Sherry claims first .wine domain

Sherry Wines has become the first company in the world to operate a .wine domain name, the trade body has said.

Sherry Wines is the governing body for wine in the Jerez region of Spain (Photo: Sherry Wines)

Previously using the sherry.org website, Sherry Wines’ new sherry.wine domain is the first of its kind to be used by any company or brand.

The .wine domain name has caused controversy for a number of years, with critics arguing that companies could use it to bypass legal restrictions on terms like “Champagne”.

Cesar Saldaña, general manager of the Sherry Wine Council said: “The new website domain sherry.wine offers a perfect synergy with the recent rebranding of the Sherry Wines website.

“It makes sense to finish the year with yet more innovation, as the first wine region to use the .wine domain.”

Sherry.wine will publish interviews, events, recipes and news in English, Spanish, German and Dutch.

The first .wine website (www.wine) was registered on 9 November 2015, but Sherry Wines is the first company to embrace the controversial domain.

After the domain became available in 2012, the governments of Spain, Switzerland, Italy, France and the UK complained, worrying about safeguarding the reputations of their brands.

In 2013, the European Federation of Origin Wines issued a statement, claiming the .wine domain would allow companies to bypass legal restrictions on using region-specific terms like “Champagne” and “Tequila”.

The new Sherry Wine website features sections written by industry insiders, as well as user-generated content from top sommeliers and chefs.