Tuesday, July 18, 2006 11:

"Pinocchio" Wine Importations Raises Ire of Italy Producers

The ANNOTICO Report

Wine that is aged faster with the adding of wood chips is called 'Pinocchio Wine'.

ITALY WANTS WOOD CHIPS OUT OF WINE

Monsters and Critics

July 18, 2006

ROME, Italy (UPI) -- Italian farmers and wine producers are calling on the government to take action to keep so-called 'Pinocchio wine' out of the country.

Wine producers say the use of wood chips to speed up the aging process will lower standards and threaten Italy`s lead in the sector, ANSA reported Tuesday.

New European Union regulations cancel any distinction on labels between wines aged artificially and those produced with traditional techniques.

ANSA said farmers` associations and environmental groups want the government to press the EU into forcing producers that use wood chips to say so clearly on the bottle.

'Accepting this regulation would be a betrayal of our wine`s identity,' said Roberto Della Seta, the president of the Legambiente environmental association. 'It would lead to the standardization of wines at the lowest level to the detriment of the consumer.'

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