S. wine producers has chosen to focus on geography-based property rights for their wine rather than trademark protection for their brands. He said the difference in the two approaches basically falls to who pays. Under a European-style geographic indication system, the government bears responsibility for enforcing place names. Under the U.S.-style trademark system, the cost falls to individual producers.
Joe Rollo, international director for the Wine Institute, a major U.S. industry group, said he is satisfied with the current U.S. approach to protecting wine producers' rights. "The U.S. has a robust regulatory system when it comes to protecting appellations and origins," he said.
The group lobbying Washington this week says it does not expect any direct action now, but it wants to make sure ongoing talks on EU-U.S. wine trade don't drag on for years. The group also includes producers from smaller, emerging wine regions, like Paso Robles in California. California represents 90 percent of U.S. wine production.
In 2006, the United States imported $4.2 billion in wine, mostly from Europe, and exported just $876 million.