Activities and Services
The activities of the Consortium
Protection and registration of collective trademarks, market surveillance activities
The Consortium is the owner of the controls of the products sold on the market: it takes samples of wines on the market and verifies their actual correspondence, including analytical, with the requirements established by the respective production regulations.
Faced with the numerous attempts of plagiarism and usurpation of protected wine names that have occurred in recent years, at the beginning of 2008 the Consortium launched, with the support of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, a process aimed at creating a safeguard system legally flawless denominations even at the international level. The final stage of this process is the registration of Barolo and Barbaresco as collective business brands in many countries around the world.
Management of Denominations
The Consortium carries out a careful work of regulatory adaptation to the needs of producers, requiring laws to support the protection and origin of wines and proposing any changes to the Regulations. In collaboration with Universities and Research Institutes, the Consortium is engaged in studies and experiments both in the viticultural and in the oenological field.
The management also concerns the assessment of any changes to the yields in the vineyard or the suitability of individual vintages as well as the delimitation of areas affected by atmospheric events such as hail. These actions are carried out in agreement with the Piedmont Region which can issue the necessary regulatory decrees. On the occasion of the harvest and in collaboration with other Professional Bodies such as the ‘Vignaioli Piemontesi’, a precise work is carried out to control the ripeness of the grapes, helping producers in their choices and helping to maintain an archive of historical information important for knowledge of the sector. Another operational area of great importance concerns the definition and delimitation of the production areas that are narrower than the Denomination (the Additional Geographical Mentions, the MGAs).
Collection of data, prices and market statistics and assistance to associated companies
This action is carried out through the data provided by the Certification Body-Valoritalia and involves a periodic publication in favor of companies and the generalist and specialized press. The prices of the bulk market are assessed by a special Council of the Chamber of Commerce and by the surveyors of the Ismea (Institute of Statistics). The punctual data collection allows, in fact, an indispensable support in the choice of the most appropriate strategies to be adopted in terms of management of denominations and promotion. The Consortium also offers a support service to members in the field of wine legislation, from the vineyard to the bottle, regarding the regulatory obligations that wineries must face and in promptly communicating any changes.
Promotion
The Consortium provides information and material to Italian and foreign journalists, sector opinion leaders, institutions and consumers.
Also through collaboration with other entities, the Consortium organizes numerous promotional initiatives and events.
The Consortium collaborates with various technical partners such as Enocontrol and Valoritalia to guarantee 360° advice.
Enocontrol – Chemical-physical analysis laboratory
Enocontrol is a chemical-physical and sensorial analysis laboratory, research, technical assistance for wine production and development of the self-control and hygiene system of food production processes (HACCP). Its role is to carry out analyzes on grapes, must and wine, at the service of producers and quality.
Valoritalia – Certification of Denominations
The Denominations are subject to a ministerial control system which, through the mechanism of numbered strips printed by the State Printing Office, guarantees consumers the traceability of the products. The actors participating in these activities are the Province of Cuneo (which issues the authorizations for the planting of vineyards and relative registration in the Company File at the Piedmont Region), the chosen Certification Body which is currently Valoritalia which avails itself of the collaboration of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture for the performance of the Tasting Commissions.