Legal regulation of Fondillón and similar wines. Study of the involvement of the Monastrell grape variety, the designation of origin wines of Alicante and proposal for the creation of a certification mark in EUIPO

The Fondillón wine from Alicante is considered and recognised in the European market, together with other wines of recognised prestige, such as Porto, Sherry or Bordeaux, as a luxury wine. In this paper we are going to analyse the most important aspects concerning this wine product, based on the analysis of the protected plant variety Monastrell grape from the data extracted from the CPVO database and the regulation established in the Regulations and Specifications of the Regulatory Council of the PDO Wines of Alicante, carrying out an analysis of the main socio-economic purposes involved in the establishment of a protected designation of origin. In addition, we will make a proposal for the legal regulation of those sweet wines similar to Fondillón, but which do not meet any of the requirements to be recognised by the traditional term, based on the combination of two figures that make up the legal regime of quality signs: varietal wines and certification marks registered in the EUIPO.