April 13/London/Daily Mail -- EU rules have forced an award-winning English wine producer to label its latest bottle of red as a “fruit-based alcoholic beverage.” Chapel Down in Kent has created the U.K.’s first ever Malbec wine with grapes imported from Argentina.

However, European guidelines state that because the grapes were not grown in the U.K., the drink cannot be called a Malbec. Instead it must be labeled a “fruit-based alcoholic beverage.”

The winery has also been told it cannot sell the 1,000 bottles of English Salute over the counter.

The chief executive of Chapel Down, Frazer Thompson, said, “This is a chance for fans of wine to get their hands on something that is genuinely unique. Unfortunately, this wine will, quite literally, be impossible to buy.

“We can only give away samples.”

Andrew Maidment, European head of wines of Argentina, said, “The wine industry is all about collaboration, but nothing like this has ever been done before.

 From the April 13, 2012, Prepared Foods’ Daily Update