Brunello di Montalcino: Established the 'Guarantee Board' and Other Unprecedented Control Measures
Staff Writer – June 6, 2008
On May 30, 2008, the Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino (Consortium of the Brunello di Montalcino Wine) distributed a press release stating that a large majority of Brunello producers voted in favor of the introduction of analytical technologies and methods to guarantee the integrity of the best known Italian DOCG red wines.
Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
The decision to introduce for the first time ever in Italy analytical control methods was taken in agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Chamber of Commerce of Siena. Along with the Consortium of the Brunello di Montalcino, both offices will provide one representative each for the three-member 'Guarantee Board', another new entity which will define the analytical parameters and tools to guarantee the exclusive use of the Sangiovese grape in the making of the wine, as required by the disciplinare (production rules)".
The press release by Barabino & Partners, further explains that the 'Guarantee Board' will consult with specialist technicians of international renown in the enology, biology, and agriculture sectors. This pragmatic solution was reached in a meeting between representatives of the Consortium of the Brunello and the Italian government, organized by the undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Antonio Bonfiglio.
The document states that the decision made during the Consortium's assembly confirms the desire to respect the production rules for the DOCG, especially with the introduction of the best and most innovative control tools and procedures offered by the scientific world. The goal is to guarantee four top priorities, among others:
- Purity of Sangiovese Grosso grapes in Brunello DOCG wines.
- Standardization of winemaking techniques, from the vineyards to production process at the wineries.
- Traditional ageing in wood.
- Guarantee the territorial typicity and origin of the wine.
The assembly of the Consortium of the Brunello di Montalcino believes that the current decision is in part the response to the requests made by the US's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), thus ensuring that the 2003 vintage of Brunello will continue to be imported and distributed in the US.
 Count Francesco Marone Cinzano, prseident of the
Consortium of the Brunello di Montalcino Wine
At the assembly, the president of the Consortium, Francesco Marone Cinzano, declared that the threat of restrictive import measures to the United States for the Brunello will be discussed in a meeting in Siena with a TTB delegation the week starting June 8th.
"By adopting analytical methods as a guarantee," said Francesco Marone Cinzano, adding that this could actually set the standard for the certification guidelines of all Italian wines, the "Brunello di Montalcino and its producers have once again, created another 'first' in the legislation of Italian viticulture."
The producers of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG have given life to many other 'firsts' in Italy, from obtaining the limitation of territory of production by the state government in the 1930's; to the introduction of the first Italian DOC disciplinare in 1966, the DOCG denomination in 1980; the introduction of a one-to-five-star rating criteria for the evaluation of vintage quality in 1992; and the registration of the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG denomination as a commercial brand in 1994.
Besides the grave problems that have recently disrupted the rarefied world of this noble wine, on the business front there is good news. The sales up to May 2008 are estimated at around 4,980,000 bottles, marking a 74% increase over the same period in 2007, when sales peaked at 2,860,000 bottles. This is a testimony to the growing success of this exceptional wine, whose image will hopefully not be tarnished by the recent legal scandal.
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