The “Toscana” brand will be on the label of Nobile di Montepulciano (Rosso and Vinsanto)

Consumers and wine lovers all over the world want to know more and more in-depth details about the origin of the wine they drink. They want to know more than just the denomination, going beyond and focusing for example on the crus. However, even though many of the most important Italian wine names are now real brands on many markets, perhaps the region they are from is still of top importance, on the communication level as well. This is especially true when talking about Tuscany, one of the most famous and beloved Made in Italy “brands” in the world, and even when talking about a historical denomination like Nobile di Montepulciano. Its Consortium, led by the president Andrea Rossi and the director Paolo Solini, got the go-ahead from the Tuscan Region to place the word “Toscana” on the label of Vino Nobile, Rosso and Vinsanto di Montepulciano (the procedure has received the definitive go-ahead, so no complications should be forthcoming from the Ministry of Agricultural Policies and the Wines Committee, ed.).

“Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Denominazione d’origine controllata e garantita. Tuscany". This will be the mandatory wording for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano once the Ministry has accepted the amendment. The Tuscan Region approved the amendments to the specification of the first Italian DOCG, and one of the first in the Region that requires the word “Tuscany”, on July 8th, as a note from the Consortium explained. The ruling has accepted the unanimous request of the collaborators the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Consortium represents. “This is an important milestone for our denomination. It is the result of a path the Consortium tenaciously pursued and the Tuscan Region shared, which knew immediately how to interpret the needs of the wine producers”, explained the President of the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Andrea Rossi. “Therefore, it is now possible to bring greater clarity to all consumers, especially foreigners, who still today confuse it with the Abruzzi denomination”.

“Undoubtedly the term “Montepulciano” and the denomination “Montepulciano d’Abruzzo” are critical for the denominations of Montepulciano, because they have contributed immensely to creating confusion on the markets to the detriment of the producers of Montepulciano and the consumers”, commented Marco Remaschi Councilor for Agriculture of the Tuscan Region. He then continued, “the Consortium’s request to modify the production specifications is totally consistent with what was sanctioned in the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2012 by the Consorzio del Vino Nobile of Montepulciano and the Consorzio Vini d’Abruzzi, the Tuscan Region and the Abruzzi Region, as well as the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies and the federation for the protection of DOC wines, Federdoc. In that Memorandum of Understanding, the two Consortia had established to undertake initiatives that would favor the correct identification of the two wines and, specifically, of the respective territories of origin. Today, in keeping with the commitments they had undertaken, the Regional Council of Tuscany has expressed a positive opinion on the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano’s request to modify the production specifications of the denominations Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Rosso di Montepulciano and Vin Santo di Montepulciano, taking into consideration that it adheres to the will the producers expressed to have a specification acknowledging a better identification of their wines and their territory, utilizing the legal instruments the community and national legislation have made available to them”. The proposed changes will consent an increase in protection towards the final consumer and will, at the same time, allow the Consortium to intensify promotional initiatives of the territory to improve communication and make it more accurate”. These aspects are far from secondary to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, as 77% of the production is exported abroad, and Germany and the USA are in the lead.

At the moment, only the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano has introduced the term “Toscana” on its denomination labels , as it actually regards the wines produced in the vineyards of this gem of the Renaissance. In the meantime, a road has now been opened, which, in a more or less the near future, other denominations in the Region would be definitely interested in following, especially those whose name, or origin, is less well known. And, above all, on new markets where instead the “Toscana” brand name on bottle labels could represent a greater added value, in terms of communication as well.