“DENOMINATION CONTROLS MUST BE ENTRUSTED TO ‘THIRD PARTIES’, CONSORTIUMS CANNOT BE SELF-CERTIFIED”. ITALY’S AGRICULTURE MINISTER, DE CASTRO, SPEAKS ON THE GOVERNMENT’S PRIORITIES FOR WINE

If his words are true, then there could be a revolution in the making for the certification of Italy’s denomination of origin wines. In a recent talk with www.winenews.tv, Italy’s Minister of Agriculture, Paolo De Castro, made the declaration: “Wine must have a ‘third party’ system of controls instead of self-certifications by consortiums for production certifications”. What this signifies is that the “controlled” cannot also be the “controllers”, and De Castro is now placing this issue at the top of the priority list for the Italian wine system, which the future government, whoever it may be, must confront without equivocations.
“We are now in a situation of ‘interregnum’” – explained De Castro – “but it cannot last forever, consortiums cannot be self-certified. Now, I understand that wine is particular because it does not have the ‘aircraft carrier’ dimensions of Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma but it must find some public entity, or its equivalent, that can reduce the costs of certification and ensure the verification of quality.
There is a great push for this, an open discussion with the Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry, and there are options but we must guarantee a ‘third party’ system for consumers”.