CONTROL SURVEILLANCE AUTHORISATIONS
Controls (from the vineyard to the bottling station and packaging)
To verify the compliance with the specifications set for the production of DOCG, DOC and IGT wines by the operators of the entire chain (vine growers, winemakers and wine bottlers) the national legislation on wines, art. 13 of Legislative Decree no. 61/10, has established that a body with the appropriate requirements is appointed by the the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies for a 3-year period.
For the DOC/DOP Tuscan Valdichiana wines, in the period 2015/2018 (ending on 31/7/2018), the assigned body is: TOSCANA CERTIFICAZIONE AGROALIMENTARE srl, also known as: t.c.a. srl, with offices in Viale Belfiore, 9 (floor III) - 50144 Florence, tel. +39 055 368850, fax +39 055 330368, e-mail: info[@]tca-srl.org; web site: www.tca-srl.org.
The controls are carried out through a combined approach (systematic on all paperwork and random inspections) on the entire production chain, following a control plan set up in compliance with the law and approved by the Ministry (the control plan for DOC/DOP Tuscan Valdichiana is available on www.tca-srl.org).
Surveillance (on bottled wine already placed on the market)
Every DOCG/DOP or IGT wine undergoes specific surveillance, usually carried out by the protection consortiums on bottled and packed wine, placed on the market at several sales points (supermarkets, wine shops or wine bars, retail, restaurants, bars and cafés).
DOC/DOP Tuscan Valdichiana wines are under the surveillance of Consorzio Vini Valdichiana Toscana (the Consortium of Tuscan Valdichiana Wines), appointed by the Ministero delle politiche agricole alimentari e forestali (Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies).
The Consortium is in charge of inspections at sales points, carried out by supervisory agents approved by the same Ministry. Following a process agreed upon with the Istituto Centrale Qualità e Repressioni Frodi Agroalimentari (Central Institute for quality and against agricultural and food fraud), the agents collect samples of wine that are tested to check for any misuse in the designation (specific analytical tests at chemical labs are made on the wine sample to check if it has the chemical organoleptic characteristics of the specific wine type as stated in the label and as provided for in the production regulations, also if the wine is part of a batch which has passed the check by the Control agency). The bottle “packaging” is also checked (label, closure, etc.) for compliance with the specifications and laws in force.
Authorisations (to use the name of the designation on the label when using the wine listed among the ingredients of a specific product)
If one decides to use the name of the designation on the label to present/market a product (i.e.: an apple cake flavoured with “Bianco Vergine Valdichiana Toscana DOP”), the laws in force require a special authorization issued by the Consorzio di Tutela /protection consortium - ( Law 12 December 2016 no.238 art. 44, par. 9), for the authorisation to use the DOC/DOP Tuscan Valdichiana designation on the label. The application is submitted to Consorzio Vini Valdichiana Toscana; the body will grant it following the “criteria” it has set and as approved by the MIPAAF (Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies) Directorate General PQAI IV prot. no. 68409 dated 16/9/16, and no. 72359 dated 6/10/17, downloadable from this website.
No authorisations need to be requested when the cases listed under par. 10 of the same art. 44 of Law 238/16 occur, specifically:
a) When the derived products in question are not prepackaged and are prepared in labs adjoining the retail businesses that sell and serve directly to the final consumer;
b) When the name of the designation appears:
1) on the label and presentation of spirit drinks which are entitled under the (CE) regulation no. 110/2008 and wine vinegars in accordance with article 56 of this law;
2) exclusively among the ingredients of the packaged product which contains it, or in which it has been transformed or processed, provided all the ingredients appear in characters of the same dimension, colour shade and intensity, as well as on uniform background.
Download "Criteria" to use the DOC/DOP Tuscan Valdichiana designation.