is only adequate and successful if it is possible to maintain secrecy in the long term. Coca Cola, again, is a great example. Trade secrets are also important in the wine industry, especially in the world of sparkling wines and aromatised wines. The unmistakable characteristics of a sparkling wine depends also on the liqueur d’expedition, an alcoholic mixture added to sparkling wines. Each sparkling wine producer jealously guards its own family recipe. In terms of ingredients and proportions, these are extremely simple alcoholic mixtures, but liqueur d’expedition is fundamental for the final outcome of the product and its secrecy, other than creating an aura of mystery around the production process, guarantees the uniformity and recognisability of the product. In aromatised wines, above all Vermouth di Torino, the proportion of spices and aromatic herbs is even more important and contributes to creating unique products that owe their characteristics to secret recipes. It is no coincidence that, in the past, Piedmontese Vermouth producers were known as recipe owners (titolari di ricetta). An interesting aspect, however, is that the secrecy of the ingredients and their proportions is limited to the scope allowed by the product specification (Vermouth di Torino is, in fact, a protected geographical indication). In any case, even slight differences in the dosages and combination of wormwood and other aromatic herbs may contribute to the creation of products with significantly different characteristics. Apart from sparkling and aromatised wines, for the wine industry trade secrets in relation to recipes partially lose their importance. The unique ingredient of wine means that there is no real secret recipe, except for the percentages of blends and assemblages, which are ruled by the specifications for wines protected by geographical indications. However, the issue of trade secrets concerns wine production processes, known as cellar practices, even if, in a more technical sense, we are not talking about a real recipe. These are technical elements, from fermentation control methods to temperature control. It is precisely this protectable know-how related to production processes that has given rise to some interesting legal cases, especially in the USA. The best known is a case dating back to 1992. The Californian company Kendall Jackson sued Mr Steele, who had been the winery’s oenologist for years, challenging the disclosure to third parties of trade secrets on the production of Chardonnay wines. The dispute concerned a process for making Chardonnay sweeter by interrupting fermentation with a specific technical procedure. The matter immediately started a strong debate in California. Winemakers feared that they would not be able, anymore, to share winemaking practices that benefit the 212 PAOLA GELATO | STEFANO VERGANO
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