Something is stirring on Lake Garda. And it’s not just the unprecedented synergy between the lake’s Consortia, which will attend Vinexpo-Wine Paris together under the name Lake Garda Wines. There is also a push to tap into new market trends, starting with low alcohol content, as Paolo Fiorini, President of the Garda DOC Consortium, explains to Gambero Rosso: "The board has already unanimously approved the amendment to the regulations allowing a Garda-Garganega version at 8.5 degrees. Until now, the lower limit was set at 10.5. Now, it’s up to the Wine Committee to give the green light."
It is difficult to predict the timeframe for implementation, but the target is already the 2025 harvest. This move towards low-alcohol wines has already been embraced by other consortia, particularly in Veneto. Specifically, Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, while in Sicily, experiments with lower alcohol content are being carried out on the Nero d’Avola grape variety.
Paolo Fiorini - Consorzio Garda Doc's President
A more complex process for the use of cans
The Consortium will not be moving forward, however, on the issue of canned wine, despite having shown openness to the idea in recent months. "We are in favour," Fiorini reiterates, "but it does not depend on our regulations. The issue is the Single Wine Act, which excludes the use of cans for DOC wines. At present, there doesn’t seem to be any intention to amend this." So, nothing will come of it: proposals blocked at the outset. Nor will it be possible to consider a zero-alcohol Garda DOC. "Since it is not permitted for DOC wines, this is not even a topic for discussion," Fiorini confirms.
The Garda delegation heads to Paris as a united front
In the immediate term, the focus is on the Paris trade fair (10–12 February), where the Garda DOC Consortium will join forces with its neighbours —Bardolino,Custoza,Lugana, and Valtènesi—under the Lake Garda Wines banner. It is a project designed to foster collaboration, but only temporarily. There is no plan to establish a second-tier consortium for promotional purposes, nor any intention to merge into a single protection body, as Fiorini clarifies to Gambero Rosso:
"This is a synergy between different denominations for a shared space at the Paris fair, but there are no further intentions." However, he does acknowledge: "With fewer and fewer funds available, it is difficult to carry out promotional activities without synergy between consortia."
It is no coincidence that this year, the Garda DOC has chosen to attend Vinexpo-Wine Paris but to forgo Prowein. Sacrificing the German fair is a decision that, it seems, many Italian wine producers will be making.
New elections in spring
In April, the Garda DOC Consortium will attend the Verona fair “alone” in its "usual individual space," reveals Fiorini, whose term as president will expire at that time. The new elections could therefore take place around the time of Vinitaly. As for a possible re-election bid, he remains non-committal: "I don’t know. When the time comes, I’ll think about it." But that, in itself, is not a definitive no.
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