Petroni Vineyards in Dispute with Italian Consorzio di Tutela del Brunello di Montalcino
Staff Writer - March 19, 2008
The dispute stems from a Brunello di Sonoma, made in California with locally grown grapes. US regulations allow use of grape varieties, including Brunello, on wine labels.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Petroni Vineyards of Sonoma, California, announced on March 18, 2008, that the Italian organization that oversees the production of wines in Montalcino, Italy has asked it to cease using the name Brunello di Sonoma for its award-winning red wine. The association, Consorzio di Tutrela del Brunello di Montalcino (Consortium for the Protection of the Brunello di Montalcino), through its attorneys, claims the term Brunello is protected under regulations governing the naming of Italian wines.
"The name Brunello refers to the grape and not the place where it is produced," said Lorenzo Petroni, founder of Petroni Vineyards and proprietor of the North Beach Restaurant in San Francisco, California. "My wine is clearly labeled as coming from Sonoma, the location of my Poggio alla Pietra (Stone Farm) vineyard. Its label has been approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the US government agency that oversees all processes associated with winemaking and labeling."
Most of the wines from France, Italy and the rest of Europe are named after the regions in which they are produced. Wines from the United States, Australia and other non-European countries are named after the grape variety. Sangiovese is the most widely planted red grape variety in Italy and Brunello is the name given to wines made from the Sangiovese clone, Sangiovese Grosso. The Brunello clone is grown in Italy and in the United States where it is readily available from specialty nurseries. No regulation prohibits the use of the term Brunello for US-produced wines and at least three American wineries produce wines carrying the Brunello name.
"Wine sellers and consumers understand the difference between a wine labeled as an Italian product and one that clearly states its US origins," said Phil Stefani, a Chicago restaurateur whose restaurants carry Brunellos produced in both regions. "The rules for naming US wines differ from those in Europe, and our customers are accustomed to choosing US wines by grape and vineyard. The Consorzio is protecting no one with this action."
The Brunello produced at the Poggio alla Pietra estate comes from plantings of field selections from top California estates. While the original sources for the clones are Italian, California nurseries supplying vineyards secure their stock from Foundation Plant Services (FPS) at the University of California, Davis. FPS specializes in maintaining a library of certified grape varieties including Sangiovese clones. After years of cultivation, the Poggio alla Pietra vineyard produced its first Brunello in 1998. Since then, their Brunello di Sonoma has won numerous awards in wine competitions.
"We are proud of the Italian-American character of our products," said Petroni, a native of Lucca, Italy. "Both the Italian and American flags fly over our estate and we honor the contributions of both countries on our labels. We and the other vineyards using these grapes will continue to follow the labeling regulations governing our wines and respond to the customs of our marketplace."
Poggio alla Pietra, founded in 1992 is the estate of Lorenzo and Maria Elena Petroni on the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas Range. Lorenzo Petroni and chef, Bruno Orsi, run the famous North Beach Restaurant, a San Francisco institution serving the cuisine of their native Tuscany since 1970. The North Beach Restaurant has a Wine Spectator awarded wine list with a selection of more than 400 wines from around the world.
Media Contact: Lorenzo Petroni - Tel. 415 238 2032
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