The Italian DOC and DOCG wines (first part)

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GT, DOC and DOCG are quality assurance labels, assigned by the Italian Government to some of the wines produced in the country.

I.G.T. – ‘Indicazione Geografica Tipica’ (Typical Geographical Indication);
D.O.C. – ‘Denominazione di Origine Controllata’ (Controlled Designation of Origin);
D.O.C.G. – ‘Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita’ (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin);

They have great importance because they certify these products and protect them from many kinds of dangers, such as the risks of imitation and sophistication.
To get (and keep) one these labels, a wine has to meet the requirements of specific production code.

IGT, DOC and DOCG differ from each other for the complexity of the regulations set by their respective production codes.

The simplest requirements are met by IGT wines, the most strict and detailed by DOCG.

The reliability of these labels is ensured by severe tests and controls during time.

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s already mentioned in the previous paragraph, an Italian wine aspiring to get (and keep) a quality assurance label, has to meet all the requirements set by specific production code.
Here follows, for example, some of these requirements:
Name;
Type of grapes, type of cultivation, number of plants, etc.
Area of production of the grapes;
Type of vinification;
Characteristics of the product (color, alcohol content, acidity, etc.);
Minimum aging period (if needed);
Higher is the importance of the label, more complex and detailed are the parameters to meet.

T

he Italian DOCG wines are at the moment 74 (Nov.2019), a number expected to grow in the next few years.
Here follows a complete list of them, divided by region of origin:

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n May 2019, the Italian Legislative Decree n.61 has transposed the EU directive concerning designations of origin.
This means that in Europe:
DOC and DOCG wines are now considered as DOP (Protected Designation of Origin);
IGT wines are now considered as IGP (Protected Geographical Indication);

T

he first wines to receive the DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) label, were two great Tuscan products (D.P.R. 01/07/1980):

Brunello di Montalcino.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Both of them were DOC since 1966.

T

he first DOC labels (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) were assigned in 1966 to four wines:
Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
Ischia.
Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone.
Frascati.

Many claim that since the assignment to Vernaccia di San Gimignano was officialized before the others (Official Gazette of 06.05.1966, n. 110), this wine should be considered the first Italian DOC.

Some other people argue that, in truth, the very first was Marsala. Even if this may seem quite odd, from a certain point of view it could be true. In fact, it’s important to remember that, since the beginning of its commercialization, this famous Sicilian wine was victim of many attempts of imitation: that’s why in 1931, a Ministerial Decree specified its characteristics, designating specifically its zone of production. This decree can really be considered an early form of the modern DOC designation.

T

he IGP, DOC and DOCG labels certify the place of origin of an Italian wine. In this country many other wines don’t have a specific designation: they’re the ‘generic wines’, once known as ‘table wines’ (‘vini da tavola’).
There are two types of them:
Varietal wines (‘vini varietali’): wines made primarily with a single grape variety (85%).
Vintage wines (‘vini d’annata’): wines made primarily with grapes from the same year (85%).