"It was a very important meeting that saw a very large participation by the members of the Consortium" comments Antonio Benanti, President of the Etna DOC Wine Protection Consortium . "It was the first appointment after the lockdown period caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was certainly necessary to make a first point of the situation in such a particular year but it was above all, in our opinion, the right time to return to formally deal together to our members important topics that are important to all of us and that concern the development and consolidation of the Etna denomination, in fact, only the issue of reducing the yield per hectare of the Etna Rosso and Etna Rosso Riserva types for the 2020 harvest was stimulated from the current pandemic. We have no particular fears, instead we aim to produce great reds this year! " .
In light of these premises, the Shareholders' Meeting approved to reduce, for the 2020 harvest only, the yield of the Etna Doc Rosso and Rosso Riserva typology from the current 90 quintals per hectare provided for in the specification to 70 quintals per hectare , eliminating the possibility of any overshoots within 20% of production. "The Etna Rosso typology represents just over 60% of the total Etna Doc claimed in 2019 and is therefore the most important from a quantitative point of view" explains the Director of the Consortium, Maurizio Lunetta . "The completely exceptional period we have experienced since March has required an extraordinary decision. This is a measure which, in line with what has been decided by other important Italian consortia, will contribute to reducing the risk of market imbalances that could affect the producers, on the DOC and on the territory " .
Another measure of production management and governance of the denomination that the Assembly voted with a favorable opinion is the temporary suspension of registrations of new vineyard areas in Etna Doc (new plants or re-grafts) for a period of three years to starting from August 1, 2021 and until July 31, 2024 with some exceptions on the projects already submitted by OCM calls and the authorizations obtained from the national reserve for new plants . The suspension of registrations will not concern the replanting and the anticipated replanting of vines already suitable for the production of the DOC denomination "Etna". "In this case too, the Consortium's goal is to initiate a virtuous process for the next few years that manages to manage the growth of the offer in relation to evolving demand, protecting the value of the denomination" continues Lunetta .
Finally, the assembly also approved the proposal to modify the production specification , including among other modifications the possibility of producing sparkling wine only with the classic method, the introduction of a minimum number of plants per hectare and greater freedom of choice of bottle closures. The changes approved by the Assembly are the result of an important comparison work by an internal Technical Committee and will limit the possibility of interpretation of some passages in the specification, to further guarantee the quality and identity of the Etna wines.
"They are all important proposals, aimed at strengthening and protecting the denomination and governing its growth , which have the objective of protecting viticulture on the slopes of Etna: a small jewel to be preserved and enhanced with strength, determination and choices responsible and shared. Now we must look forward with confidence and optimism, strengthened by the unchanged and growing interest that Etna DOC wines have for consumers, confirmed by the decisive recovery of requests from the market starting from the month of June - concludes the President Antonio Benanti -, but at the same time aware that some measures are needed to be able to face the period of crisis and restart with the right tools for our denomination. To continue to distinguish ourselves within the Sicilian and national wine scene, we need targeted interventions and precise . "
