1927 Loi Capus Hybrid Act
Definition - What does 1927 Loi Capus Hybrid Act mean?
The 1927 Loi Capus Hybrid Act defined the criteria for the use of the labeling description of "Origin of the Appellation" in France. The law stated that vines and the wines they produced had to be grown according to local and traditional customs and methods in addition to a specific geographical region. The purpose of the law was to restrict the use of hybrids, which had become popular after the Great French Wine Blight, but was still considered to be a controversial vineyard practice.
WineFrog explains 1927 Loi Capus Hybrid Act
During the early part of the 20th Century, France was still struggling to overcome the damage done during the Great French Wine Blight. While many vineyards had been successful using hybrids and disease-resistant rootstock, these practices were not embraced by all vineyards and wine makers. The 1927 Loi Capus Hybrid Act was an attempt to bring minimum standards to the French wine industry, specifically on wines labelled with an "Appellation d'Origine" tag. The law stated that the grapes had to be grown within a specific geographical area within the region and using traditional and customary viticulture practices. As the use of hybrids was relatively new, the law was written so that vineyards and winemakers who used hybrids would not be able to use the Appellation d'Origine designation. However, the law was flawed and the use of hybrids became prolific and standard in French vineyards; as compliance was difficult to determine, the Act was later overturned.
