US officially lifts Brunello certification requirement

The US certification requirement for Brunello di Montalcino has officially been lifted.

Until now, US importers of Brunello di Montalcino had been obliged to obtain a declaration from the Italian government stating that the wines have been made in accordance with Italian appellation regulations.

In a statement published on March 29, the U.S. Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) announced that it had lifted the requirement.

In a statement, it said: ‘Effective immediately, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is no longer requiring importers of Brunello di Montalcino wine to obtain a declaration from the Government of Italy certifying that the product’s vintage date and brand name meet the requirements of the Brunello di Montalcino Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) and that the product is acceptable for sale as such in Italy.’

In the wake of allegations that Brunello producers had been using unauthorised grapes in their wines, the TTB began to require the certification in June 2008.

The lifting of the ban marks the end of a controversy that has been called ‘Brunellopoli’ or ‘Brunellogate’.

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Written by Jeremy Parzen