VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO WINS IN ARGENTINA: MEVI WINERY'S "SAN GIMIGNANO" BRAND CANCELLED

The Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Consortium has achieved another important milestone in the international protection of the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), this time in Argentina.
The local Court of Appeal upheld the Consortium's appeal, ordering the cancellation of the "San Gimignano" trademark registered by the Argentine winery Mevi SA, which used a label for its wines depicting the Tuscan city's famous medieval towers, surmounted by the clearly visible wording "San Gimignano."

This success is preceded by the recent victory in Spain with the cancellation of the VARNACIA 1321 brand, considered evocative and unduly associated with the Vernaccia DOP.
An example of a connection to the fame of a Tuscan territorial and winemaking excellence, which threatened the very identity of a historic and world-renowned denomination.

The case has turned into a long and complex legal battle, dating back to 2020, when, thanks to international surveillance activities conducted for the Consortium by Bugnion SpA , a leading intellectual property consultancy firm, the presence of the "San Gimignano" trademark of the Mevi SA winery in Argentina emerged. The trademark, registered in 2007 and used for a line of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Malbec wines, was beginning to achieve considerable success and visibility internationally.

Thus, in 2021, the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Consortium filed a cancellation action with the Argentine Trademark Office, which was rejected in 2024, despite Mevi SA not even attempting to defend itself. This decision was based on the fact that, according to the Trademark Office, the PDO "Vernaccia di San Gimignano" only obtained international recognition in 2017, through the Lisbon Agreement: therefore, 10 years after the registration of Mevi SA's "San Gimignano" trademark.
The Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Consortium challenged this decision "due to a manifest error" regarding the date of recognition of the "Vernaccia di San Gimignano" PDO and, therefore, due to an incorrect interpretation of Argentine national legislation and international treaties.

Finally, on October 28, 2025, the Consortium's appeal was upheld, thanks to the joint work carried out by Bugnion, with the support of the Italian Embassy in Buenos Aires, ultimately obtaining the full cancellation of the Mevi winery's trademark .

The Argentine Court in fact recognized that the contested sign reproduced a foreign Protected Designation of Origin , already registered in Italy in 1966 and protected internationally by the Paris Convention and the TRIPS agreements, also signed by Argentina, and that this trademark was also capable of deceiving consumers about the real geographical origin of the product.

"This decision confirms how effective the tools for protecting our excellent agri-food products are even outside the European Union," comments Paola Stefanelli , trademark consultant at Bugnion , who coordinated the initiative in Argentina. "It is essential that the Consortia continue to monitor foreign markets to react promptly against improper use of our designations. International treaties offer effective tools, but experience and specialization are needed to apply them successfully."

"Vernaccia di San Gimignano is part of our identity, and seeing it defended with such determination even overseas fills us with pride," said Manrico Biagini , President of the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Consortium . "This result demonstrates that defending Made in Italy and the quality of our products is always a battle worth fighting, to protect our history, our producers, and the unique bond that unites us to this territory."

A decision that represents a significant precedent for the protection of Italian designations of origin abroad , reaffirming the centrality of international agreements in defending Made in Italy.

With this new victory, the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Consortium confirms its ongoing commitment to promoting and defending local excellence , supported by the experience of Bugnion SpA, which for years has worked alongside Italian protection consortia in international challenges related to the protection and promotion of intellectual property.