Based on the powers that the current European legislation grants for the promotion and protection of public interests, the Consortium is now committed to improving the conditions throughout the grape and wine production chain.
The goal of the Consortium is to offer consumers the best quality guarantee on the designation wines they purchase. This goal is achieved through a series of inspections on the products that are marketed internationally.
Another very important area is research, which allows the Consortium to improve the quality of the wines it protects. The current projects concern the measures against flavescence dorée, the identification of a native yeast on Barbera grapes and the characterization of wines produced in the territory of the Barbera d’Asti DOCG.
The Consortium’s promotional plan serves the purpose of strengthening the awareness of the Barbera brand in key markets. In addition to the main message on our wine’s quality standards, we want to underscore the strong relationship between Barbera and the area of Monferrato and Asti. The organization of a number of local, national and international events has proved essential in this respect.
The research projects engaged in by the Consortium in collaboration with DISAFA (Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Science) of the University of Turin are intended to support quality controls on environmental and production conditions. Among the projects is Interflavi, developed to find a solution to the flavescence dorée infestation in the region’s vineyards. The new approach taken by this study is to find ways in which the grapevines can coexist with the flavescence. Much importance has been attached to the WildWine project, designed to identify the best indigenous yeasts for Barbera grapes, so as to make a wine that is entirely characteristic of the area. Another important project is Barbera 2.0, also developed in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Science of the University of Turin, whose goal is to define the characteristics of Barbera d’Asti based on the unique profile of its many production areas.
The analytical research developed in collaboration with the Qualivita Foundation, aimed at tracing numbers and profiles of the Consortium in general and of the Barbera d’Asti Docg world in particular, is absolutely unique, available HERE
In order to offer consumers maximum quality and transparency, the Consortium decided to commit to carrying out meticulous checks on the products it sells on the European market. Over time, several dozen samples of Barbera d’Asti have been purchased from retail chains, wine shops and retail stores. These have been submitted to accurate organoleptic and analytical controls. The results of these analyses corresponded to the analyses carried out prior to their release, thus confirming the seriousness of our production chain.
We should also mention the authorizations granted in favor of the packaged products that use the name of one of the protected designations on their label, as there is a precise obligation to request a specific authorization from the Consortium in order to use these designations. It is precisely because of the importance of such controls, which ensure the necessary transparency to consumers in an increasingly global marketplace, that the Consortium aims to increasingly upgrade their level.
Each year, 42 vineyards across the provinces of Asti and Alessandria are selected from the Consortium’s various designations and their grapes sampled to monitor ripening and health status.
The analyses are carried out at the Centro Studi Vini del Piemonte and measure: reducing sugars, sugar concentration (in degrees Babo), potential alcohol content, total acidity, pH, malic and tartaric acid. In addition, the quantity of extractable anthocyanins is measured to determine the amount of color in the finished wine.
The results of the samplings, which are useful for planning the wine harvest, are released to the member wineries on a weekly basis.