Do DOC/DOCG mean anything?

WINE TALK
1

I hope I’m not breaking any rules by posting this, from my site:

The DOC and DOCG rules that define many Italian wine appellations are generally assumed to assure the quality of the wines they define. Unfortunately, it turns out that the way the rules are created has little to do with abstract quality and much to do with ensuring that the needs of the larger producers are met; speaking as an importer of (mostly) small, family-owned wineries I don’t think this is a good thing. The DOCG’s promise as a kind of gold star for particularly noteworthy Italian wine types was in doubt from the very beginning (the first white DOCG was not Ribolla Gialla from Collio, not Fiano di Avellino, not Vermentino di Gallura but… Albana di Romagna), and is in my opinion now clearly unfulfilled. The recent gutting of the rules regarding Prosecco are a great example of rule abuse to suit the big producers (the historic heart of Prosecco production was given DOCG as a consolation prize); other discreditable decisions include the fact that the entire Chianti region is now DOCG, and that Etna Rosso is not ‘G’ but Cerasuolo di Vittoria is. The cherry on top of the ice-cream sundae of bureaucratic ineptitude is that DOCG wines are not permitted to use screwcaps, despite the fact that technically they would be the right closure for many (perhaps most) fine wines.

Rules don’t guarantee wine quality, in other words; our only guarantee is, as Hugh Johnson once wrote, ‘the intention and skill of the winemaker.’

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2

If ever, no longer.

3

Those rules usually (though not always, see the Brunello scandal) guarantee that the wines so designated follow . . . the set of rules required of the designation, as to varietal composition, location, length of barrel aging, etc. So I guess it has some information shortcut value to you – this is DOCG Barbaresco, therefore it is made of nebbiolo from the Barbaresco zone of Piedmont and is aged at least 3 years in oak before bottling.

Do they tell you much of anything about the quality of the wine? No.

The libertarian in me sort of appreciates that the DOC and DOCG labels have developed little significance, and thus many skilled Italian winemakers feel liberated to experiment with making what they want and think best instead of always having to follow the regulatory recipe.

4

Chris,

The DOC system is a little more tolerant of experimentation than the AOC, which I agree is a good thing.

I think you’ll find that the most recent vintage of Barbaresco is down to 10 months barrel-aging, which would be one example of a bad rule that I imagine the better producers will ignore.

5

Sure, one needs rule if one intends to break them. [stirthepothal.gif] newhere

6

A very interesting question, Oliver.

An Italian friend of mine whose wife works at Slow Food headquarters (and who has an opinion about everything involving food) said to me a few years ago that the DOC/DOCG system ensures a level of mediocre quality – it puts a floor under quality but discourages producers from exceeding it. He was talking about cheese, and I’m not sure that’s the issue with wine – where the producer’s name is as important as the appellation in the consumer’s eye – but it was an interesting observation.

Certainly the issue of large producers dominating the rules is pervasive. I know that was the case with Parmigiano-Reggiano and balsamic vinegar (though the artisinal producers prevailed in the latter case).

That is a good point, though it does yield absurd situations like Chianti where the rules change every several years and result in wines that often have little connection to the historical product or bear no imprint of Central Tuscany.

Wow! Really? When did that happen? And who was pushing that?

7

They mean something to me, Oliver. The DOC part identifies what area the wine comes from and, possibly, the grape
varieties that are used. However, the G part doesn’t bring, to my mind, any added value to the wine.
We’re tasting two Gutturnio wines to me. Never heard of that one before. So the DOC tells me it’s made from
Barbera and Bonarda/Croatina and comes from the western side of Emilia-Romagna. So that’s pretty helpful.
So…yeah…the DOC is of a lot of value to me.
Interesting…didn’t realize that DOCG were not permitted to use screwcaps.
Tom

8

I wish the DOCG rules would eliminate the use of TCA infected corks. [basic-smile.gif]

9

John,

I was talking to an MS candidate when he mentioned 9 or 10 months in wood as the new rule for Barbaresco, I confidently corrected him, then found he was quite right, it’s been changed for I think '10 forward. I don’t see any logical reason for it other than cutting a corner, which is the kind of thing that makes the bigger producers happy. I can’t see any reason why Barbaresco should be aged for less time than Barolo anyway, but that’s another debate.

Barolo was also shortened, to 18 months. Again, I imagine the better producers will ignore the change.

10

Yes, rather than requiring them…

I’m thinking of declassifying my Barbera d’Asti to Piemonte Barbera so we can use screwcaps. The same producer just did a Grignolino under screwcap that is delicious, and the closure really makes the wine pop in terms of freshness.

11

I don’t know about the rest of y’all, but Italy is definitely where I experience the highest percentage of corked wines, for whatever reason.

12

I should have been more careful, I meant ‘does adding a ‘G’ mean anything?’ The DOC does kind of tell us what we’re drinking.