LATEST NEWS: THE VALPOLICELLA WINES CONSORTIUM HAS WITHDRAWN IMMEDIATE PROCEEDINGS REQUEST BANNING THE AMARONE FAMILIES FROM USING THE AMARONE BRAND NAME. FINAL JUDGEMENT WILL END THE DISPUTE BY END 2016

The first important step in the legal dispute between the Consortium of Valpolicella Wines and the Amarone Families was taken at the Court of Companies in Venice recently. The first part of two judgments – the immediate legal proceedings that would have prohibited the Amarone families (the association of 12 Amarone companies: Allegrini, Begali, Brigaldara, Guerrieri Rizzardi, Masi Agricola, Musella, Speri, Tedeschi, Tenuta Sant'Antonio, Tommasi, Venturini and Zenato) from using the term Amarone, has been withdrawn.

The immediate legal proceedings would have triggered the precautionary measure of prohibiting the "improper" use of the term Amarone by the Amarone Families, and would have resulted in lengthening the time for a decisive judgment. Further, in case the judge’s decision was positive, it would have caused significant business problems for companies that adhere to the Amarone Families. Basically, now the judge will have to decide on only one procedure, so it should take less time. The final judgment that will put an end to the dispute is expected by end 2016, while a hearing for filing exceptions has been set up on July 13th.
The international case, however, is still open, due to the attempt of the Art of Amarone Families to register the trademark "Amarone Families" with EU Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market – OHIM that the Consortium has opposed, and for which new developments are expected in late March.