cdt 281 cover inglese acca 04/04/16 11:22 pagina 1 april ... · 5 a re-evaluation of butter (renzo...

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6ACCADEMIA ITALIANA DELLA CUCINAA CULTURAL INSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ITALY

FOUNDED IN 1953 BY ORIO VERGANI

www.accademia1953.it

CIVILTÀDELLATAVOLAACCADEMIA ITALIANA DELLA CUCINA

INTERNATIONAL

EDITION

CdT_281_COVER_INGLESE_Acca 04/04/16 11:22 Pagina 1

FOCUS2 Big imports and big hypocrisies (Paolo Petroni)

CULTURE AND RESEARCH3 The Mediterranean Diet: a nutritional model or a lifestyle? (Pasquale Giuditta)

5 A re-evaluation of butter (Renzo Pellati)

7 Abruzzese cuisine as seen on tv (Pino Jubatti)

9 European legislation on wine quality (Mauro Gaudino)

On the cover: Graphic depiction of a detail from thepainting “Still Life with Fan” (circa 1889) by PaulGauguin. On display at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.

PAGE 1

INTERNATIONAL EDITION

APRIL 2016 / N. 281

EDITOR IN CHIEFPAOLO PETRONI

COPY EDITORSILVIA DE LORENZO

LAYOUTSIMONA MONGIU

TRANSLATORNICOLA LEA FURLAN

THIS ISSUE INCLUDES ARTICLES BYMauro Gaudino,

Pasquale Giuditta,Pino Jubatti,Renzo Pellati,Paolo Petroni.

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PUBLISHERACCADEMIA ITALIANA DELLA CUCINA

VIA NAPO TORRIANI 31 - 20124 MILANOTEL. 02 66987018 - FAX 02 66987008

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MONTHLY MAGAZINEREG. N. 4049 - 29-5-1956

TRIBUNALE DI MILANO

Rivista associataall’Unione StampaPeriodica Italiana

L’ACCADEMIA ITALIANA DELLA CUCINAFOUNDED IN 1953 BY ORIO VERGANI

AND LUIGI BERTETT, DINO BUZZATI TRAVERSO,CESARE CHIODI, GIANNINO CITTERIO,

ERNESTO DONÀ DALLE ROSE, MICHELE GUIDO FRANCI,GIANNI MAZZOCCHI BASTONI, ARNOLDO MONDADORI, ATTILIO NAVA, ARTURO ORVIETO, SEVERINO PAGANI,

ALDO PASSANTE, GIANLUIGI PONTI, GIÒ PONTI,DINO VILLANI, EDOARDO VISCONTI DI MODRONE,

WHIT MASSIMO ALBERINI AND VINCENZO BUONASSISI.

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S O M M A R I OT A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

T he newspapers are devo-ting major headlines andthe TV shows pour oil on

the flames in a sort of media ter-rorism, covering the arrival of oli-ve oil from Tunisia as it were awave of foul smelling petrol rea-ching out to invade and polluteour tables. Let us look at the facts.The European Parliament, in aplenary session, approved with500 votes in favor, 107 againstand 42 abstentions, the importa-tion into the European Union,with no import levies until 2017,of 70,000 extra tons of Tunisianolive oil (35,000 in 2016 and another 35,000 in 2017). Thisamount supplements the present 56,700 tons allowed byassociation agreements with Tunisia. Italy produces appro-ximately 300,000 tons of oil and exports a similar amount;the consumption of oil reaches about 560,000 tons and as aconsequences a similar amount must be imported. The prin-cipal exporters of oil to Italy are Spain, Greece (countriesbelonging to the European Union) and Tunisia. In fact, le-vies apart, Tunisia is already our third largest provider ofolive oil. Without levies, oil should be less expensive. Mini-ster Martina has already announced strict controls at theborders against possible fraud. There is a lot of talk aboutTunisian oil, describing it as “ugly and bad”; however, all ofthe scandals surrounding olive oil, particularly the extra vir-gin variety, revolve round productions that should have be-en 100 percent Italian. It must be added that 35,000 extratons of Tunisian oil a year, exempt from import duties, areunlikely to destroy the market and the reputation of Italianolive oil. The real problem is that of the verification of ori-gin and most of all the transparency and accuracy of the la-bels. In terms of origin, only the extra virgin oil must provi-de some information: for example, “oil produced with oli-ves harvested in Italy (100 percent Italian); or “mixture ofoils from the Community or not from the Community or mi-xed” (this obligation allows exemptions for the so-called

DOP or IGP oils that are subjectto special norms). By law, all theother olive oils must carry the fol-lowing message: “Olive oil com-posed of refined olive oils and vir-gin olive oils”. It must also identi-fy the place of processing, but notof production. This is the law! Letus address our complaints to thelegislators, not to the Tunisians!Unfortunately, there are otherproblems beside the origin of oli-ve oil, namely the massive impor-tation of tomato concentratefrom China, in excess of 120 mil-lion kilograms with the preferen-

tial destination of Salerno, contained in 200 kg barrels thatare reprocessed and packaged as an Italian product. Thelaw protects us in this case. If someone tries to sneak thosebarrels in, he is punished with exemplary penalties: 500tons of fake Italian tomatoes led to a sentence of a 4 monthdetention and a stiff fine of 6,000 euros. And we haven’teven talked about frauds involving milk and cheeses thatare imported in humungous quantities. Sicily saw a verita-ble revolt over the tomatoes coming in from North Africathat invaded the markets forcing the local producers to un-dersell their specialty “ciliegino” and “piccadilly” tomatoes.And there is more: watermelons and cantaloupes come infrom Greece; artichokes from Turkey, together with contai-ners of pistachios and other dried fruit; asparagus arrivesfrom South America and so on. The advice of experts publi-shed by newspapers is worthy of hearty laugh: when youbuy a product out of season, check the label! The reality isthis: we consume a great deal and we produce little but wedo not know how to defend what we do produce. As we ke-ep receiving “directives” from Europe, we are risking the de-struction of our biodiversity and our market. In the mean-while, we cannot sell clams with a diameter less than 2.5centimeters and cucumbers with a curvature exceeding 1cm. As the popular comedian Totò would have said, “Do mea favor!”, the Italian equivalent of “Gimme a break!”.

Big imports and big hypocrisiesWe consume a great deal and we produce very little but we don’t know how to defend our products.

BY PAOLO PETRONIPresident of the Academy

F C U S

S O M M A R I OC U L T U R E & R E S E A R C H

T hanks to the work of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry(MIPAAF), the nutritional, scientific, social, anthropological, gastronomicand environmental aspects of the Mediterranean Diet have allowed it to be

declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. An essential part of thisinteresting journey consists in the discoveries made by American physiologist AncelKeys in the 1950s. He focused attention on the nutritional model that includes olive

oil, cereals, fruit, vegetables and fish as key parts of the gastronomic traditions ofthe countries of the Mediterranean community. Taking into consideration itshistorical and anthropological implications, UNESCO decided to include the Medi-terranean Diet on its list of Intangible Cultural Patrimonies. The protagonists of thisrecognition, along with Italy, are Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, Morocco, Portugal andSpain. This is the first time a traditional nutritional practice has been included onUNESCO’s prestigious roster. From the moment it became part of this mechanismto safeguard and protect this Intangible Cultural Heritage as set forth in theUNESCO convention of 2003, up to today, Italy has provided no fewer than sixitems to this representative list: the songs of the Sardinian tenor (2008), Sicilianpuppet opera (2008), the Mediterranean Diet (2010), the art of lute playing fromCremona (2012), the celebration of the great portable machines (2013) and Pan-telleria’s traditional agricultural practice of growing grape vines on trellises (2014).Because they are vital components of traditional culture, customs, portrayals,knowledge and wisdom deemed worthy of protection can all be items for consideration

BY PASQUALE GIUDITTACoordinator of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry’s

working group on the Mediterranean Diet

The presentation of the White Book in Naples.

The Mediterranean Diet: a nutritional model or a lifestyle?

on the list of Intangible Cultural Heri-tages.This positive recognition by UNESCOdemonstrates how, at the internationallevel, nutrition and agriculture are sy-nonymous with culture and as suchshould be considered along with tangible,material items. The unique qualities ofa nation’s cuisine and heterogeneousdietary styles have brought to lightspecial scientific analogies, and alongwith them the emblematic communitiesof the seven Mediterranean Diet coun-tries are showcasd: Soria in Spain, Koroniin Greece, Chefchaouen in Morocco, Ta-vira in Portugal, Brac and Hvar in Croatia,Agros in Cyprus and Pollica in Italy. In-creasing value is being placed on the li-festyles of these places. This nutritionalmodel was first systematically studiedby Keys during his stay in the Cilentoarea. He observed that the population’srich, varied, balanced and healthy eatinghabits, together with specific environ-mental conditions, resulted in a richand unique lifestyle. This Intangible Cul-tural Heritage represents the complexof practices, depictions, expressions,knowledge, skills, wisdom and culturalambiance that the people of the Medi-terranean created, and continue to re-create over the course of centuries. It isa synthesis of cultural environment andsocial organization as they pertain toeating.Beginning on May 1, 2015 Italy took onthe one-year task of coordinating theenhancement and promotion of the Me-diterranean Diet of the seven countriesthat comprise the network to safeguardand protect this asset. During its one-year presidency, Italy’s intent is to sharea program of common activities withall government institutions, the relevantscientific community and society at largewith the consideration that the synergybetween these countries represents anindispensible instrument for achievingthe objectives called for under this pre-stigious UNESCO recognition. To thisend the MIPAAF instituted an interde-partmental Working Group on the Me-diterranean Diet, under the stewardshipof Dr. Pasquale Giuditta. One of the ear-

liest results of the Italian chairmanshipwas the Week of the Mediterranean Dietthat took place at the Milan Expo fromSeptember 14-20, 2015. The event notonly included numerous conferences,forums, cooking shows and talk showsbut also activities for children in theMIPAAF’s booth in the Italian pavilion,as part of the Bio-Mediterranean Clusterand the European Union pavilion. Atthe end of Italy’s presidency on May 5,an event will be held in Naples aimed atshowcasing the activities that took placeunder Italian coordination. At this timethe sixth intergovernmental meeting ofthe seven countries of the network willtake place, and the baton of stewardshipwill pass from Italy to Portugal. Thiswill also be the occasion for the presen-tation of the White Book, a fundamentaland essential tool for the promotion andenhancement of the Mediterranean Diet.This publication, coordinated by Italy,will focus on the cultural and anthro-pological aspects of the MediterraneanDiet, both in terms of the relationship

between the Mediterranean Diet andsustainability and rural development asa model of sustainable consumption.Similarly, the Statement of Values ofthe Mediterranean Diet, will also bepresent on May 6 in Pollica. This docu-ment will ask the interested elements(institutions, local entities, the scientificcommunity and society at large) to sub-scribe to it with the goal of creating anetwork comprised of the communitiesof the Mediterranean Diet and a modelfor governance. In truth, there is notjust one Mediterranean Diet but rathera Mediterranean model that calls forthese countries to work together towarda common objective along a commonpath. Therefore this important event inNaples at the beginning of May will de-monstrate Italy’s leading role, and willbe fundamental for the presentation ofthe in-depth studies that have been con-ducted so far to help face a great chal-lenge: the promotion and protection ofthe Mediterranean Diet.

PASQUALE GIUDITTA

C U L T U R E A N D R E S E A R C HS O M M A R I OC U L T U R E & R E S E A R C H

E-mail addresses of Italian Academy of Cuisine

President: [email protected]

Secretary General:[email protected]

National Secretariat: [email protected]

Editorial office: [email protected]

Administration: [email protected]

@


BY RENZO PELLATIAcademician, Turin Delegation

A modern dietician reevaluates this condiment in comparison with margarine and vegetable oil.

A re-evaluation of butter

C ooking “with butter” has al-ways been a symbol of the we-alth and nobility of the most

refined cuisine (important sauces likebéchamel and béarnaise are made ex-clusively with butter). This condimentis used in cooking because of its parti-cular taste that comes from the deve-lopment of the microorganisms thatare present in cream as it is being made(volatile components such as acetalde-hyde, isovalerianic and diacetyl aminoacids are generated by the fermentationof lactose and the degradation of citricacid and citrates). In addition, butterhas a low melting point and thereforemelts quickly, even when hard, when itcomes into contact with the heat of thetongue and the palate. This makes iteasy to digest, unlike other animal fats. For thousands of years butter was ob-

tained from cream, which separateswhen shaken into a solid made of lipidglobules that clump together, and intoa liquid, known as whey. When correctlyprocessed, the solid turns into butter,which has a high nutritional value: 758calories per 100 grams (less than the900 calories contained in the sameamount of olive or vegetable oil becausebutter is 15% water). About one-thirdof the total fatty acids are unsaturatedand two-thirds are short chain saturatedfats, and this fact has led to the reeva-luation and rehabilitation of butter bymodern nutritionists. In addition, buttercontains fat soluble vitamins (especiallyVitamin A), cholesterol, some mineralsand traces of lactose, protein and pho-spholipids. In the 1950s however, the role of cho-lesterol in cardiovascular disease came

to light, and margarine - a condimentsimilar to butter but with a completelydifferent composition - became popular.In addition, with his Seven Countriesstudy (conducted in seven countries,examining 13,000 American, Europeanand Japanese men and women) AncelKeys of the University of Minnesota de-monstrated that cardiac pathologieswere not simply a natural consequenceof ageing but the result of an incorrectand unbalanced diet. In 1961 The American Heart Associa-tion issued its first guidelines warningof the dangers of saturated fats andpraising the Mediterranean Diet. As aconsequence, there was an increase inthe consumption of vegetable and oliveoils and margarines made with thoseoils, and a drop in the consumption ofbutter.Margarine was invented by a Frenchpharmacist (Hyppolite Mège-Mouriès)in 1870 after Napoleon III called for acontest to produce a fat that was moreaffordable and easier to preserve thanbutter. The resulting product was anemulsion of fat and water. In the originalformula, the watery part was comprisedof skimmed milk, and the fat came fromtallow (refined beef fat). Mège-Mourièsnamed his invention “oleo-margarine”in consideration of the fact that underthe microscope, the emulsified fat lookedlike pearls (margaronmeans “pearl” inGreek). Over the years margarine un-derwent many modifications of its com-position, owing to the presence of animalfats (whale oil, ox fat) and vegetablefats (soy, peanut, corn, sunflower andcocoanut oils).The situation changed in 1903 when aGerman chemist, Wilhem Norman, di-scovered a way to add hydrogen (in thepresence of an inert catalyzer, usuallynickel) to the unsaturated fatty acidscharacteristic of vegetable oils so thatthey became saturated, and assumed asolid consistency similar to that of butter.The use of vegetable-based margarinein cuisine was and is identical to butter.But owing to its absence of cholesteroland lower saturated fat content thanbutter, margarine became popular and

soon was sold everywhere. The differenttypes of margarine came to constitutethe main ingredient in crackers, chipsand various desserts and were used re-gularly in home cooking. However, sub-sequent studies showed that the hydro-genation process that the liquid vegetablefats had to undergo to become solidalso produced a percentage of “trans”fatty acids that were actually more da-maging to our cardiovascular systemsthan the saturated fats they were sup-posed to replace. As a consequencemargarine came to be seen as unhealthyand butter began to be reevaluated.In commenting on the results of the re-search, professor Andrea Poli, Presidentof the Nutrition Foundation of Italy,points out that current observationalstudies have absolved saturated fattyacids of the accusation that they wereassociated with an increased risk forcardiovascular disease. On the contrary,they demonstrated guilt on the part ofthe so-calls “trans” fatty acids - i.e. hy-drogenated or hardened unsaturatedfats such as the margarine containedin many industrially produced foodsand foods fried with oil heated to thesmoking point which have undergonea bacterial transformation during thecud chewing by ruminants.But this does not mean that we caneat all the butter we want - amountsand portions should always be limited.Positive health effects are still producedby the “unsaturated” fatty acids foundin olive oil, the omega 3 contained inblue fish and the omega 6 present inlegumes and dried fruit. Still, we canease up on the ban on saturated fatsand decrease our consumption of“trans” fats.The scientific community that studiesnutrition agrees on the following gui-delines for daily consumption of fat:not more than 30 percent of daily totalcaloric intake (therefore, 60-70 grams,with fewer than 20-25 grams of satu-rated fats based on a 2,000 calorie-perday diet). In addition, short chain fattyacids that are found in butter are usefulfor aerobic muscular activity, and areeasier to digest. Therefore there is no

more metabolic veto for those whoenjoy a breakfast of bread, butter andjam (which is helpful in the preventionof hypoglycemia that can be broughtabout by the consumption of prepac-kaged filled pastries, which are far moredangerous), or for those who prefer tolunch on a risotto with butter, and somekind of meat, or to dine on a dish ofcheese. What is important is not havingall three on the same day and not ex-ceeding the recommended limit of 20grams of fatty acids, especially for thosepeople with high cholesterol and whoare sedentary.At a recent conference in Thiene, uni-versity professor and nutritional scienceexpert Pier Luigi Rossi stated: “butteris part of the national nutritional andgastronomic capital of our country. Isit an erroneous nutritional choice toconsider butter only in terms of its cho-lesterol. A single portion of this condi-ment (10 grams) contains 24 mg ofcholesterol, equivalent to 8 percent ofthe recommended daily amount (300mg). The human organism requirescholesterol at all stages of life, and if itis not introduced through diet, the cellswill form by themselves (endogenouscholesterol). Not including it in the dietcauses the liver to produce more chole-sterol in order to provide the vital re-sponse to each individual’s daily requi-rement of cholesterol, which is thentransformed into various essential hor-monal steroids necessary for the properfunctioning of the entire human body.

RENZO PELLATI



T he embarrassment that struckus was deep insofar as it wasunusual and of great import;

in other words, it was proportionateto the uproar created by the reportthe omnipotent CNN spread on itsweb site and addressed to its fans. Itall happened at the end of the pastyear with this alarming headline: “Italyfor Eaters: Nine Destinations that’llDestroy Your Waistline” that was meantas an alert to those people who struggleto maintain their figures. The authorof such a learned intervention aimedat alerting the tourist from overseas –we hope with a good deal of caution –when he dared to show up in searchof food among less known Italian townsand regions and their tables. To reachsuch objective, he called into questionseven single regional items and threecomposite ones whose consumption“would destroy the waistline” (his exact

words). This was not a reductive judg-ment; irony apart, it provoked a fewserious reflections. The suspiciousitems belong to nine localities in onlyseven regions, to wit: the spaghettiwith capsicum of Matera (Basilicata);the dessert of granita of Randazzo (Si-cily); the bufala mozzarella of Caserta(Campania); the multiple sausagesknown as “gluttony made in Norcia”that take the name of the locality as“norcinerie”; panettone, the sweet sym-bol of Milan (Lumbardy); various pro-ducts from Orgosolo (Sardinia) definedas “the land of pork and honey”; thefried hot pepper (crusco) of Matera(Basilicata); the brodetto from Vasto(Abruzzo); the hand made chocolateof Modica (Sicily); and finally, a lastcategory devoted to “eating and drin-king” encompassing various specialtiesdefined as hard to digest and foodfrom the countryside of Umbria, spe-cifically from Borgo di Carpiano, onthe hillsides of Gubbio (Umbria).Let us state that we do not intend todeal with details that are importantbut not decisive, such as the languageused or the criteria for the selectionof elements under review, the accuracyof analysis or the choice of individualdestinations. Unfortunately, as any ob-server can see without necessarilybeing an Academician, the cited desti-nations represent a circumscribed ro-tation that is far from representative,but pejorative in character, of “Italyfor big eaters”. Let us then focus, withthe minimum of knowledge availableto us, on “our specialty”, the brodettoa la Vasto, since the treatment of thisspecialty, with a negative tone and a

cheeky approach that in some casestakes on the attitude of deliberate in-tolerance, a few improprieties wereadded in the recipe. This is not a de-fense ex-officio nor an unwise commu-nal stand; rather, it is a spontaneousand honest action to reestablish a kindof balanced and necessary “reconsi-deration” in favor of the typicality ofVasto, that has been consecrated byreliable judgments in good taste. Infact, our specialty does not deservethe definition of gigantic fish soup dueto the simple reason that it is not asoup, which should be evident to all.Authoritative texts on culinary art, in-cluding the well known Ricettario ofthe Academy, spell it out by qualifyingthe specialty as healthy. CNN went overboard with commentsthat ignore good sense and even madeuse of the inelegant term “assassin”when dealing with the use of the deli-cious and creative capsicum. While itis advisable to avoid the sterile disputeconcerning obvious excesses, it is op-portune to dismiss unsubstantiatedcomparisons. Such is the case when itis stated that the brodetto from Vasto“causes damage to the waistline” notjust because of the quantity of breadthat accompanies it, but on accountof the incredible notation that it makesuse of the residual sauce with “boiledangel hair” (not even spaghetti, howabout some seriousness?). Far be itfrom us the intention of invoking adose of reliability of research and in-formation of which CNN is always boa-sting. It is not in our style to do soeven though it is part of the institutionalduties of the newly established Aca-

BY PINO JUBATTIAcademician, Vasto Delegation

CNN advises against eating “brodetto” claiming that it increases your girth; RAI 3 features a chef who upends the typical recipe of the “virtues” from Teramo.

Abruzzese cuisine as seen on tv

demy Delegation of Vasto to whichwe belong without vain pride. It isour opinion, however, that from sucha qualified yet strident presentationwe should bring home a coherent les-son. With the American text in frontof us, expressions such as “self re-straint”, “belt straining”, “angel hair”and “huts over poles”, “ray and wai-stline”, “gigantic fish soup for two”and last but not least “soaked bread”and “sea broth”, all of this can blithelypass as fattening cuisine. In fact, thevery pretentious beginning of the re-port, inspired in part by the film “Ra-ging Bull” with Robert De Niro (playingthe role of the fighter Jake La Motta)trying to gain weight for the demandsof the role is based upon the symbolismof getting fat as applied to Italy. Let ussay that the insinuation is intentionaland premeditated, a disparaging hintthat does not deserve additional com-

ment. This brand of hilarious sarcasmcannot pass unnoticed when facedwith the authentic scientific studiesof alimentary figurehead and inventorof the Mediterranean Diet Ancel Keys(Colorado Springs: 1904-2004), whosenutritional model rewards our typicalspecialty as a conceptual extension.A different kind of embarrassment, so-mewhat humiliating, is connected withthe case of the so-called “virtues”: onJanuary 8th, the RAI 3 network aireda report about a well known specialtyfrom Teramo featuring a female cheffrom Aquila. The report caused anuproar and strong protests on socialnetworks, as it happens nowadays, asmany extreme conservatives of Tera-mo’s gastronomic traditions aired theirdisdain for multiple showy “alternati-ves” of ingredients associated with in-novative models. The aftermath prom-pted the local newspapers to publish

headlines such as “Teramo’s insurrec-tion. Don’t interfere with the virtues”.The insurrection condemned what wasperceived as an attempt to pervert ga-stronomic nature. It was also reportedthat the chef from Aquila took the pu-blic stand that it was all about her“personal re-visitation” of a typicaldish, by all means a legitimate action.The same press sources took note ofthe fact that the explanation by thechef did not change the hostile mood.In conclusion, Vasto and Teramo, indiffering ways, have caused the regionof Abruzzo to come into a dubious li-melight through the loss of a certainstyle at the table and the updating oftradition in the kitchen, somethingthat it is difficult to achieve, due tothe attempt to cater to the conservativeschool of thought. As always, gastro-nomy refuses to yield.

PINO JUBATTI


Academicians’ contributions to the magazine are notonly welcome, but essential. However Academiciansshould keep in mind some important guidelines so thattheir contributions, which are the fruit of their passionand dedication, are expeditiously published.

� Articles: it is essential that the text of articles besent via email, in MS Word format (not pdf) to the fol-lowing address: [email protected]

� Article length: it is important that articles are bet-ween 3,500 and 7,000 characters (including spaces);this is the best way to avoid cuts that are bothersome forboth the editors and those submitting the texts. All com-puters should be able to provide character counts..

� Each issue of the magazine is printed one month ahe-ad of the cover date so that it can be delivered to theAcademicians by that date. Those submissions that aretime sensitive should be sent in ample time.

� “From the Delegations” Section: In order to facili-tate reading, please limit articles to a maximum of2,500 characters including spaces.

� Please remember that in the “From the Delegations”section as well as elsewhere, descriptions of meetingsheld outside the territory of the Delegation or in thehomes of Academicians, unless they are associatedwith an important event, will not be published. Al-so, please do not include a list of dishes and wines.Such listing should appear on the appropriate ratingform regarding convivial meetings.

� Rating forms for convivial meetings: should be sentto the Secretariat ([email protected]). Itis also important to limit remarks in the “notes and com-ments” section of the form to 800 characters (maxi-mum 1,000) spaces included in order to avoid cuts. Ra-ting forms that reach the Secretariat more than 30 daysafter the event will be discarded.

� We also request that you not submit reports on convi-vial meetings held outside the territory of the Delega-tion, or that take place in the homes of Academicians,or are otherwise not held in restaurants or public ve-nues, as they will not be published.

GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MAGAZINE


A s part of the celebrations beingthe “first wine territory” forthree centuries, the “Chianti

Classico Collection” of Florence - a col-lection of “Black Rooster” labels - waspresented on February 16 in Tuscany.The purpose of the festival, which willcontinue through the year and culminateon September 24, is to remind us thatthree hundred years ago in Tuscany thefirst historical and legal provisions forthe protection of wine quality were esta-blished. This is why the Chianti Classicobrand, one of the participators in theevent, includes the phrase “since 1716”beneath the emblematic black roosteron its label. History tells us that on Sep-tember 24, 1716, the Grand Duke ofTuscany Cosimo III de’ Medici issued aspecial edict limiting the territory ofproduction of the following wines:Chianti, Pomino, Carmignano and Val-darno Superiore. This action was ne-

cessary because, as we can seefrom the written announcementthat has been preserved in theoffices of the Chianti ClassicoConsortium, these wines werethe only ones “fit for travel”,that is, authorized for exportto far away lands. The territory

and production systemof these wines be-

stowed upon themunique antioxi-dant properties,which at thetime enabled

them to embarkon long sea voyages

without “maderiza-tion”. Maderization is a

typical change that occurred in thewines of that time owing to the move-ment of the ship and the temperatureswings that affected them during theirmany months’ journey to their destina-tion. Actually the term derives from thename of the Archipelago of Madera inthe Atlantic Ocean, from whence shipsloaded with Portuguese wines destinedfor America departed. The oxidationthat was originally considered undesi-rable is still today the same process thatconfers the special taste on some va-luable port wines such as Madeira.To ensure that the wine maintained itsantioxidant properties and to avoid po-tential fraud that would have damagedthe image and economy of the GrandDuchy of Tuscany (one of most prospe-rous European states at the time), Co-simo III developed a system of controls,with precise production and marketingnorms, that led to a second edict that

established the “Congregation of Vigi-lance Over Production” (organizationsthat were not unlike today’s consortia).In France, however, the first attemptsto safeguard the quality of wine tookplace at the beginning of the 1900swhen the vines were decimated by phyl-loxera (a parasite that started in Franceand ultimately wiped out a large partof European wines). The drop in wineproduction encouraged the spread ofpoor wine making processes, from wa-tering down the wine to devices to en-hance taste and reduce acidity (some-times even including the use of leadand its derivatives). This severely com-promised both the wine’s quality andits healthiness. Thus the first associationsaimed at protecting the quality of winebegan to be formed, thanks to the ex-pertise of a brilliant wine maker (BaronLe Roy). In 1925 he developed a methodfor controlling the quality of wine pro-duction that was subsequently adoptedby many countries.In Italy during the same period (afterthe First World War) the city of Marsalawas faced with a grave crisis that ledmany disreputable merchants to adul-terate the wine produced in their city.So to protect consumers from fraudand imitation, in 1931 local producersjoined in a consortium that defined thecharacteristics of a true “Marsala” wine.This was the fundamental starting pointfrom which the wine norms and “de-nominations of origin” promulgated in1963 (with DPR of July 12 number930) departed. The first four DOC wineswere established in 1966 through theappropriate DPR: Vernaccia of San Gi-mignano; Est! Est! Est!of Montefiascone;

The first provisions in the world for the protection of Chianti Classico came about in Tuscany in 1716.

European legislation on wine quality

BY MAURO GAUDINOAcademician, Rome Nomentana Delegation

Ischia (white, red, and superior) andFrascati. Marsala’s DOC was recognizedon April 2, 1969. This denominationwas followed by DOGC, referring to hi-gher quality wines aged over ten years.Their quality and reputation is assessedby a tasting committee during bottling.The first wines to enter this category,in 1980 and 1981, were Brunello diMontalcino, Barolo, and Vino Nobile diMontepulciano.The European Economic Communityintervened with its regulation CEE 823in 1987 (subsequently incorporatedinto regulation CE 1622 in 2000) callingfor different classifications based onquality wines produced in specific re-gions. The pre-existing national deno-minations of DOC and DOCG flowedinto a single new classification, the1992 Law 164 calling for VQPRD (qua-lity wines produced in a specific region).Another new classification, that of “tablewine”, included regular wines, with orwithout the geographic origin indication(IGT); that is, ordinary wines comingfrom fairly large areas. With the 1992Law 164, at the time of harvest and ormarketing producers could choose whichcategory best suited their wines, therebyassuring the coordination of productquality and denomination across allphases of production.With the 1992 Regulation CEE 2081were born the denominations of pro-tected origin (DOP) and geographic in-dication (IGP). These emblems of qualitywere originally only applied to agricul-tural food products and excluded winesand alcoholic beverages.

All these concepts would be streamlinedand clarified under the 2006 RegulationCE n. 510, while a subsequent 2008 re-gulation CE n. 479 regarding the reformof Common Market’s wine sector spe-cifically demonstrated the need to rein-force quality control at the local level.The imposition of the aforesaid regula-tion (CE n. 510) for DOP and IGP wasaimed at addressing questions of de-nomination of origin or geographicalindication. The denominations of DOC,DOCG and IGT converged under thisdesignation, but it preserved the tradi-tional references as called for by Article54 of the same Regulation. The IGT de-signation became IGP, which characte-rized a higher level of quality in that itwas more stringent than the previousone. It included new controls, from de-scriptions of the wine’s analytic and or-ganoleptic qualities, to the requirementthat the wine be produced in the samearea where the grapes were grown, aswell as quality controls called for in theother IGP designations.With the legislative decree n. 2 of April8, 2010, the Italian laws were adaptedto match the 2008 European RegulationCE n. 479. The new law calls for the“Protection of denomination of originand the geographic indications of wine”.It became law on May 11, 2010. Thusdesignations such as “quality winesproduced in a specific region” (VQPRD)were eliminated. As in the past, the reference to traditionalspecifications DOC and DOCG (as inthe sense of the 2010 decree n. 61)would converge under DOP. The desi-

gnation IGT, like the French “Vin dePays” and German “Landwein” wouldfall under IGP. Such designations couldreplace, respectively, the IGT abbrevia-tion from Valle d’Aosta and the auto-nomous province of Bolzano. Sparkingwines are designated as VS (sparkingwine), VSQ (quality sparkling wine)and VSAQ (aromatic quality sparklingwine). The saying “table wine” has di-sappeared, and in practice such winesare now called “common” or “generic”.In addition to other optional descriptions,their labels may contain the followinginformation: wine, sparkling wine, bub-bly wine and color specification (red,white, rosé).On November 21, 2012 the 2006 Re-gulation 510 was abrogated and replacedwith Regulation n. 1151 regarding qua-lity standards of agricultural and foodproducts. This regulation, which doesnot compromise the current EuropeanUnion norms regarding wines and spirits,defines a DOP product as originatingfrom a specific place, region, or in somecases even country: its qualities or cha-racteristics depend essentially or exclu-sively on a specific geographical envi-ronment, its associated intrinsic naturaland human factors, and its productionis carried out in a limited geographicalzone. An IGP product is defined as ori-ginating from a specific place, regionor country upon whose geography de-pend its unique characteristics, reputa-tion and quality. At least one phase ofits production takes place the specificgeographical area.

MAURO GAUDINO


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