Description
Geographical Indication Brandy Italiano is reserved to the brandy produced through distillation of wine derived from grapes produced and vinified in the Italian territory subjected to an ageing period in oak casks at least of one year or six months for casks with a capacity of less than 1.000 litres.
Production Area
The production area of Brandy Italiano GI is within the entire territory of Italy.
Production Method
The Brandy Italiano GI is obtained from wine spirit, with or without the addition of wine distillate at less than 94,8 % in volume, provided that the wine distillate does not exceed a maximum of 50% of the alcoholic content of the finished product. No addition of ethyl alcohol diluted or undiluted is allowed. Brandy is not flavoured but traditional production methods are allowed.In the production of Brandy Italiano GI it is allowed the addition of:- sugars, up to a maximum of 20 g per litre, expressed in invert sugar;- caramel, only as a colorant in accordance with the Decree of the Ministry of Health n. 209 of February 27, 1999- natural flavouring substances and flavouring preparations (art. 2, par. 1, letter b), item 1, and letter c), Legislative Decree n. 107 of January 25th 1992) obtained from oak chips or other vegetable substances, or by infusion or maceration with water or wine spirits, up to a maximum of 3% of the hydrate volume. Aging must take place in warehouses located in national territory in uncoated oak casks.
Product Characteristics
Traditionally the Brandy Italiano GI is obtained by distillation and / or re-distillation of the following raw materials:- wine obtained from grapes grown and vinified in Italy,- wine spirit obtained from wines produced with grapes grown and vinified in Italy,-distillate wine obtained from wines produced with grapes grown and vinified in Italy,- cutting/assembly between wine-spirit and wine-distillate.The ageing process has to take place in warehouses located in the national territory in not varnished or dipped oak containers. Brandy Italiano GI can only be made available for consumption with a minimum alcoholic strength by volume of 38%.
Link with the territory
The history of the modern distillation of wine started in Italy in the XVIII century when some foreigne enterpreneurs found out that the Italian ground was particularly fertile for distillation. In 1773, Sir John Woodhouse arrived in Sicily and started distilling wine in order to produce Marsala wine. French distillers like Jean Bouton in 1820, the Landy brothers in 1870 and Renè Briand in 1935 created their own distilleries in Italy. In 1832, Vincenzo Florio, from Calabria, founded the company that bears his name and started producing the Marsala wine as well as an excellent brandy. There were also other Italian enterpreneurs such as Ausano Ramazzotti, the Branca family with their “Vieux Cognac”, Antonio Carpené and Pilla, to mention just a few, that started prodcuing brandy. The greatest consumption of Italian brandy ever occurred during the decade following the Second World War.
Legislative information
Geographical Indication Brandy Italiano is registered in the Annex III of Regulation (EC) n. 110/2008 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of Geographical Indications of spirit drinks and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1576/89 (published in the Official Journal of the EU of 13 February 2008; L. 39) as modified by the Reg. (EC) 1067/2016 and by Reg. 674/2019. Notwithstanding the entry in force of the new Reg. UE 787/2019 which is replacing Reg. 110/2008 and that applies to GIs from 8 june 2019, Annex III still stand until the creation of GI’s Register referred to in article 33 of the new law. Generally, article 24 paragraph 1 of Regulation 787/2019 provides that for every Geographical Indication has to be presented a technical file containing requirements requested by article 24 itself. In Italy the approval and presentation procedure of technical files is defined by Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies decree of May 13, 2010. The Brandy Italiano GI technical file is contained in Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies decree n. 5388 of August 1, 2011 (published in the Italian Official Journal n. 227 of September 29, 2011).The Brandy Italiano GI technical file is contained in the MoA decree of June 16, 2016 (published in the Italian Official Journal n. 147 of June 25, 2016).
