Italy

Question 0

Economies of scale:

Answer 0

4.000 years of wine & vine
Italy is the most challenging wine country in terms of scale:
20 regions, 94 provinces, 8090 communes, 900,000 registered vineyards
Over 1,300 registered grape varieties including hundreds of indigenous varieties

Question 1

Italy’s background…

Answer 1

More wine produced and consumed than any other country
Biggest net exporter to U.S.
1.2 million growers (not all make wine)
Close proximity to the ocean
Over 80% of the land is mountainous or hilly
Dramatic range of microclimates (Alps in the north, North Africa in the South)

Question 2

Italy wine laws:

Answer 2

Current wine classifications:

• Vino da Tavola: Table wines-no restriction for grape varieties or source
• Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT): new category as of 1992 with Goria Laws. No restriction of grapes used. Springboard to DOC 175+
• Denominazione di Origin Controllata (DOC): strict regional regulations for appellation boundaries, grape varieties, yields, winemaking, aging and more. 380+
• Denominazione di Origin Controllata e Garantita (DOCG): wine must be approved by a government tasting panel. 73+

Question 3

What DOC means? Specifications…

Answer 3

Denominazione di Origin Controllata (controlled denomination of origin)

Created in 1963
Based on the French AOC laws
Created to provide much-needed structure and standards of production
Over 380+
Regional laws established to define:
Yields, grape varieties, geographical boundaries, viticultural practices and vinification techniques, alcohol levels (max/min), aging requirements

Question 4

What DOCG means? Facts…

Answer 4

Denominazione di Origin Controllata e Garantita (controlled denomination of origin and guarantee)

Created in 1984
Garantita: wines must be approved by a government tasting panel on an annual basis
Initially six DOCG’s
Now 73+

Question 5

Challenges of the DOC system:

Answer 5

Few easily identifiable wine regions (I.e. France is recognizable names and wine styles such as Bourdeaux, Burgundy, etc)
Geographical boundaries too generous - use of “Classico” term
Permitted yields too high
Prevents experimentation with viticultural techniques, new grape varieties and new wine styles.
Over-regulation created wide-scale mediocrity and the Vino da Tavola revolt.

Question 6

Goria laws:

Answer 6

Named after agricultural Minister Giovanni Goria
Enacted in 1992 to address shortcomings of the DOC system (Vino da Tavola Revolt)
Introduction of the IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica)
Producers can petition for DOC status using the IGT designation as a Springboard
“Normale vs Riserva” terminology tightened and some marginal vineyard zones eliminated
Did not addressed yield issue
Changes still in progress

Question 7

Current wine classifications:

Answer 7

There are two super classifications:
Wines with origin and wines without origin
Wines with origin:
Former VDT wines, generic (Bianco/Rosso/Rosato) or varietal wines with/without vintage
Wines without origin:
IGP (includes IGT level wines)
DOP (includes DOC/DOCG level wines)

Producer may choose what term depending on classification within “old” system; I.e. DOCG’s probably won’t use DOP, but many DOC’s/IGT’s may change over or combine with DOP