Procedure and technical criteria applicable to certification
Article 12
1. The procedure for the certification, approval and verification of wine without a PDO or PGI pursuant to Article 120(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 shall require administrative evidence to support the veracity of the wine grape variety(-ies) or the vintage year shown on the label or conveyed in the presentation of the wines concerned. In addition, Member States may decide on: (a) an organoleptic test of the wine relating to the odour and the taste with the view to verifying that the essential characteristic of the wine is due to the wine grape variety or varieties used on anonymous samples; (b) an analytical test in case of a wine made from a single wine grape variety. The procedure shall be carried out in the Member State in which the wine is produced. In case of mixtures of wines from different Member States as referred to in Article 120(2)(c) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, certification may be carried out by any of the Member States concerned. 2. The certification shall be carried out through random and risk based checks, in accordance with Articles 36 and 37 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/273 and Chapter VI of this Regulation. The costs of the certification shall be borne by the operators subject to it, save where Member States decide otherwise. 3. The operators involved in the marketing of wine products produced, processed or bottled by them shall be recognised and receive a permit from the competent authorities of the Member States to certify the origin or provenance, the characteristics, the vintage or the wine grape variety(-ies) in accordance with Articles 11 and 12 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/273, under supervision of the competent authorities designated in accordance with Article 146 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.