My friends at Il Palazzone in Montalcino have just reported that voting in the secret ballot to change the Rosso di Montalcino appellation (to allow international grape varieties) has been completed. The Consortium is currently tabulating the votes.

Producer Carlo Cignozzi has threatened legal action: as Franco reported yesterday on his blog, Cignozzi believes that Ezio Rivella was not authorized to call a vote on such a sweeping measure without calling for a full “extraordinary” assembly where all members would have equal voting power (at the “ordinary” assembly called by Rivella, the number of votes assigned to each producer is based on the size of the winery).