THE LATEST IMITATION CHIANTI ARRIVES FROM THE U.S.

The latest imitation Chianti wine has arrived on the markets. It is called Key Auntie and is produced in the U.S. though it uses a British name to further fool consumers. This was recently revealed by Italian agricultural organization Coldiretti, which also noted that the wine is produced by Scatter Creek Winery and sells for 14.50 dollars per bottle. A product that can be easily acquired online, it is described as an excellent choice for accompanying Italian cuisine.

Among other producers of false Chianti, Coldiretti discovered another in California, a Sangiovese made by Forest Ville.
Coldiretti pointed out that this reconfirms the fact that though Chianti is the most loved Italian wine it is also the most imitated, which can put the image of this product at risk. Abroad, three out of four “Italian” food products are fakes. While Italy’s export of authentic goods is worth a total value of 18 billion euros, imitation products earn over 50 billion per year.

Coldiretti denounced international food falsifiers of using words, colors, locations, images, denominations, and recipes that recall Italy in order to sell their false goods that have nothing to do with the products they are imitating: from wines to cheeses, cold cuts, cookies, and olive oil. And the risk is that these false products could take root on the consumer market and cut out the real and original products from Italy, which are the fruit of techniques, traditions, and territories that are unique and inimitable. Thus, the safeguarding of these denominations of origin has to be a top priority for commercial organizations like the WTO.