The Viticulture Commission of the Vinhos Verdes Region
The Viticulture Commission of the Vinhos Verdes Region (CVRVV) is a private, non-profit, regional, interprofessional association with public utility status.
The CVRVV is legally recognized as the Management Entity of the Protected Designation of Origin DO Vinho Verde and the Protected Geographical Indication IG Minho, as well as serving as the certification body for wine products with these labels.
As the management entity of DO Vinho Verde and IG Minho, the CVRVV performs the governmentally delegated strategic management of DO Vinho Verde and IG Minho, representing the respective producers and traders, being responsible for ensuring:
- the management of the DO and IG specifications;
- the legal protection and defense of the DO and the IG;
- monitoring of the use of DO and IG titles;
- the promotion of DO Vinho Verde and IG Minho;
- product quality research and development; and
- training and the dissemination of scientific and technical knowledge.
As the Certification Body of DO Vinho Verde and IG Minho, the CVRVV performs the governmentally-delegated functions of certifying products with said DO and IG, being accredited for the purpose by the Portuguese Institute of Accreditation (IPAC) according to the NP EN ISO/IEC 17065 standard. The CVRVV laboratory is also accredited by the NP EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard, as contained in the respective Technical Accreditation Annexes C0010 and L0226-1 and corresponding Lists of Certifications or Testing under Flexible Accreditation.
The CVRVV also aims to support the economic activities of its members in the fields of technology, promotion, and training.
When was the CVRVV established?
The CVRVV was legally incorporated in 1926 as an interprofessional body of producers and traders in the Vinhos Verdes region, following the demarcation of the region and the legal creation of the respective Denomination of Origin in 1908.
The CVRVV's statutes also approved the Regulation on the Production and Trade of Vinhos Verdes, which determined the region's geographical limits, the characteristics of its wines and the rules of production and trade in the region; the Commission is tasked with ensuring compliance with this regulation.
The 1930s witnessed a rise in state intervention in the organizational structure of the CVRVV and consequently a progressive loss of the Commission’s autonomy vis-à-vis the government; the definition of the legal nature of the CVRVV as a public or private entity was not clarified for almost 50 years. It was only in 1987 that its status as a private association was established by law and, given the significant general interest of its activity, it was named an institution of public utility. The bylaws of the CVRVV were further updated in 2007 and 2022 following changes in the legal framework governing the sector.