Wine Law

28 regulations, to be brought together in a Consolidated Wine Act 49 . Albeit in continuity with the earlier provisions, the production of a unified compilation made it possible to rationalise and simplify the complex set of rules governing grape growing and wine production 50 . Many aspects were reviewed and updated and, to facilitate future revisions, the lawmaker provided for the issuing of a series of implementing decrees, making for a speedier amending procedure, since it was going to be up to the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (rather than the legislative body) to intervene, in a more direct and simplified manner, on the implementing provisions. Title III of the Act addresses the designation of origin and geographical indication aspects that we are going to discuss below. The labelling and use of geographical indications, traditional mentions and other designations reserved for DO and GI wines are addressed in articles 43 through 47. In a perspective of ever-stricter rules being imposed to ensure product traceability, we should point out the use of a Government-issued label, as a guarantee and control tool, under article 48, stating that DOCG ( denominazione di origine controllata e garantita ) wines have to be released for consumption in bottles or other containers with a capacity of no more than six litres, unless otherwise specified in the specific product specification and will be bearing a special label 51 . The use of the special label is mandatory for DOCG wines, whereas, in the case of DOC ( denominazione di origine controllata ) wines, the consortium concerned can select an alternative modality, such as the simple presence of a lot number. As we have discussed above, compulsory particulars for the labelling and presentation of the wine products are those listed under article 119 of Regulation No 1308/2013. First of all, the label shall contain the designation for the category of the grapevine product: the 49 Act No. 238 of 12 December 2016, article 2: “This law sets out the national regulations on the production and marketing, the designation of origin, the geographical indications, the traditional mentions, the labelling and presentation, the management, the controls and the sanctioning system for wine products as per Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council of 17 December 2013, and Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council of 17 December 2013, as well as the Commission’s Delegated Regulation (EU) No 2016/1149 of 15 April 2016, and the Commission’s Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 2016/1150 of 15 April 2016”. 50 P. Caviglia, Manuale di diritto vitivinicolo , Milan, UIV, 2017. 51 The “ contrassegno ” or, more simply, the “ fascetta ”, printed by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato or by authorizsed printers, is equipped with a serial indication and an identification number [art. 48(6)].