Interview: Matteo Ascheri, President of the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani

Broadwayworld.com had the pleasure of interviewing Matteo Ascheri, President of the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani. We also had the opportunity to attend the recent "World Opening" for Barolo and Barbaresco in NYC.

For over seventy years the Consortium has actively promoted many of the technical, economical and individual aspects of wine production in the Langa and Roero regions.

Right at the start of the 20th century, producers of Barolo and Barbaresco wine decided to unite their forces and, in 1908, created the original 'certificate of authentic origin' which was awarded by an association formed from a combination of local administrative bodies, together with the wine producers' trade union. It was not until 1924, however, that the Italian parliament passed a law on 'typical wines' defining their characteristics, which had to remain constant in time.

It was in this way that foundations were laid for the constitution of the 'Consortium for the Protection of Quality of Local Wines Barolo and Barbaresco', officially founded in 1934, with the aim of defining region of origin, grape varieties and characteristics of the wine, in addition to protecting the wines from fraudulent copies, adulteration and unfair competition, and defending the wine's reputation and qualities in a legal context. After the end of the Second World War, in 1947, the Consortium was reformed. In 1963, the Law 930 introduced the concept of Denomination of Origin and defined the precise role of the Wine Consortia.

The Alba Consortium immediately sought Doc Denomination status for Barolo and Barbaresco - which was granted in 1966, with Docg status arriving in 1980. In 1984, the Ministry of Agriculture officially entrusted the Consortium with guardianship of the two prestigious reds. In 1994, following the issuing of a new law (Law 164 of 1992), the old-style Consortium made way for the new, widening its jurisdiction to cover all Denominations produced exclusively in the Langa and Roero regions. Today, in fact, the Consortium can be said to represent not only its wine denominations but also the entire wine territory.

Aspects of protection of the wines of the Langa and Roero as a whole were perfected in the 2007 to 2009 period, with the entrusting, on the part of the Ministry of Agriculture to the Consortium, controls of all Docg and Doc wines within its legal jurisdiction, thereby including Dogliani, Roero, Roero Arneis, Barbera d'Alba, Dolcetto (in its various guises), Langhe, Nebbiolo d'Alba and Verduno Pelaverga in addition to Barbaresco and Barolo, thereby guaranteeing them the benefits of perfect traceability.

How did you first become involved in the wine industry?

I am a wine producer and I run my family's winery in Bra, that was founded in 1880. In addition to this, I have also been Chairman of the board of directors and then director of the Piedmont Wine Research, as well as Chairman of the board of directors of the Union of Alba Wine Producers for 6 years. I have been President of the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani since April 2018.

Can you share with our readers the details of some of your responsibilities as President of the Consortium?

The Consortium is a body representing over 500 wine producers in the Langhe region, in Piemonte. Its work includes the protection, promotion and management of ten appellations in the form of market surveillance, quality control, production rules, events and much more. My role as President is to represent the Consortium, as well as its members, and make decisions regarding these operations, which would be then discussed by the board.

I had the pleasure of attending the World Opening of Barolo and Barbaresco event this year in NYC. Why do you think it was so significant?

Several reasons. First of all, we presented what we believe will be the best vintages of the century, especially for Barolo. It is the first time we, as a producers' association, organize such a large event with almost 200 winemakers attending and coming united to the US to speak with a sole voice. We love this country and we will keep investing in it, as it represents the number one export market for many of our appellations. Barolo and Barbaresco are top, high-end wines which most experienced wine consumers and wine lovers are familiar with. We do however want to broaden the consumer base for our wines as well as increasing awareness about the diversity of the various crus. In this regard, I think the tasting event has played a central role.

Why do you think the wines are so outstanding for Italian wine lovers?

Wine is deeply rooted in the Italian culture and everyday life. Barolo and Barbaresco are wines that possess a unique heritage, powerful structure and innate elegance that meet the expectations of any wine lover looking for these features. Furthermore, Barolo and Barbaresco have a strong identity: they are monovarietal wines (100% Nebbiolo) with terrific aging potential who can solely be produced in our area, following a strict set of rules. This contribute to their typicity, prestige and uniqueness.

Tell us about your vision for the future of the Consortium.

Our next steps, in addition to strengthen the promotion of our wines in the US and China through a European project called Top Tales, led with other two food partners from Italy (Fontina DOP and Riso di Baraggia DOP), are multiple. We are working towards education of wine professionals (educators, sommeliers, export managers) with our Barolo&Barbaresco Academy - Langhe Wine School and we are working with liquor control boards to train Italian wine specialists. We are also shaping our own green vision, working for sustainability and chemicals control in our region - which is UNESCO World Heritage and deserves the best care.

Anything else you'd like Broadayworld.com Food and Wine readers to know!

Of course, I invite your readers to grab a bottle of these terrific wines! We produce only 18m bottles annually, so compared to other appellations, our production is limited. The 2016 Barolo was given an overall vintage score of 99.3, while the 2017 Barbaresco got 98.1, factoring in both wine experts' evaluation, harvest and climate data. These wines cannot be missed!

For more information on Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani, please visit https://www.langhevini.it/en/.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Matteo Ascheri

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