Tuscan wine goes through a testing time
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano has become the second Tuscan wine to come under investigation for allegedly having grapes illegally blended into it from outside the region. According to Italian media reports, 120,000 hectolitres of Vino Nobile have been confiscated from the Vecchia Cantina cooperative and another company is also under investigation.
This comes after two months of speculation about Brunello di Montalcino as the result of the US’s threat to ban its import because of claims that some of it has been blended with cheaper grapes from the south. The wine, which is made from the Sangiovese grape, is perhaps Italy’s finest - and it is certainly expensive. As the US imports a quarter of the Brunello marketed, such a move would prove exceedingly costly for Tuscan producers.
The ban was to have taken effect on 9th June but it has been postponed until 23rd June to allow time to find a solution.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Brunello Corsorzio, Francesco Marone Cinzano, has resigned this week after one year of a three-year term, saying that he has done his job. This comes after the Italian Minister of Agriculture, Luca Zaia, passed a decree designed to certify and guarantee the authenticity of Brunello. Included in this is the appointment of a ‘Committee of Guarantee’ made up of at least three outside experts, who will review and revise production methods and introduce controls to ensure compliance with Brunello’s production laws.