"SUSTAINABILITY. NOW WE NEED ONE CLEAR AND DETAILED DOCUMENT THAT UNITES THE EXPERIENCES OF MAGIS, TERGEO AND VIVA, SAID PROFESSOR ATTILIO SCIENZA. AND MAGIS PUTS IT ON LABELS.

If there is one word that narrates Italian wine today it is "sustainability". But, there are too many projects that guarantee respect for the environment of wine farms, so “the goal, now”, as Professor Attilio Scienza, leading expert in the wine world, explained to WineNews, “is to arrive at a single protocol. This is the direction to follow. We must create a system expressing different experiences, such as Magis, Tergeo, Viva and others, who are seeking shared and shareable regulations, in order to propose a unified and comprehensive protocol for both the producer and the consumer”.
Otherwise, the consumer is confused and doesn’t know whom to believe, "because they are all very similar projects going in the same direction, which is to reduce chemical impact”. Among these, perhaps the best known is Magis (Bayer Crop Science), which will now indicate it also on labels, distinguishing "three prerequisites - putting research and production into contact, creating a network of producers (Zonin, Fratelli Muratori, Tenuta San Felice Rapitalà, ndr) and finally, the tools used, Magis has always focused on precision viticulture”.
This theme was discussed at Simei in Milan, until November 16th (www.simei.it), during the conference "Magis certifies Sustainable Italian wine (www.magis.it), conducted by the Rai TV journalist Anna Scafuri and attended by Domenico Zonin (Italian Wine Union), Maurizio Martina (secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture), Professor Attilio Scienza, University of Milan, Emilio Defilippi (Assoenologi), Massimo Berlin (DNV Business Assurance in Italy), Silvio Cittar (Bayer CropScience) and Henri Giraud (JWT). After years of work and improvement, 14 Italian wineries received the Magis certification and 5 more of the 140 members will be receiving it shortly. Their certified wines will be able to use the brand Magis on the bottles because they are produced in full compliance with one of the most advanced protocols in the world, which provides vineyard management according to innovative techniques of precision agriculture and where every action is carefully measured, monitored and tracked, to create responsible and transparent production verified by an independent certification organization.
"Communicating the quality of a wine is no longer enough today”, said Roberto Rabachino, President Press Association Agribusiness and Italian ambassador and representative of the International Federation of the Italian Sommelier Association of Hoteliers and Restaurateurs, “and wine tasting must take a step ahead to become an even more enjoyable and relaxing moment that testifies the value of responsible wine producers".
Magis certifies a "how to" founded on certain principles - respect for the land, for the customer and for the consumer, "continue doing better" as a vocation and ethical model of in depth and detailed knowledge of raw materials and the production process. Buying a bottle of these wines is a Magis guarantee of sustainability, transparency and credibility, thanks to the Scientific Committee composed of leading Universities, research centers, associations and private companies and chaired by Attilio Scienza, University of Milan.
"One of Magis’ founding principles is precision agriculture”, said Scienza, “that is, to do only what needs to be done, and where and when it is needed, thereby improving the sustainability of viticulture and the healthiness of wine. This does not mean "organic" but "doing" and producing a respectful and balanced sense of proportion as well as collaboration among producers, engineers and researchers. "The Magis protocol provides a true practical guide for sustainable vineyard management, in line with integrated regional production and with European and national regulations. It is in constant flux, and is updated by the Scientific-Technical Committee with innovations from research and experience of the best companies and the best Italian wines.
"Our total alliance with Magis”, says Emilio Defilippi, producer and vice president of the Association of Italian Wine technology and wine making, “stems from the fact that this way of making wine notably reduces each operation to a minimum, while maintaining the quality and uniqueness of each wine. It is a reliable and competent "supervisor" with a sense of proportion, which ensures the quality and value of the wine".

Focus - The Magis protocol for sustainable wine
Every Italian winemaker knows how much pleasure it brings him knowing his wine is on the tables around the world, and the demonstration is the record Italy achieved this year domestically and globally. It takes commitment, passion and attention to doing everything well from the vineyard to the bottle, to reach this goal, because there is much more than meets the eye in a glass of wine. There is respect for the land, quality of the ingredients, the care. These are the principles in the Magis protocol for sustainable wine, which is now also on the labels of the top 18 companies, and in the coming months on those of all the other wineries that have participated in the project (more than 140).
"I am proud of receiving this recognition today”, said Karina von Detten, CEO of Bayer CropScience in Italy, “that goes to all our employees because they believed in and actively supported with Magis’ other partners, over the past 5 years, the growth a project that starting today with the certification of the first wines is destined to become an emblem of sustainability and of doing more, better and better, as a vocation and ethical model of reference".

MAGIS PARTNERS
Magis was founded in 2009 by a small group of partners in the wine sector and public-private partnerships and now involves players at the highest level, each for specific areas: University of Milan (Di. Pro Ve.) - Vineyard management Universities of Turin (Diafa) and Florence (DEISTAF) - management of distribution equipment Institute of Sciences of Food Production CNR - management and ochratoxins risk analysis Italian Winemakers Association Enotecnici - winemaking techniques, sensory analysis Ager – Precision viticulture Bayer CropScience - food chain partnership Image Line - Platform It New Holland – vineyard equipment Kuhn - vineyard equipment Nobili - vineyard equipment Spektra Agri – Precision viticulture To date, more than 140 wineries have adhered to the Protocol