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Performing wine verification

If you are a verifier or have a wine standards management plan, you need to be familiar with the verification system established under the Wine Act 2003. This page will help both verifiers and those with wine standards management plans prepare for verification visits.

Verification scope

The ‘verification scope’ lists which Wine Act requirements verifiers need to focus on in a particular calendar year. NZFSA will set the verification scope for 2009 and 2010. After 2010, verifiers will be expected to develop and set their own scope. The verification scope must always include traceability.

Verification scope for the 2010 calendar year [PDF 15 KB]

The verifier can change the scope at any time during verification. If the verifier decides to change the scope, they must inform the winemaker of this and the reason for the change.

Verifier’s freedom and access

When the wine standards management plan operator signs their wine standards management plan outline, they give their verifier freedom and access to carry out verification functions and activities. This is detailed in clause 24 of the Wine (Specifications) Notice 2006.

Wine (Specifications) Notice 2006 [PDF 68 KB]

If the verifier is prevented from exercising these rights, they need to advise their recognised agency and NZFSA. See clause 21 of the Wine (Recognised Agencies and Persons) Notice 2007.

Wine (Recognised Agencies and Persons) Notice 2007 [PDF 65 KB]

Verifier functions and activities

Verifiers need to be familiar with the Notice of Direction under Section 57 (1) of the Wine Act 2003 for verification functions and activities. The notice of direction covers requirements for:

• the start-up (first) meeting with a new wine business

• verification outcomes including corrective action requests (CARs)

• operator right of review

• performance-based verification.

Notice of Direction under Section 57(1) of the Wine Act 2003 - (Exercise of verification functions and activities under the Wine Act 2003) [PDF 32 KB]

Start-up meeting

During the first verification visit with a new wine business there are certain things that need to be covered during the start-up meeting. You can develop your own template or use the template below.

Verification start-up meeting template [Word 72 KB]

Verification outcomes

Verifiers must assign an outcome at the end of every verification visit.

Where relevant, verifiers will need to assess whether requirements for each of following have been met:

• wine standards management plan (WSMP) requirements

• export requirements

• overseas market access requirements (OMARs).

All relevant requirements must have been met for the overall verification to be assigned an acceptable outcome.

In some cases where export requirements and OMARs are not met, but WSMP requirements have been met, it may still be possible to trade wine in New Zealand. This will however depend on the nature of the requirements that were not met. These cases will be considered on a case by case basis.

Contact NZFSA for further information.

This decision must be based on objective evidence gathered during the verification visit. There are only two options for assigning a verification outcome: acceptable or unacceptable.

Acceptable outcome

The verifier will assign an acceptable outcome to a verification visit when they are satisfied that the objective evidence gathered shows that the winemaker is meeting New Zealand regulatory requirements and relevant export requirements.

Where the verifier identifies non-compliances, they will issue a corrective action request (CAR). The verifier can still assign an acceptable outcome to that verification visit if they are satisfied that:

• the non-compliances are not critical non-compliances

• the non-compliances do not meet the criteria for an unacceptable outcome (see below).

’Acceptable outcome’ is defined in clause 4 of the Wine (Recognised Agencies and Persons) Notice 2007.

Wine (Recognised Agencies and Persons) Notice 2007

The difference between corrective action requests (CARs) and recommendations

A corrective action request is issued when the verifier identifies that the winemaker is not complying with a regulatory requirement. The corrective action request must be linked to the identified non-compliance.

A recommendation is an action that the verifier recommends to assist the wine standards management plan operator with best practice for meeting a regulatory requirement, or to make compliance easier or more efficient. A recommendation cannot be made for a non-compliance. Non-compliances are managed using CARs.

Unacceptable outcome

The verifier will assign an unacceptable outcome to a verification visit when the objective evidence gathered meets one of the following criteria:

• the winemaker has failed to identify or effectively address a ‘critical non-compliance’

• there are numerous non-compliances that collectively prevent the verifier from having confidence in the operation of the system being verified

• the required records are absent, incomplete or have been altered to a degree that prevents the verifier from having confidence in the system being verified

• the verifier determines that the wine standards management plan is no longer appropriate to the operation.

When a verifier assigns an unacceptable outcome, they must identify in the verification report which of the unacceptable outcome criteria the objective evidence meets.

’Unacceptable outcome’ is defined in clause 4 of the Wine (Recognised Agencies and Persons) Notice 2007.

Wine (Recognised Agencies and Persons) Notice 2007 [PDF 65 KB]

Critical non-compliance

The verifier will assign a critical non-compliance when the objective evidence gathered shows that a non-compliance is reasonably likely to result in one or more of the following:

• hazards in wine

• wine that has false or misleading labelling in relation to vintage, variety or area where the grapes were grown

• jeopardising overseas market access.

All critical non-compliances must be reported to NZFSA within 24 hours of the verification visit.
See the ‘Critical non-compliance reports’ section in the link below.

Reporting requirements

Reporting requirements

There are reporting requirements that recognised agencies and recognised persons need to be familiar with.

Reporting requirements

Performance based verification

Verifications are scheduled in accordance with the Notice of Direction (see below). However exporters are required to have verifications every year.

Notice of Direction under Section 57(1) of the Wine Act 2003 - (Exercise of verification functions and activities under the Wine Act 2003) [PDF 32 KB]

Verifier guidance

NZFSA has developed guidance in response to queries from verifiers, recognised agencies and winemakers, made during workshops, teleconferences, phone calls and emails.

Verifier guidance

Wine verification community

There is now a password-protected 'wine verification community' on the web for all wine verifiers (recognised persons under the Wine Act 2003).

The wine verification community features:

• Questions and answers – answers to your verification questions

• News – brief updates on verification issues and changes to legislation

• Events – a list of dates for teleconferences, workshops and meetings.

To access the wine verification community contact NZFSA on the email below.

Contact for verification enquiries

wine.query@nzfsa.govt.nz

Related links

• Documents for verifiers

Updated 16 November 2009