Italian politicians, farmers and wine producers have joined forces in a bid to protect the industry from the threat posed by artificial-aging techniques.
They are concerned that the use of wood chips to speed up the aging process and to give wines 'barrel flavour', a practice the EU recently approved, will lower standards and threaten Italy's lead in the sector.
This is because, according to the new EU regulations, there will be no distinction on labels between wines aged artificially and those produced with traditional techniques. Experts say that this will damage Italian producers' ability to differentiate the nation's fine wines from those that foreign competitors churn out using cheap shortcuts.
On Tuesday a cross-party group of MPs presented a motion in parliament calling on the government to take action to protect Italy's quality produce from "Pinocchio wine". The motion is backed by farmers' associations and environmental groups.
Among other things, they want the government to press the EU into forcing producers that use wood chips to say so clearly on the bottle. "Accepting this regulation would be a betrayal of our wine's identity," said Roberto Della Seta, the president of
the Legambiente environmental association.
"It would lead to the standardization of wines at the lowest level to the detriment of the consumer". Over the last 20 years Italian producers have reaped the rewards of concentrating on quality and making the most of the country's time-honoured wine-making traditions. As a result, Italy became the world's top wine exporter last year in terms of volume.
Italian wine sales recently overtook French ones on the US wine market too. "There must be common resolve from farmers, the industry and all the parties involved to combat a measure that will have massive consequences for Italian products," said the Italian Confederation of Farmers (CIA).
"The EU regulation is a threat to our traditions and the bond our products have with the places they are made". Experts are concerning that consumer confusion over artificially aged wines could hit Italy's booming wine-tourism industry as well.
Increasingly large numbers of foreign and Italian visitors opt for holidays and weekends in the Bel Paese that feature visits to vineyards and wine producers.
