Mas que nada, that is, better than nothing. We refer to the DOC system, which may be imperfect, but it protects the interest of consumers as well as competition among producers.
“The system of wine rules has existed for more than half a century, and it just so happens that it was been in place during the most incredible expansion of creativity and market in the history of Italian wine. Ergo, non ha penalizzato una cippa di nulla. A volte bisognerebbe stare attenti all’eterogenesi dei fini, la libertà assoluta è una bellissima utopia che però ha un problemino, piccolo piccolo, giusto un cincillino, lascia campo liberissimo ai furbi. Le pare che in Italia ce ne siano pochi? “
This reasoning, with which I agree 100%, he published on Intravino Stefano Cinelli Colombini, well-known producer of Brunello di Montalcino, responding to those who argued for a liberalization of wine naming systems in Italy. Cages that were too tight and did not allow producers to be able to experiment and look to the future.
A world without Doc
In my opinion, however, Cinelli Colombini is absolutely right, and I would also like to elaborate on this issue. Let’s assume that the system of Doc (which, I recall, are shared specifications in the EU and also recognized in many countries outside Europe) were dismantled, what would be the effects?
First of all, that the power of the brand, of the “brand,” would become much more important and decisive. Chi se ne gioverebbe? Ovviamente chi ha la forza e la possibilità di utilizzarlo in modo efficace, cioè le aziende più grandi, in Italia e soprattutto nel mondo. Penso a Gallo, Constellation, Beringer & Blaas, Penfold’s, che già lo fanno benissimo e che non avrebbero più la concorrenza di Doc e Aoc, utilizzate come biglietto da visita da centinaia di migliaia di cantine medie e piccole. Poi sarebbe un “liberi tutti” che qualcuno utilizzerebbe in modo sensato, molti altri invece no, proprio come sostiene Cinelli Colombini.
Without rules, no controls
In addition, product specifications, which are laws of the state, contain rules and therefore allow for the controls by the public agencies that have to do them. Nas, Guardia di Finanza, Carabinieri Forestali, Asl, just to name a few. Without productive protocols, without rules, controls would be impossible because they would lack the basis on which to carry them out.
It is not only about protecting competition among producers, but also the interest of consumers, which is generally not considered enough, in my opinion. Then, it is true, many specifications are not so effective, they are certainly the result of compromises between the sometimes conflicting interests between winemakers and bottlers, they have too wide or obsolete meshes. All true, but, as the great Sergio Mendes sang, ” mas que nada” (“better than nothing”).
