Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 5
Tangling with Red Tape
Alongside spring growth I had some administrative challenges to face in our new country
famed for bureaucracy. A local winemaker was shipping a container of wine to North Amer-
ica and they had space for ten cases. We decided to take the space to ship samples to friends
and family. The winemaker gave me a list of paperwork that the importer had to have in ad-
vance.
Top of the list was the agrément that the wine was certified AOC Bergerac. We had been
sold the wine as such by the Bergerac town liquidator under the guidance of our wine spe-
cialist notaire when we bought the property. We had to have this document. I scoured the
property transaction paperwork and found nothing that matched the description. Jamie ad-
vised me to call the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de la Région de Bergerac (CIVRB),
who were responsible for things like this.
Juggling Ellie in one arm and the phone in the other I called the CIVRB. I explained my
story while trying to stop Ellie from grabbing the phone. Madame listened patiently and told
me to phone the Institut National de l'Origine et de la Qualité (INAO) Bergerac who were
responsible for managing the AOC.
Soon I was explaining my dilemma for the second time. The Madame at the INAO said she
could only give copies of agréments to the person who owned the property at the time.
'You could contact the previous owner. If they contact me I'll be able to release a copy.'
'They have moved to Spain and we don't have contact details for them,' I said. 'Anyway, the
Bergerac liquidator sold us the wine, not the previous owners. We own the wine. You must
be able to give me a copy of the document.'
Madame was kind but firm; there was no way. In any case, they only kept the last four
years of agréments . Our wine was more than four years old. My heart sank.
'You could try contacting the INAO juridique in Paris,' she threw out as a parting comment.
Perhaps this was a sinister plot to make me practise my French and to test Ellie's patience.
I gritted my teeth and called the INAO juridique to tell my tale for the third time.
'You must contact the INAO in Bergerac,' said Madame helpfully.
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