European Union (EU) quality labels, including Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) for wines from Italy and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) for food, offer consumers a guarantee of origin, quality and safety of the products they choose. The label is a clear indication that products are representative of their region and meet strict quality standards.
EU quality labels also offer producers protection from imitation and counterfeiting by certifying their products. Signalling authenticity, producers can use EU quality labels to provide traceability and transparency of their products. Alto Adige DOC and Etna DOC wines and Pecorino Romano PDO cheese are examples of protected designations that highlight the exceptional quality and stories behind products from distinct Italian landscapes.
Etna DOC is one of many unique Italian landscapes that produces exemplary quality within Europe and has been awarded a European Union quality label. Credit: Cottanera SRL Agricola.
On the slopes of an active volcano: Etna DOC
As one of the first DOCs in Italy, Sicily’s Etna DOC spans the four slopes surrounding Mount Etna, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Vineyards here are heavily shaped by the volcano’s eruptions, requiring terracing and laborious work to tend and harvest grapes. The influence of Mount Etna cannot be overlooked, with 133 sub-zones known as contradas producing diverse wine styles united by the volcanic soils they have in common.
Vineyards in the Alto Adige DOC winemaking region in Italy. Credit: Südtirol Wein/Tiberio Sorvillo
Small but mighty: Alto Adige DOC
One of Italy’s smallest wine regions, Alto Adige DOC is also one of the most diverse, in large part due to its varied soil types and microclimates within a special geographical location. The region’s winegrowing culture is one of the oldest in Europe, dating back to 15 BC. Today, with 98% of the region’s area DOC classified, Alto Adige DOC’s high-altitude vineyards offer consumers wines from more than 20 different grape varieties of varying styles.
Pecorino Romano PDO – a unique hard sheep’s milk cheese – represents 52% of products made from sheep’s milk in the EU and 85% in Italy. Credit: Massimo Migoni
A unique sheep’s milk cheese: Pecorino Romano PDO
Naturally lactose-free, Pecorino Romano PDO is a hard sheep’s milk cheese, produced 95% in Sardinia, with the remainder coming from Lazio and the province of Grosseto in Tuscany. Considered the most important PDO for sheep’s milk cheese, Pecorino Romano PDO accounts for 52% of products made from sheep’s milk in the EU and 85% in Italy. Still made by hand, Pecorino Romano PDO cheeses are crafted by experienced cheesemakers and salters.
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