In Italy a taboo falls, green light for dealcoholized wines

Until now, a drink with an alcohol content of less than 8.5 degrees could not be called “wine”. Now, with the publication on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture of the implementing provisions of the decree on dealcoholized products, this rule falls, a regulatory gap is filled and above all a taboo falls in the world’s largest wine-producing country and the cradle of the Mediterranean Diet. “It is possible,” the decree states, “to partially or totally reduce the alcohol content of wines, sparkling wines, quality sparkling wines, quality aromatic sparkling wines, carbonated sparkling wines, semi-sparkling wines and carbonated semi-sparkling wines.” Nothing changes for wines with a certified denomination: in Italy, the total and/or partial dealcoholization process cannot be carried out for the categories of wine products with a protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI). The ministerial decree is, Masaf specifies, in the process of being ...