THE PYRAMID OF ITALIAN WINES – D.O.C. WINE

D.O.C. wines
One step higher in the pyramid we find the “Denominazione di Origine Controllata or D.O.C.” (Registered Designation of Origin) wines. They are produced in a bordered land area with precise chemical and organoleptic features, that are determined in the manufacturing rules beforehand.

These rules specify the types of wine that can be produced (such as Rosso Ri-serva, or Vendemmia Tardiva), the quantities of grapes that can be obtained per hectare of vineyards, the varieties that can be used, the yield of transformation from grapes into wine, the minimum natural alcoholic strength and consumption, and the type and duration of the aging process. Practically the entire production cycle (from the vineyard to the bottle) must respect the production rules. Unlike the previous categories D.O.C. wines are also controlled qualitatively.

Before being put on the market they must undergo chemical-physical and organoleptic analyses in order to ensure their compliance with the parameters that are set in the product description.

FROM AUGUST 1ST, 2009
D.O.C. and D.O.C.G. wines become D.O.P. (Protected Designation of Origin) to use a single wording standardized for all European agri-food products (not just wine).

D.O.P. (P.D.O.) Protected Designation of Origin
Indicates the name of a region, a specific place or, in exceptional cases, a country that is used to describe a wine variety (that comes from that region, specific place or country) whose quality or characteristics are essentially or exclusively due to the geographical environment including its natural and human factors. The grapes that are used to make a D.O.P wine are 100% produced, processed and prepared in the stated geographical area.

However, it is still permitted to use D.O.C. and D.O.C.G. as acronyms linked to the past and the Italian winemaking tradition.