The sugar goes into the vats before or during fermentation in order to raise the alcohol level of the finished wine. This age-old winemaking practice is called chaptalization, after Napoleon's ...

Chaptalization of pre-fermented grape must came close to being banned by the European Union in 2008 as part of wider reforms in the wine industry, but remained legal, with limits set for different ...

Margaux third-growth Château Giscours will square off with Bordeaux's prosecutor in the city's criminal tribunal in June over charges of illegal chaptalization. The authorities have accused the ...