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The EU legal framework for wines with a protected geographical indication, which includes all products with a close link to the geographical area (i.e. PDO and PGI), is based on the same rules as those for the other European designations of origin for agricultural products (recognition, registration, protection) - with an important additional element: promotion and promotion on non-European markets until 2013. To this end, there is a national support plan, as established internally by each country. The funds come from the EU and have been distributed as follows for Italy:

The distribution of funds (figures in euros) from 01.07.2009 on the part of the Ministero delle politiche agricole alimentari e forestali (MIPAAF)

Creative transition period with 31 new denominations of origin

As the new procedures for the recognition and approval of new denominations of origin will be much more complex from 2012 and will involve not only the member states but also the European institutions, a few new "protected zones" were quickly created before the deadline expired, such as the DOC Valtènesi (Lombardy: Lake Garda), the DOC Terre di Colleoni (Lombardy: Valcalepio), the DOC Val d'Arno di Sopra (Tuscany), the DOC Casavecchia di Pontelatone and the DOC Campi Flegrei (both Campania), the DOC Terre d'Otranto and the DOC Negramaro di Terre d'Otranto (both Puglia), and many more. In addition, numerous extensions of existing production rules were made with the approval of additional grape varieties or wine typologies.

Instead of simplifying and consolidating the already complicated and ramified system, there are now 59 DOCGs, 333 DOCs and 118 IGTs, for a total of 510 wines with protected designation of origin alone in Italy (as of June 31, 2011). Two years ago, at the time of the change of the wine market regulation, there were still 479.

The wine designations in the transition period

The Italian IGT changes into the European category IGP (German: g.g.A.); the DOCG and DOC become DOP (German: g.U.).

On the labels of Italian wine bottles, either only the specific Italian terms and their abbreviations (DOCG, DOC, IGT) or only the European terms (DOP and IGP) can be used, or both can be used together. These choices have been granted in the Italian implementing regulation, both to give expression to the Italian specificity with its traditional terms, and to avoid a "flattening" of DOCG to DOC, as both would be unified under the single label DOP, although the Italian quality pyramid classifies the last level of DOCG as the most excellent Italy has to offer.

In other words, when it comes to label designations, this allows producers some operational freedom, which can easily lead to consumer confusion. It is up to the winery to decide whether to use the old or new designation, and it doesn't even have to be the same for the entire production or wine category. Example: If someone produces a wine in Sicily under the "DOC Menfi", they may decide that the batch they sell abroad will have Menfi DOC on the label and possibly Menfi DOP in addition, and for the same product they sell in Italy, they will only use Menfi DOP - or vice versa.

The wine designations from 2012

From 2012 onwards, this practice will not change, and everyone is free to decide whether to use the old, the new or both designations, just as during the transitional period. This applies to the designations DOCG, DOC, IGT, DOP and IGP. As for other obligatory or optional indications, they will have to be adapted to the new standards, which provide for a few changes, such as the obligation for DOCG and DOC to list on the label the year of production of the grapes (except for liqueur wines, sparkling wines and "frizzanti") - a requirement that most of the regulations already provided for, but which was not obligatory for all appellations.

To the article "EU wine market regulation - Part 1: The new wine designation law - terms and background"

To the article "EU wine market regulation - Part 2: The new wine labelling law in Germany and Austria"

To the article "EU wine market regulation - Part 4: The new wine labelling law in France"

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