Wineries

AZIENDA VITIVINICOLA MONFERRINA di SFORZA FOGLIANI

Piace DOC - Consorzio di Tutela Vini D.o.c. Colli Piacentini

The Colli Piacentini D.O.C. Wines Consortium was founded in 1986 under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce of Piacenza, on the initiative of 19 producers, as a non–profit organization. Its role is expressed mainly in two directions: on the one hand, with the authorization of February 1992 by the Ministry of Agriculture (now Ministry of Agricultural Policies), it protects, controls and supervises the production; on the other hand, it promotes and carries out promotional activities by taking actions to raise awareness and to disseminate the Colli Piacentini D.O.C. Wines.


The Consortium carries out annual audits in associated companies, oversees the designation, the quality of the products, the use of trademarks and the respect of the agreements of self–discipline established by the Board of Directors and approved by the Shareholders’s Assembly.


It implements by virtue of a special agreement with the Chamber the activity of sampling of wines suitable for making D.O.C. wines, using chemical analysis of these wines from a laboratory approved by the Ministry and accredited SINAL, also in this case by special agreement; it carries out activities for advice on the application of the requirements laid down by the Community and national laws and, in addition, informs the members through the "Terra dei Vini" house organ. The final test, of course, is that of the retail market. The Consortium, therefore, can perform all over Italy any kind of assessment, inspection and supervision of the Colli Piacentini D.O.C. at all levels of the production chain, in full cooperation with the local offices of the Fraud Repression and N.A.S.


Currently engaged in the pursuit of better classification of the Colli Piacentini D.O.C. wines, from 1993 to 1995 the Consortium has produced important research on management, organization and prospects of the Colli Piacentini D.O.C. – which rose from just 3 D.O.C. wines in the 70s (Gutturnio, Trebbianino and Monterosso), to the 11 of the 80s (Gutturnio, Barbera, Bonarda, Trebbianino Val Trebbia, Sauvignon, Valnure, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Nero, Ortrugo, Monterosso Val d’Arda, Malvasia), to the current 18 (in addition to the above mentioned: Novello, Cabernet Sauvignon, Vin Santo, Vin Santo di Vigoleno, Chardonnay, Pinot sparkling white or rosé, and the various types of Gutturnio reserve, classic, superior) – revealing at the same time to be very useful to define the winegrowing vocation of certain sub areas suitable for the production of DOC wines and their organoleptic and physico–chemical differences.