The definition of wine such as we know it today is based on concepts such as “natural product”, “agricultural produce” which, far from being common knowledge, constitute the result of a long process of negotiations between professional associations and public administrations. Indeed, the problem of the falsification of wine arises with force at the turn of the century in response to a complex process, namely: the phylloxera crisis, the urban development, the entry of chemistry in the agribusiness and the rise of state intervention on the economy. The paper examines the reactions of the main economic actors and administrations as well as the definition of standards and rules concerning wine, to begin with the “special laws” (1889-1904) up to the general law on the frauds and falsifications of 1905. These rules discipline the circulation of economic information and as such they reflect the link between technical progress and market regulation.