Montalcino, 21rst October 2009 – “The US market is of vital importance for Brunello di Montalcino. We can only express our total satisfaction with the words of the Minister Zaia after his visit to Washington”.
With these words Patrizio Cencioni, President of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, thanked the Minister of agricultural food and forestry policies, Luca Zaia, at the end of their meeting yesterday, October 20th, in Washington with John Manfreda, Administrator of the Federal Agency Alcohol and tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
"We thank the Minister for the lively interest he showed in our land and in our wine - concluded President Cencioni - In this moment of recession, it is very important to present a united front with the quality exports ‘Made in Italy’. We hope, moreover, that the Minister’s words will also contribute towards inspiring greater confidence in the Italian market”.
The Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino was founded in 1967 after the recognition of the D.O.C., as a free association of producers with the intention of safeguarding a wine whose prestige was asserting itself more and more. It has during the years embodied an instrument of scrupulous and responsible self-discipline, bringing together old and new, small and large estates, in such a way that the wise consolidated customs became a common strategy for qualitative success. The Consorzio safeguards and promotes all four Montalcino denomination wines: Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino, Moscadello di Montalcino and Sant’Antimo Doc.
There are 250 producers (of which 200 are bottlers), all of whom are members of the Consorzio. In all there are 3500 hectares of vineyards in Montalcino divided as follows: 2100 hectares are planted with Brunello di Montalcino; 510 hectares are planted with Rosso di Montalcino; 50 hectares are planted with Moscadello di Montalcino; 600 hectares are planted with Sant’Antimo Doc; the remaining part is planted with Igt.
On average every year 6,500,000 bottles of Brunello di Montalcino are produced. 4,000,000 of Rosso di Montalcino, 80,000 of Moscadello di Montalcino and 500,000 of Sant’Antimo.
60% of the produce is exported and the total turnover in the wine sector of Montalcino adds up to 140 million euros.
