Valoritalia: 'There are too many wine DOCs, we need alliances to grow'
According to the certifying body, out of 219 denominations, the top 40 account for 95 per cent of the bottles, while the bottom 139 together barely account for 1.4 per cent: difficult to protect and enhance them all
3' min read
3' min read
It is easy to say quality. The universe of designations of origin has represented the lintel of Italian wine development over the last 30 years and has marked the transition from an undifferentiated production of dubious quality (just remember the methanol scandal) to one of certified quality and anchored to the production territories. A successful strategy even if with some imbalances.
In fact, the IGT, DOC and DOCG labels are not enough to shine on the markets, and alongside not a few virtuous examples there are many others of little significance as well as denominations that, in fact, exist only on paper. While, perhaps, hidden in the folds of this variegated reality are margins for future development for the entire Italian wine sector, which can receive a new boost from the valorisation of brands and production areas that are today marginal.
This was discussed at the presentation of the Annual Report of Valoritalia, the reference body in Italy for the certification of IGT, DOC and DOCG wines, which certifies 219 denominations (out of a total of 526) equal to 56% of production for more than 2 billion bottles and a turnover of 9.23 billion euro.
According to data from the report of the 219 denominations certified by Valoritalia,the top 20 represent 86% of the bottles, the top 40 almost 95% while the bottom 139 together barely reach 1.4 per cent. Data even more eloquent when referring to values: only 12% of certified companies exceed 50 million in turnover while the remainder barely exceed one million.
"The high number of denominations," commented the president of Valoritalia, Francesco Liantonio, "if it is a strength in terms of the variety of the offer, it is also a structural limitation if we do not consider the organisational and dimensional aspects linked to the representation of the consortia. A limited size means a limited capacity for a protection body to perform the fundamental functions of protection, promotion and valorisation'.
