Does any know if Memorial wines were always domestic?
This is from mad-cow.org from Sep 99
"...advocating that French wines carry labels warning of possible contamination with animal blood infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or 'mad cow' disease). BSE has been linked to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a fatal degenerative brain disorder in humans.
The senators' proposed legislation would amend the US Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to require French wines to carry a warning label saying "dried animal blood is occasionally used as a clarifying agent in French wines." However, French officials say the practice was stopped in 1997, and that all wine containing animal blood has been seized and made unavailable for export.
Both Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and BSE are thought to be caused by prions, rogue proteins that cause a gradual deterioration of brain tissue. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease begins with personality changes and difficulties with movement, and progresses to irreversible dementia."
And this, from Satya Magazine:
"Animal blood, commonly bulls’ blood, has also been used to fine wine—but this practice has fallen out of fashion, and is now outlawed in Europe due to concern over the potential transmission of mad cow disease, the human version of which—new variant Creutzfeld Jacob Disease (CJD)—is understood to be transferred through tainted animal products. (I can’t help wondering if a handful of prized vintages aged to perfection might still have the disease-causing prion lurking within the wine.) "
This article is from the Issue Nov. 03 on wine intro and can be found on line. This mag deals with vegetarianism, environmentalism, animal advocacy, and social justice.