December
30, 2008
Barolo &
Barbaresco: Trademarks Expected in 2009
Italian Wine
News
Alba (Cuneo), Piemonte
December 30th
The names Barolo and Barbaresco will soon become registered
trademarks. The initiative was originally pushed by the local
consortium, Consorzio Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe
e Roero, and has recently received the support of the
Italian Ministry of Agriculture which has announced that it
will financially back up the region of Piemonte in the pursuit
of acquiring from the EU the official registration of a global
trademark.
The threat of imitation and plagiarism against the identity
and territorio of Barolo and Barbaresco—respectively
regarded as the King and Queen of Italian wine—has
increased over the years and has no geographical boundaries,
such as the failed attempt by a Mexican winery to use the
name “Albarolo” for a wine reported to have
been produced with Nebbiolo grapes. However, the attraction
to the reputable and familiar names of Barolo and Barbaresco
is not exclusive to the world of wines and spirits. On the
contrary it often comes, quite unexpectedly, from unrelated
sectors. In 2002, for example, the UK-based manufacturer
and supplier of mobility and rehabilitation products, Days
Medical Aids Limited, was stopped by the Consortium as it
petitioned to trademark the name Barolo for one of its scooters.
These are just some of the growing cases that prompted the
Consortium earlier this year to begin the process of obtaining
secure and legal measures for pursuing its mission in the
future.
A collective trademark for Barolo and Barbaresco would
supply a legal, globally-recognized way to safeguard against
fraud and imitation and protect the future of these revered
wines. The trademark would also provide a further guarantee
of quality to consumers, in relation to the place of origin
and specific guidelines for the use of the raw materials
in the production of the wine, and will be regarded as a
universal symbol of identity and distinction for the prestigious
territorio known as Le Langhe e Roero. Furthermore,
a trademark affirms the status of national cultural heritage
and, as such, would protect the producers and collective
community associated with the product on both the national
and international levels.
In this endeavor, the Barolo and Barbaresco Consortium
plans to follow the path already paved by some food appellations—such
as in the case of the collective trademark for the Consortium
of Parmigiano-Reggiano granted by the EU in 1996.
|
