ICANN’s New gTLD Program Committee (NGPC) has again deferred consideration of the applications for <.wine> and <.vin>, in response to concerns raised by the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) and vigorous objections from the wine industry.

According to the NGPC decision, ICANN has deferred contracting for the <.wine> and <.vin> gTLDs “in order to provide additional time for the relevant impacted parties to negotiate, which they are encouraged to do”.

In addition, the NGPC recommends that the full Board of ICANN “consider the larger implications of legally complex and politically sensitive issues such as those raised by GACmembers, including whether ICANN is the proper venue in which to resolve these issues, or whether there are venues or forums better suited to address concerns such as those raised by GAC members in relation to the .WINE and .VIN applications”.