FRENCH AUTHORITIES TO BAN OAK CHIPS

France's National Appellations Institute (INAO) said it had proposed a law to allow the country's Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) regions to ban or limit the use of oak wood chips in wine. Although the practice was approved by the European Commission, the INAO remains concerned that using oak chips may damage the quality of wine in higher quality appellations. The decision from INAO has left some in the French wine industry a bit apprehensive as the country continues to struggle