Stuttgard, EPAC meeting

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Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica
First year results EU-wide wine-makers survey
and consumers demand

• C.Micheloni, AIAB
• In collaboration with
• ITAB, Ecovin, UNIUD, FIBL, IFOAM-EU, Vinidea and
  SRIG

Stuttgard, EPAC meeting
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Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica

• Scope of the survey
• to identify main characteristics of EU organic
• wine-makers in order to
• propose experimental activities and
• a regulatory framework
• tuned on their needs, wishes and possibilities

Stuttgard, EPAC meeting
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Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica
methodology web based survey in 5 languages (466
completed questionnaires from 12 countries) 18
of EU organic wine-makers in-depth
interviews (78 interviews in 10 countries)
Stuttgard, EPAC meeting
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Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica
Who is the EU organic wine-maker

• small-medium size
• specialized,
• exclusively organic
• long experience
• motivated by
• environmental reasons
• but also market

Stuttgard, EPAC meeting
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Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica
Vine-yard management
conventional varieties and resistant
hybrids (D, A and CH) soil management as
key factor main disease botrytis and
powdery mildew
Stuttgard, EPAC meeting
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Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica
The cellar

• large availability of equipments
• temperature control devices as key factor
• high investment rate
• differences in use of additives and
• processing aids

Stuttgard, EPAC meeting
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Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica
SO2 use (declared)
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Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica
SO2 use (from analysis)
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Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica
The market
specific market often export
limited bulk trading few differences
from prior to conversion price ???
conventional?
Stuttgard, EPAC meeting
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Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica
Opinions about regulation
Where would you prefer to have regulated the
following issues?
Stuttgard, EPAC meeting
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What do consumers ask for?

• Qualitative market research method focus group
  discussion
• in four case study countries
• Italy (IT), France (FR), Germany (DE) and
  Switzerland (CH)
• Two target groups
• Consumers of quality wine (2 groups per country)
• Consumers of organic food (2 groups per country)

Stuttgard, EPAC meeting
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Results Relevant purchase criteria

• Most relevant purchase criteria for wine are
  the geographical origin, the grape variety, the
  taste, the wine drinking purpose and the price

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(No Transcript)
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Results what about additives?
substances that are harmful to health, regardless
of whether they are necessary for making a good
wine, should be banned additives or processing
aids which affect wine flavour and taste or its
naturalness or tradition/authenticity should be
banned lower maximum levels of critical
substances should be permitted, especially for
sulphites, and the declaration of the use of
unhealthy substances in organic wine processing
should be introduced.
Stuttgard, EPAC meeting
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Results Labelling requirements
Complete list of ingredients, additives and
processing aids, as well as relevant methods, to
appear on the label Reduced list with the
labelling of a selection of additives and
processing techniques Declaration of those
substances not used in production or
processing No declaration, but the organic label
to stand for unambiguous cellar regulations.
Stuttgard, EPAC meeting