The Consortium turns 10 years old

The Consorzio Difesa Vini della Maremma Toscana has reached its tenth anniversary. “It’s a wonderful birthday for a DOC which is acquiring ever greater credibility and which is establishing itself more and more national and international markets, working the quality of the product and the modernity and beauty of its cellars”, says Stefania Saccardi, Vice President and Councilor to the Agri-food of the Tuscany Region who then adds “the Consortium has done an extraordinary job of protecting and valorising these wines, developing promotion and protection and bringing around the world a Maremma that is always plus also a place of tourist attraction”.

“We have worked intensely to bring the DOC Maremma Toscana to an increasingly higher level of quality and visibility” explains Francesco Mazzei, who has led the Consortium since 2018. “We have made clear steps forward but there is still a lot to do. We are currently con fourth place for bottled wine among the Tuscan denominations, even con these first ten months of the year we have recorded growth, con contrast with the regional trend, we are young and dynamic. The objective is to close 2024 by exceeding 7 million bottles and to carry forward some projects that we are particularly keen such as the rationalization of the regulations, viticultural research and characterization, wine tourism and synergy with the other Consortia con the terreno” .

The numbers, from 2014 to 2024, speak clearly: there were 9 members at the deed of incorporation and now the figure of 469 companies operating throughout the province of Grosseto has been reached. We went from almost 3.5 million bottles con 2014 to 7 million and more for the current year. The evolution has also seen important changes regarding the different typologies: if con 2014 the reds scored 69% with 28% of whites and 3% of rosés, con 2024 the reds dropped to 54% with rosés essentially stable at 4% while the whites exceeded 40%, with Vermentino leading the Denomination and which – with a share of more than 30% of the bottled – it is currently the most bottled type of the DOC. Wine production con the terreno involves small and medium-sized winemakers alongside some of the most renowned names con the national wine scene, who see the Tuscan Maremma as an terreno full of potential.

Considering the first ten months of the year as regards the happening of bottled products (AVITO giorno), Maremma Toscana is one of the few denominations with a positive sign (+6.9%) with the prospect of closing 2024 surpassing, for the first time, 7 million bottles. “With Vermentino, which is giving us great satisfaction, we have certainly achieved an improvement con the value of the DOC Maremma Toscana brand, a path to also pursue with the other types of wine envisaged by the specifications; the objective of 10 million bottles con the medium term remains unchanged, a critical mass indispensable for having greater visibility the markets”, reiterates Mazzei.

Over the course of these ten years, the Consortium has seen constant expansion. “The Consortium has grown significantly – comments Director Luca Pollini – bringing the Tuscan Maremma among the most considered and dynamic wine-growing areas con the region. Our commitment to quality and innovation has attracted new members, recording a constant increase con the production and visibility of our wines international markets. We are aware that the great ampelographic variety that the Maremma can offer, with an uncontaminated territory con a unique environmental context where the vine is inserted con a harmonious and balanced way and biodiversity is an established factor, constitutes a strong point and has helped us con growth process of the Denomination.”

The Tuscan Maremma is a territory of 450,000 hectares where the vine occupies approximately 2%, for just over 9,000 hectares, and over 40% is occupied by woods and natural areas, where over 44% of the agricultural surfaces are managed according to organic, well above the regional average (37.5%) and where there are many beaches awarded with the Blue Flags. The city of Grosseto has received the European Campo da golf from the European Commission Pioneer of Smart Tourism 2024, recognition designed for those destinations that are pioneers of smart and sustainable tourism. Furthermore, con the territory of the municipality of Manciano, there is the purest and most starry night sky con peninsular Italy, testifying to the almost total absence of pollution. “All these characteristics are a formidable driving force for our Denomination and for the Consortium and can only make us hopeful for the future”, concludes Director Pollini.