Wine feels “under attack” and asks Eu to answer about health and Cmo. And, it is ready to “mass”

The awareness that the rules, also for wine (as for many other sectors) are made in Eu; the disorientation deriving from a behavior almost “as that of Janus bifrons” of EU commission, which, on the one hand, promises support to the sector with the Commissioner of Agriculture Christophe Hansen (who, in the next days, will publish his road map about the reform of Cap, and in March, a packet of specific measures for wine), but, on the other hand, he wants to limit communication, promotion, and consumption, intervening on taxes and duties in Beca (Beating Cancer Plan) without making any distinction between moderate consumption and alcohol abuse, also in a little clear way, seen that Eu Parliament, which is the direct expression of the vote of citizens went opposite, as recalled by the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida (that WineNews has interviewed). And, still, an increasingly more fundamental CMO to open new markets, but which became increasingly more bureaucratically complicated, sometimes up to the point of frightening, or even discourage companies, mainly the smallest ones to appeal against, to the point that is not used all with many funds returning to Eu. All this, in the framework of a market that in mature countries is declining, a thing pushing to open new ones for vision and necessity, and which puts under discussion also the measures to rebalance demand and offer starting from the extirpation, but not only, as underlined, among others, by the representation of the supply chain, in the words by Albiera Antinori (Federvini), Lamberto Frescobaldi (Unione Italiana Vini – Uiv), and Luca Rigotti (Confcooperative e Copa Cogeca), but also by the summits of Coldiretti (Dominga Cotarella), Confagricoltura (Alberto Statti), Federdoc (Giangiacomo Gallarati Scotti Bonaldi), and Cia-Agricoltori (Cristiano Fini) with a shared vision by many Italian Members of the European Parliament of any alliance. And, with a solid world of wine desiring to grow, and to increasingly be the motor of development and richness for companies and territories, but also ready to defend with any means “also descending to the mass in a democratic way in order to make our voice be heard, and defend a flag of made in Italy”, as president Assoenologi Riccardo Cotarella said to WineNews. Messages and sparks among the many that emerged today, in Rome, at the Italian Parliament, at the General States of Wine organized by the representations of the European Parliament, and of the European Commission in Italy.
“It is true that there are many contrasting signals from the world, on Usa front, also by the European Commission, but, both on the level of the simplification, and of wine support, and of the revision of Beca, some reassuring signals arrived from the Parliament in these months, therefore, attention is high, it is discussed, but no one of the Parliament wants to penalize a fundamental sector for Europe, and for Italy, as wine”, underlined Carlo Corazza, director of the European Parliament in Italy. Words which made echo to those of Antonella Sberna, vicepresident of the European Parliament: “it is important to meet at the beginning of this new legislature. The awareness of how much Europe affects the life of everyone, and of companies, grows. Our mission is that to defend system Italy inside system Europe also for a fundamental sector as wine. Defend wine means defend a tradition, a history, a culture, an identity”.
Encouraging words, somehow, supporting an European wine sector continuing to represent one of the pillars of the Common Agricultural Policy (Cap), and one of the excellences of the European Union. With an annual production overcoming 160 million of hectoliters, the Eu remains, therefore, the world leader of the sector contributing to 45% of global vineyard surfaces, to 63% of production, and to 48% of wine world consumption. Viticulture involves more than 3.2 million hectares, and about 2.5 million of wine companies generating over 3 million of direct workplaces, to which numerous indirect jobs are added along the supply chain. Italy, France, and Spain, main producer of the Eu, continue to represent almost the half of the global production. Yet, from words to facts, the step is often long. And, according to the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida, “a reflection about the aims of the European Union is needed. The Commission has to be back to a reasoning which makes sense, while talking about commercial wars which could have heavy consequences on the economies of the world, and we have to reflect about the internal agents which could provoke a still major damage to our economy. Surely, export with duties would be penalized, but maybe, it is good to ask if consumption drop linked to potential alarmist labels would be worse. And, it is strange seeing how, when talking about defending sector, identity, and so on, there is cross political unity, also throughout the different group alliances, but, then, in Brussels, there is someone who wants to do the opposite to the expressed political address. Who wants to weaken the sector always aims to health theme. Today, we have a scientific community which is not divided about alcohol theme, which is a risky factor for health undoubtedly. But, wine is much more, there is much more than alcohol, it is an element accompanying since millenniums. Wine consumed in a moral way, and with an appropriate diet produces health, we must have the courage to state that, we notice that by the longevity of civilizations who consume it in their everyday life. The Commission has to reflect about this, it can’t be exonerated. What we are dealing with – adds Lollobrigida – is a setting arriving from a Commission, which, in the last 5 years, thought that farmers have to be educated to the respect of the environment, i.e. from what they get “the bread”, as if the protection of it would not their primary interest. There is no better way to safeguard the environment rather than a good agriculture, for this reason, supports to the sector are right. However, alarmist labels that are back to be proposed don’t make sense: there is no product that abused is not harmful, nor water. If ever, informative labels indicating the right quantities protecting the quality of products are needed, which, however, has to be paid at the right price. In Europe, we have to brings things to the “reason” back because citizens see in the Eu a support and not an obstacle. On March, 25th, the anniversary of Rome Treaties falls, signed in 1957, founding an Europe which protected agriculture and introduced Cap. We will meet the Commissioner of Agricolture, we will meet him precisely in Rome, on that day. This Eu Commission started better than the past one, but, for the moment, there are only words. Let’s see how many resources will be for agriculture, if agriculture will have a chapter aside, as I wish, and all will be a melting pot. When we will see Hansen, we will try to make a “village” to show how Italian agriculture works, and how wine works. We will cope with duties, but also to avoid processes of “economic self castration processes”. We hope and we want an Europe which protects wine, and not that attacks it, and which informs, and not frightens, fighting against alcohol abuse, and also wine abuse, but not against moderate consumption”, said Lollobrigida.
Words, those by the Minister, widely shared by the stalls of speakers. Starting from Alberto Cirio, president Regione Piemonte, and former Member of the European Parliament. “By us, in Piedmont, wine is a very serious thing, it means presidium of the territory, social tissue, economy, tourism. In my heart, a great producer as Bruno Ceretto says: “there is not good and bad wine anymore, there is wine which is sold and not”. In other words, there is the awareness that, at this point, quality is everywhere, and that good wine is made by many: we have to continue to make it good, but also to narrate, promote, sell. Politics doesn’t have to create laces, it doesn’t have to create problems to businesses, Sometimes, in Europe – said Cirio – wrong choices have been made, which sometimes, we corrected, but the fight on wine, in Europe, has never ended. Maybe, the ideological one weakened, but the commercial one not. In Europe, it is talked about “Alcol Strategy”: for someone, wine is alcohol and stop, but wine is other, it is a living element. The labels that today in Ireland are reality, due to the inability of Eu to block them because the European Commission didn’t do that, are an other way to open the way. We lived some years before with the “pantomime” about palm oil – attacks Cirio – sold as public healthcare and health. The supporters of this campaign were producers of canola oil, the substitute of palm oil. But, it is not written anywhere that palm oil is harmful. The label of what I eat should report what there is, not what there is not. Yet, it has been a boom of “without palm oil”, which opened a way: I look without looking at what there is, but at what there is not. And, it is not a matter of health, because without sugar, for who suffers from diabetes is right, without gluten for people suffering from celiac disease is right, but without palm oil? What does it need? Calories in wine labels are the same thing. They do that because they are already present in beer which seems to have fewer ones. But, it is drunk more. We have to seize the opportunity of a new sensitivity in this Eu regulation, talk frankly, and don’t think that this theme is in the drawer: it is still actual, and if we don’t pay attention, and we are not united, a productive part of Europe, that of wine, will be heavily affected”, concludes Cirio.
That this new phase of the launch of Eu legislature, anyway, is fundamental, is restated by Herbert Dorfmann, Member of the European Parliament, member of the Commission for Agriculture, and rural development, and speaker of the Strategy by producer to consumer: “in Brussels, it is an important moment, we started well with agriculture, and it wasn’t difficult after the last 5 years. Commissioner Hansen knows the sector, also wine, we have on the table the first dossiers about commercial practices: for example, in this week, his vision about the future of Cap for the next 5 years will arrive, let’s see which will be the priorities, surely, great attention will be paid to young people, crucial theme, and to their relationship with wine, which, in terms of opportunities, it is better than that with agriculture. In March, we will have a meeting about wine Cmo packet which will seek to transform into low what emerged by High Level Group. It is talked about extirpation, sometimes it can be needed, but I am not a fan of it. We have to work on “offensive” measures to open new markets and consolidate the historical ones, and, in Parliament, we will look for a fast path to do that. And, then, there is the great theme of Cap reform. And that of Beca: the spirit behind – said Dorfmann – is wrong and dangerous, a continuous attack to wine, but also to the sector of alcoholic drinks, because, here, there are products with great history and value such as grappa, cognac, and not only, but we, as Parliament, we have always asked for a distinction between consumption and abuse. And, abuse is not solved raising taxes, we see that in Europe, we see that in the world: the countries with the highest taxes often have more abuse problems than others. Also the labels which will enter into force in Ireland the next year are not good: if every country sets its own rules, that means that there is no unique market anymore. Great diplomacy is needed during this phase: Europe is loosing friends rapidly, and, in this moment, banging the door is not good. As we risk to do with Latin America with the agreement that we did after 25 years, and, that, now is put under discussion: let’s analyze if there are and which are the elements of criticality of agriculture, but bring the result”.
Fundamentally, as already happened in the past, on certain themes “Italy and political forces should work as an only cross team to parties -said the Member of the European Parliament Nicola Procaccini - all acting with the same t-shirt, as the European Members of the European Parliament in the past did, for example about the reform of Igs. There is a better atmosphere compared to the past with the new legislature but elements such as those contained in Beca worry. A vision about the quality of life in general sometimes miss, we are only a sum of lived hours: life quality matters, the capacity to appreciate the beautiful of life that there is in everyday life, of what we eat, drink, of the environment in which we live”.
“Think about Italy without its 660,000 hectares of vineyards. It would be a poorer country from an economic point of view, less beautiful from a landscape point of view  - said Dominga Cotarella, wine producer, with Cotarella family, and member of the executive council of Coldiretti -  and not only. We come from five years in which the figure of farmer was put under discussion, who is that person who creates the beauty of the landscape. Five years during which wine was put under discussion, but no one puts under discussion ultraprocessed elements, drinks full of chemical additives. Why? What are the interests behind? The theme is delicate, we can’t say how much is fundamental to consume in the right quantities, how much the correct consumption is needed. But, in addition to protest, we have to propose: we are launching, as Coldiretti, an academy about this, we have to educate not only young people, but also the staff of our companies. We have to do territorial culture, we have to talk about the value in wine world not only among us, among sector operators, but also and mainly to people who don’t know wine”.
“We come out from difficult moments, also for climate change which is hindering businesses, but we have the necessity to have tools that help us work. Of Wine Cmo, we used only 74% of resources, we can’t return them back to Eu these fundamental resources”, acts differently, on the contrary, Alberto Statti, also wine producer with Statti winery, in Calabria, and member of the council of Confagricoltura.
Theme on which the comment by Albiera Antinori, president of Marchesi Antinori, and president of Wine Group of Federvini, is inserted. “The more things are complicated, the harder is to grow. Italy is not capable to access all European funds, which are many, but, with Cmo, it became very difficult to make accountability and programming. The greatest – underlines – organize somehow, for the smallest, it is more tiring: dedicated resources to this theme are needed. We loose resources and opportunities because, as they are today, these funds don’t become an incentive to do more, but almost a refund for a past event, and it doesn’t make so much sense. Today, wine has to be sold in world, we have to take the baggage and go around, this needs to be supported”.
“In Italy, we live more and longer -relaunches Lamberto Frescobaldi, president Unione Italiana Vini – Uiv, and guiding Frescobaldi Group -  this means that our diet, including wine, is not so bad. Wine arises from the vineyard, but in Europe, sometimes, strange things are made sometimes: there is a regulation supporting bio-methane or electrical machinery purchase, which, actually, don’t exist for foreseen company dimensions. There are markets which go bad: the Usa made -6.3% in 2023 in volume, and -7% in 2024 in consumption, in Germany, it is slowing down, and also the world of sparkling wines is slowing down. We need all the markets, such as that of Mercosur, for example. Today, 60% of our exports go to five markets, it is necessary to find other ones, and in this sense, promotion Cmo is fundamental. During these years, it helped a lot. Attention to Beca: there is not only wine in the sight, but also red meat, or olive oil. Moreover, we are assisting to a continuous abandon of earth, we are talking about half million of hectares of Sau (Agricultural area used) in less than 10 years. We have to protect the vineyard, which, among all, is the culture that needs most manpower. And it is the one that moves the economy of the territory. The vineyard, not wine, because wine is made with grapes”.
“All agriculture is going through a crisis moment: for economy, for world tensions, for the cost of cash eroding the business income, for the purchasing power of consumers which is dropping. We wanted Wine High Level Group -underlines, from his part, Luca Rigotti, who is also president of Wine Group of Copa Cogeca - in which, there has been an important dialogue with many welcomed requests, let’s see how much validation they will have. Promotion is increasingly more important, but some things need to be changed. Today, for example, there is a limit of 5 years to make Cmo projects on the same market, and we asked to remove it because markets have to be controlled. And we asked for the possibility to invest the year after, or on other measures, the resources that are not invested, and that now are back to Eu”.
In sum, Europe, to use the words by Giangiacomo Gallarati Scotti Bonaldi, president Federdoc, “must have a politics which ease the work of businesses, also in our wine sector”. And, with an encouraging and not punitive logic, for example, towards farmers”, said  Paolo De Castro, former Member of the European Parliament, and speaker of the Reform of Geographical Indications. The key theme -added Ermete Realacci, president of foundation Symbola -  is the simplification, which, sometimes, the European Union didn’t help to do. Today, no one is against circular economy, against sustainability. Which, however, doesn’t damage economy: from Symbola studies, in all sectors, the businesses that are moving towards sustainability, investing on renewable sources, and water recover, for example, which make product innovation and process, are doing better than others. And, wine is an extraordinary metaphor of all this”.
But, many others have been the sparks which emerged by the General States of wine. From the necessity to open new markets also throughout fairs, as recalled by  Gianni Bruno, director of Vinitaly of Veronafiere, to that of “being flexible to intercept consumption and consumers that change, but without loosing identity because fashions pass”, recalled president of Cia-Agricoltori Cristiano Fini in a thought shared also by Stefano Sequinto, director of Consorzio dei Vini delle Venezie. Still, there is someone who recalled the need to change a language, “too old and addressed to older people, and if we don’t change, we are destined to loose”, said director of Consorzio del Prosecco Doc Luca Giavi. While, regarding innovation, but on the exclusively agricultural side, “between digital and artificial intelligence, but always with the man at the center to make quality and value, value which is fundamental also to make true sustainability, environmental and social, a value of a product which reflects in the value of the territory”, stated Josè Rallo, heading Sicilian winery Donnafugata. But, also wine tourism has been discusses, of which Sicily is a case history of reference, as explained by  Mariangela Cambria, president Assovini Sicilia, and wine producer with Cottanera. Alessandra Priante, president Enit- National Agency of Tourism, underlined how, at this point, “more than a third of tourism in Italy is linked to the research of identity food and wine experiences, in the territories, in addition to the goodness of products”. And, which can be found all over Italy, “and, no more also in Piedmont, or Tuscany, which, for years have been a destination of reference. And, this, thanks to the work of companies and enologists”, concluded president Assoenologi Riccardo Cotarella. Who added: “tradition is important but we can’t talk only about antiquity, grandparents, and fathers. Wine is research and innovation. Which are fundamental. Prosecco phenomenon is an example of it: first, it was a mental innovation, then scientific and entrepreneurial, which gave great dignity to territories, farmers, and producers. But, today, wine is under attack as it has never been. There is who wants to highlight only negative aspects forgetting the positive ones which are much more. Almost as if there was a drawing. And, maybe, if good manners are not sufficient, it is the moment to descend to the mass democratically against those people denigrating wine in order to defend a sector which is part of our history, but also of our future”.