Still in the vein of resuming old editorials that seem very relevant to me and at a time when so many are enjoying their vacations and there is not much striking news in the wine world, I repost this.
One of the most frequent discussions in the world of wine, but also in the world of food products, is whether origin should count more, and therefore all controlled or protected appellations, or the production process. The first position, the one in favor of the origin of the various products, is supported mainly by countries that have a tradition in this regard.
France and Italy above all, partly Spain, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Nations that defend the uniqueness of their agribusiness with a system of protected designations and related legislation designed to defend them but also to regulate them. The second position, on the other hand, is the prerogative of those states that, advocating a more liberalist principle of competition, argue that if a production process is able to yield similar results in the form of quality and recognizability, then designations are nothing more than position rents and market disruptions.
Positions quite common in Britain, the United States, Australia, and now in China as well.
If you want to protect something, but as a work of the intellect, then you have to register trademarks, other than names.
And when does a wine resemble a DOP?
And if I were able to make a red wine from Nebbiolo grapes, aging it three years in wood and bottles, and a qualified commission could not distinguish it from a Barolo Docg, why should I not have the right to call it Barolo for all intents and purposes? Such reasoning, which makes one cringe at us, is far more common than one might think in several countries around the world, which also happen to be the largest markets for our food exports, wines in primis.
Questo significa principalmente due cose.
The uniqueness of the designation of origin
The first is that we need to make it clear why a designation of origin truly enshrines the uniqueness of a product, through effective and technically unassailable communication.
La seconda è che sui disciplinari di produzione non si può scherzare, e che devono essere strictly adhered to.
Passi per l’eventuale rendita di posizione, ci potrebbero dire, ma almeno rispettate le regole che vi siete dati per poterne usufruire.
E questa è una cosa che, almeno in Italia, non sempre è chiara a tutti come dovrebbe.
Therefore, I really believe that those who produce quality wines or foods, protected by specifications, regulated by laws, even if they consider them inadequate, perfectible or, on the contrary, excessive, have first of all the duty to respect them, on pain of destroying a system granting merits, bringing everyone back on an equal footing resulting in a collapse of agricultural income.
Something it would be foolish to wish for.
