(Decanter) - Appellations can force wine producers to pay membership fees, a French court has ruled. In an important test case that will have an impact across France, the Constitutional Council in Paris has ruled that it is legal for syndicates, or growers' organisations, to make membership payments mandatory. The decision has a direct impact on the case brought against the Bordeaux Wine Bureau (CIVB) in December 2010 by a group of winemakers who were withholding their contributions, citing mismanagement and lack of transparency.