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The Political and Economic History of Vineyard Planting Rights in Europe: From Montesquieu to the European Union

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  • Meloni, Giulia
  • Swinnen, Johan

Abstract

In 2008, the European Union (EU) voted to liberalize its system of planting rights, which has strictly regulated vine plantings in the EU. However, after an intense lobbying campaign, the liberalization of the planting rights system was overturned in 2013, and new regulations could create an even more restrictive system. European wine associations have complained about the detrimental effects of the new regulations. There is a precedent in history. In 1726, the French political philosopher and landowner Montesquieu complained to the French king about the prohibition on planting new vines. Montesquieu was not successful in his demands to remove the system of planting rights. Old and recent history suggests that political forces against liberalization of planting rights are very strong. Only the French Revolution in 1789 led to a fundamental liberalization of planting rights. The “liberal period” of the nineteenth century was sustained by the combination of the French Revolution's liberal ideology, the thirst of Napoleon's armies for wine, and diseases that wiped out most of the French vineyards. That said, in the past and the present, enforcement of planting rights is a major problem. In fact, despite the official restrictions, Montesquieu managed to plant his vines, allowing him to become a successful wine producer and merchant, to travel, and to spend time thinking, discussing, and ultimately writing up his ideas that influenced much of the Western world's constitutions. (JEL Classifications: K23, L51, N43, N54, Q18)

Suggested Citation

  • Meloni, Giulia & Swinnen, Johan, 2016. "The Political and Economic History of Vineyard Planting Rights in Europe: From Montesquieu to the European Union," Journal of Wine Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 11(3), pages 379-413, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:jwecon:v:11:y:2016:i:03:p:379-413_00
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. repec:lic:licosd:38617 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Martinho, Vítor João Pereira Domingues, 2019. "Historical records of wine: Highlighting the old wine world," EconStor Preprints 193461, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    3. Cockx, Lara & Meloni, Giulia & Swinnen, Johan, 2021. "The Water of Life and Death: A Brief Economic History of Spirits," Journal of Wine Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(4), pages 355-399, November.
    4. Julian M. Alston & Davide Gaeta, 2021. "Reflections on the Political Economy of European Wine Appellations," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 7(2), pages 219-258, July.
    5. repec:lic:licosd:41719 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Giulia Meloni & Johan Swinnen, 2022. "Globalization and political economy of food policies: Insights from planting restrictions in colonial wine markets," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(2), pages 766-787, June.
    7. Stéphane Becuwe & Bertrand Blancheton & Samuel Maveyraud, 2022. "New evidence on wine in French international trade (1848–1913): Import discrimination as export quality promotion," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 75(4), pages 1242-1269, November.
    8. Meloni, Giulia & Swinnen, Johan, 2017. "Standards, Tariffs And Trade: The Rise And Fall Of The Raisin Trade Between Greece And France In The Late 19th Century And The Definition Of Wine," Working Papers 253853, American Association of Wine Economists.
    9. Meloni, Giulia & Swinnen, Johan, 2018. "Trade and terroir. The political economy of the world’s first geographical indications," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1-20.
    10. Eugenio Pomarici & Roberta Sardone, 2020. "EU wine policy in the framework of the CAP: post-2020 challenges," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 8(1), pages 1-40, December.
    11. repec:lic:licosd:42521 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Giulia Meloni & Kym Anderson & Koen Deconinck & Johan Swinnen, 2019. "Wine Regulations," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(4), pages 620-649, December.
    13. Paola Corsinovi & Davide Gaeta, 2017. "European Wine Policies and their consequences on the global wine trade," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 19(1), pages 59-88.
    14. repec:lic:licosd:40018 is not listed on IDEAS

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • K23 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Regulated Industries and Administrative Law
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • N43 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N54 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - Europe: 1913-
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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