old wine barrels for at least a year. It is often combined with and used to top up previous years' barrels. Due to the cooking, the wine is very stable and keeps well in heat and open containers. The Marche authorities have set down a specification for the method of production of vino cotto. Legal status Although it is recognized as a traditional Italian food product ("PAT") by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, it cannot be sold as ‘wine’ and very little is produced commercially. EU rules prohibit the use of the description “wine" for drinks produced by heating the wort unless they are Marsala, a more recent innovation than vino cotto. See also Vincotto Vin cuit Mulled wine References External links Il Cotto dei Piceni Vino Cotto di Montillo official Marche Italian wine Calabria