“Polo vitivinicolo del Triveneto” arises which joins control bodies, consortia and institutions

Certifications in the wine sector are becoming increasingly more important and, in some cases, especially when discussing sustainability, even necessary to access certain markets. And now, in the Triveneto area, which with major denominations such as Pinot Grigio delle Venezie and Prosecco DOC, among others, accounts for 30% of Italy bottled wine production, a new governance model has been established: Triveneta Certificazioni. The company was created through an agreement among three control bodies - Ceviq, Siquria and Valoritalia - and is responsible for certifying Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC and Trevenezie IGT. It also has a new headquarters that will host dedicated spaces for Consorzio DOC Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, Consorzio DOC Friuli, Consorzio DOC Friuli Grave and Consorzio Prosecco DOC, which involves 60,000 vinegrowers, 9,000 winemakers and over 22 million hectoliters of DOC and IGT wine, totaling more than 1 billion bottles. The Polo Vitivinicolo del Triveneto, a coordinated system of organizations, was inaugurated today, accompanied by the conference “Costruire legami, costruire futuro” - “Building Connections, Building the Future” which included a video message from the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, Francesco Lollobrigida.
The process which led to the establishment of the Polo brought together control bodies and protection consortia with the shared goal, each within its specific field of competence, of ensuring compliance with production regulations, safeguarding producers, strengthening the credibility of denominations, and offering consumers concrete guarantees of authenticity, transparency, and trust. “The Polo today represents a significant share of certified Italian wine production and plays an essential oversight role in a territory that covers 30% of the national bottling, thus becoming the largest coordinated system of control bodies and consortia in the country and a unique and replicable governance model”, explains a note.
The day opened with contributions from representatives of local and national institutions, starting with the Mayor of San Vito al Tagliamento, Alberto Bernava, who acknowledged the importance of the new establishment for the region: “for San Vito al Tagliamento, a City of Wine and holder of the Orange Flag recognition, the creation of the Polo is an additional source of prestige and demonstrates that teamwork is the key to growth, value creation, and community benefit”. In a video message, Minister Lollobrigida expressed full support for the project and praised the synergistic work of the control bodies, highlighting the central role of Italian agri-food: “Italy is the leading agricultural economy in Europe, and Triveneto is a pillar of the PDO economy. This is why we will continue to invest in the sector, an excellence of the Italian system recognized worldwide, enhancing products and supporting the next generations.” Meanwhile, Stefano Zannier, Regional Councillor of Friuli Venezia Giulia, emphasized once again the importance of building systems: “this project stems from an important choice made by certification bodies and denominations to work together. Distance prevents us from seeing details clearly, which is why the only way to stand out is unity, an approach which doesn’t erase individual identities but fosters teamwork grounded in a shared strategy aimed at increasing value”.
During the roundtable “Costruire legami per competere: il nuovo modello italiano tra qualità, controllo e mercato” - “Building connections to compete: the new Italian model between quality, control, and market”, the discussion focused on the collaborative framework supporting the Italian wine sector, with an economic and institutional perspective on future challenges. Participants included Triveneta Certificazioni (Francesco Liantonio), Valoritalia (Giuseppe Liberatore, here our interview), Siquria and AssoOdc (Luca Sartori), presidents if Federdoc (Giangiacomo Gallarati Scotti Bonaldi) and of Wine Labor Group of Copa-Cogeca and of Consortium Doc Delle Venezie (Luca Rigotti).
The experience developed within the Polo, bringing together three control bodies, could be replicated within protection consortia as well, as highlighted by Federdoc president Giangiacomo Gallarati Scotti Bonaldi: “we are in an area where system-building is an established strategic lever. Here denominations of great importance operate, also in terms of volume - such as Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, Prosecco, Friuli, and Friuli Grave - which together exceed 1 billion bottles. Polo Vitivinicolo del Triveneto is a structured collaborative process which could serve as a model for other regions of the country, particularly where denominations, taken individually, don’t reach significant production figures. In this context, the EU Regulation 1143/2024 gives new responsibilities and greater strength to Consortia, reinforcing their role as tools to implement efficient mechanisms. Today, we are witnessing a highly successful example”.
In his speech, Francesco Liantonio, president of Triveneta Certificazioni, explained the reasons behind the establishment of the Polo and its centrality as a national asset: “Triveneta Certificazioni - supporting 60,000 grape growers, 9,000 winemakers, and over 22 million hectoliters of DOC and IGT wine, totaling over 1 billion bottles reaching consumers - is a virtuous example of how three certification bodies (Ceviq, Siquria, Valoritalia) came together to create a common hub for certifying and tracking the entire supply chain of the Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC. Around this nucleus, the actors of the Polo Vitivinicolo del Triveneto have gathered. What has been created today is a reality which can serve as a model across Italy, fostering synergy among Consortia, institutions, and certification bodies, presenting a united front in the market. The true strength of this project lies in the human factor: expertise recognized among peers, trust built over time, and a team that chooses to work together every day to support businesses, making it easier to achieve their goal: certified quality”.
Giuseppe Liberatore, general director of Valoritalia, emphasized the fundamental role played by control bodies in checking DOC and IGT wines. “Often the work of certification bodies is not visible and rarely highlighted. Yet among registries, production data, bottling, and transactions, these organizations conduct tens of thousands of operations daily. They are private bodies with public mandates and subject to two levels of oversight: accreditation by Accredia, which verifies operational procedures, transparency, and neutrality; and oversight by the Ministry, which ensures the delegated responsibilities are fulfilled”. Liberatore then stressed the systematic nature of the controls: “our control system for DOC wines, unique worldwide, is comprehensive and non-random, unlike other European countries. It operates batch by batch, bottle by bottle. The outcome of this work is represented by the data we produce, which form a key foundation for the strategic decisions made by protection consortia, both for denominations and their management”, explained Liberatore.
Luca Sartori, president of Siquria and Asso-Odc (Association of wine certification bodies), explained the creation of Triveneta Certificazioni and the Polo itself, an alliance of diverse expertise and experiences that has led to important achievements: “The title of this conference perfectly reflects the human factor underpinning the collaboration between Consortia and control bodies which created this project. It might have seemed challenging at first, given our different backgrounds and regions, but the ability to recognize and value each other strengths made it clear that each of us could contribute significantly - and underlines - this awareness allowed us to grow and form a team benefiting both the companies we oversee and our own work”.
explained Liberatore.
Addressing key issues in the sector such as sustainability, bio-integrated practices, and territorial certifications, there was the final speaker, Luca Rigotti, president of the Consorzio Pinot Grigio DOC delle Venezie and Chair of the Copa-Cogeca Wine Working Groupexplained Liberatore. “Collaboration initiatives like the Polo Vitivinicolo del Triveneto are more essential than ever to build systems and present ourselves with greater cohesion, dynamism, and shared priorities. Along this same line, the northeastern Consortia have recently launched an interregional working group on Pinot Grigio involving regional administrations. Joining forces for the common good is key. The work of Consortia together with control bodies and institutions contributes to legitimizing a territory and its products. In this context, several factors must be considered, starting with environmental, economic, and social sustainability. As a Consortium, we embrace these principles also through our partnership with “Wine in Moderation” remaining at the forefront of promoting moderate and responsible consumption. Regarding environmental sustainability, creating synergies and coordination tools is, in our view, the right way forward. We hope that such an approach can also guide the development of a national sustainability certification, a standard that, while acknowledging regional needs and characteristics, can establish a set of common, valid, and applicable requirements across all regions”. Rigotti also highlighted the importance of the low/no-alcohol segment in the wine market: “Consorzio DOC delle Venezie is conducting research on disease-resistant grape varieties and naturally low-alcohol Pinot Grigio. Both paths offer green solutions, the former reduces plant protection treatments, supporting even lower-impact viticulture, while the latter provides a more sustainable response for PDO and PGI wines, consistent with local characteristics, preserving Pinot Grigio typical profiles and meeting growing market demand”.