Consorzio Valpolicella, promotion and protection activities grow, while planning for the future

Promotion on markets in Italy and around the world plus trademark protection are more and more fundamental for the growth of Italian wine businesses, which are now the two most consistent negotiation areas of the Consortia that supervise all of the main Italian wine denominations. And, Vini della Valpolicella is of course no exception, as it protects one of the most famous territories as well as some of the best-known and most successful Italian wines in the world. These are the two main expenditure items in the 2018 budget of 2.1 million euros in turnover, approved in the last few days.
The numbers confirm exactly how important actions to combat counterfeiting are. Thanks to the partnership between the Consorzio and ICQRF, 150 admonitions have been issued around the world, which are the result of actions combatting online fakes. The Consortium explained that over the last three years, 36 cases were pursued legally (16 still in progress) of which more than half were related to Amarone and about 42% between Valpolicella Ripasso and Valpolicella DOC in the main outlet, third party and community markets. The Valpolicella brand has been the main protagonist for promotion abroad in 9 countries and the Consortium has organized 15 workshops in Germany, the USA, England, Hong Kong, Canada, Poland, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Switzerland.
“The 2018 budget”, said the director of Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella, Olga Bussinello, “on the one hand certifies a further improvement of the its structural strength, on the other, it shows better efficiency in the management of credits and liquidity against the investments that have been made for the new headquarters, which today is also a place of wine culture and knowledge for wine lovers and international professionals with Valpolicella Wine Planet. It is a multi-sensory concept in a 200 square meter space at Villa Brenzoni Bassani”, the director concluded, “and is now a permanent area also to train Wine Specialists in the VEP, Valpolicella Education Program”.

In the meantime, the Consortium is also looking towards the future of wine in the vineyard and the cellar. The assembly has already ratified board resolutions aimed at policies controlling production of the Denomination, which the Veneto Region is now examining. Reduction of the total yield per hectare (110 quintals, instead of 120) for the 2019 harvest as well as reducing the selection of grapes to be set-aside for the production of Amarone and Recioto to 40% (regulations 65%); however, the selection could increase 5% for certified organic or RRR companies (the Reduce-Save-Respect protocol, adopted by 150 wineries, on over 1.100 hectares of vines).
“These measures are strategic to control and guarantee the quality and profitability of a supply chain that over the past 10 years”, commented Andrea Sartori, chairman of the Valpolicella Wine Consortium, “has witnessed almost 30% growth of the surface of its plants. This is why, in order to safeguard the exclusivity especially of our flagship product, Amarone, we are discussing important decisions concerning managing our vineyards in a well-balanced manner with the Region”.