Description
The Brandy Italiano Geographical Indication is reserved for brandy produced in Italy through the distillation of wine made from grapes produced and vinified in Italian territory, and aged in oak casks for at least one year, or six months if the casks have a capacity of less than 1000 litres.
Production Area
The production area of Brandy Italiano GI is within the entire territory of Italy.
Production Method
Brandy Italiano GI is obtained from wine spirit, with or without the addition of wine distillate with less than 94.8% ABV, provided that the distillate does not exceed 50% of the finished product’s alcohol content. The addition of ethyl alcohol, pure or diluted, is not permitted. The brandy is not aromatised, but traditional production methods are allowed. The following ingredients can be added during the production process of Brandy Italiano GI: – sugars, up to a maximum of 20 g per litre, expressed in invert sugar; – caramel, in accordance with the provisions in decree n. 209 issued by the Ministry of Health on 27 February 1999; - natural flavourings and flavour mixtures (art. 2, par. 1, letter b), item 1, and letter c), Legislative Decree n. 107 of 25 January 1992) obtained from oak chips or other plant substances, or through infusion or maceration with water or wine spirits, up to a maximum of 3% of the hydrate volume. Ageingmust take place in warehouses located in Italian territory, in uncoated, unvarnished oak casks.
Product Characteristics
Traditionally Brandy Italiano GI is obtained through the distillation and/or redistillation of the following raw materials: - wine obtained from grapes (Vitis vinifera) harvested and vinified in Italy; - wine spirit obtained from wines produced with grapes harvested and vinified in Italy; -distillate wine obtained from wines produced with grapes harvested and vinified in Italy; - cutting/assembly of wine spirit and wine distillate. The brandy must be aged in warehouses located in Italy, in oak casks which are not varnished or coated. Brandy Italiano GI can only be released for consumption with a minimum alcohol content of 38% ABV.
Link with the territory
Modern wine distillation started in Italy in the 18th century, mainly because some foreigners found the country particularly suitable for practicing this ancient art. “In 1773, the Englishman John Woodhouse arrived in Sicily and started distilling wine to fortify Marsala wine. [...] Jean Bouton left France for Bologna in 1820 and opened his own distillery. In 1832, the Calabrian Vincenzo Florio founded the company that bears his name, and started producing both the famous Marsala wine and an excellent brandy. [...] Naturally, there were other Italians, such as Ausano Ramazzotti in Milan in 1845, the Branca family, Antonio Carpené and Pilla, to mention but a few …” (Angelo Matteucci, Il Brandy Italiano). The highest consumption of Italian brandy was recorded in the decades following the Second World War; it began to decline in the 1980s, as it did for other spirits, although alongside an improvement in quality.
Legislative information
The Brandy Italiano Geographical Indication is registered in Annex III of Regulation (EC) No. 110/2008 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and protection of Geographical Indications of spirit drinks and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1576/89 (published in the OJEU L. 39 of 13.02.2008), as modified by EC Reg. 1067/2016 and Reg. 674/2019. Notwithstanding the entry into force of the new EU Reg. 787/2019, which repeals Reg. 110/2008 and – as far as GIs are concerned – has been applied since 8 June 2019, Annex III will continue to apply until the creation of the GI Register referred to in art. 33 of the new regulation. Generally, article 24, paragraph 1 of Regulation 787/2019 states that for every single Geographical Indication a technical file containing the requirements set out in the same article must be presented to the European Commission. The technical file for Brandy Italiano GI is contained in the decree issued by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies on 1 August 2011 (published in the Italian Official Journal no. 147 of 25.06.2016).
