The government label on the bottles becomes reality
A system for guaranteeing authenticity, aimed at the protection of producers and consumers of DOC-branded bottles: it is the system of government labels, which from January 1st, 2022 accompanies the DOC Sicilia wines and traces all the phases of each single bottle life. A path that started some time ago by the Consortium for the Protection of DOC Sicilia Wines, which in 2018 had made the decision to introduce the label issued by the Government Mint.
Moreover, the State label, which is mandatory only for DOCG denominations (in Sicily the Cerasuolo of Vittoria wine) is now the exclusive asset of the most important Italian DOCs: adopting and attaching the alphanumeric code that characterizes the band means being able to control the entire cycle of grape processing, from the vineyard to the bottle. The steadily increasing production of DOC Sicilia branded bottles sold in Europe and throughout the world, increases the risk of counterfeiting and of the improper use of the name of the Denomination on foreign markets.
The initiative was strongly supported by the Board of Directors of the Consortium for the Protection of DOC Sicilia Wines chaired by Antonio Rallo. «Enhancement, protection and supervision: these are the key words in reference to the activity of the Consosrtium of DOC Sicilia Wines – affirms the President. – And it is precisely with regard to supervision and protection that the introduction of State labels from January 1st, 2022 represents an important innovation that guarantees the traceability of all our bottles life stages. Moreover, if on the one hand, the continuous growth of DOC Sicilia wines number sold in Europe and around the world rewards the work of the island’s wineries, on the other hand, it requires strengthening supervision. The introduction of the labels contrasts in the best possible way any counterfeits and thus it protects both consumers and producers who respect the rules of DOC Sicilia brands.”
The new system is managed by the Regional Institute of Wine and Oil, a regional public body with the function of control that is recognized by Accredia (the national validation agency). “DOC Sicilia – declares Gaetano Aprilethe director of the Regional Institute of Wine and Oil, – represents almost 86% of the certified bottled products of Sicily and has about 500 bottlers: these numbers give an idea of how the labels management represents a complex challenge, which our institute is ready to take on. In order to meet the needs of the sector, it will not only be necessary to have a large number of labels available, but fast distribution times will also have to be guaranteed”.
How the label works
The system of labels guarantees the complete traceability of each bottle thanks to the anti-counterfeiting measures of the State labels. The labels are printed by the Polygraphic Institute and Government Mint using special watermarks and fluorescent inks, visible and invisible elements that certify the authenticity of the product. The system of applying the label when sealing the bottles makes it impossible to reuse them, with the maximum guarantee of veracity. Each special mark has an alphanumeric code containing a progressive identification number that distinguishes each single bottle placed on the market. In addition, each label on the bottles can be read by all smartphones on which the Trust Your Wine App has been previously installed, which can be downloaded for free from the iOS and Android stores.