Ribera del Duero to become D.O.C.
Reported in Decanter (but nowhere I've been able to find so far in the Spanish media), the Ribero del Duero region will in 2008 become a D.O.C. or denominación de origen calificada, joining Rioja and Priorat as the only such designated areas in Spain of the 65 established D.O's.
What's the difference between a D.O.C. and a D.O.? Greater regulations covering all aspects of wine production, with the intended result being a greater perception of the quality of the region.
Will the increased regulation and the expense involved be worth the effort? Only time (and the market) will tell, but I doubt it. A wine consumer is more likely to be impressed by a good review or recommendation of a particular brand, rather than an extra "C" on the title of wine's place of origen. As new world producers have clearly shown, less regulation and greater freedom to make wines customers want to drink have led to their impressive growth.
Labels: D.O.'s and regions
posted by Steven Tolliver 4:00 PM
2 Comments:
You are right in your comments. I am a Ribera del Duero producer and I believe we are walking the wrong way. This new seal of quality can be only understood within the Spanish market (and even most of the Spanish consumers do not know the difference between D.O. and D.O.C.)
Thank you for commenting! I'd be interested to know, from the point of view of a producer, what should the Ribera del Duero D.O. do instead to raise the region's visibility, or is this something best left to the individual wineries?
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