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Issue 543 - September 20th - 24th 2021 - Expressly created for 4.274 wine lovers, professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world |
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In the “World’s Best Vineyards” - the ranking of the most beautiful wineries in the world - Antinori in Chianti Classico, a masterpiece designed by architect Marco Casamonti, at position no. 6, and the only Italian present since the first edition in 2019. At position no. 61 there is instead a new entry, Ferrari, the Trentodoc griffe of the Lunelli family, which has now become a sparkling wine with international appeal. At position no. 73 there is Ceretto, one of the most important realities of the Langhe, and, at position no. 83, Gaja, the iconic winery of Barbaresco, led by Angelo Gaja. At no. 1 is the Argentinian Zuccardi Valle de Uco. |
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The combination of great wines, prestigious territories, collectors and enthusiasts from all over the world and “charity” initiatives is synonymous with guaranteed success. A road that is now intertwined with history, among the vineyards of the Langhe UNESCO World Heritage Site, with “Barolo en Primeur”, a charity event organized by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo, Fondazione Crc Donare, Consorzio Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe Dogliani, “Enosis Meraviglia” by enologist Donato Lanati and “Vinous” by Antonio Galloni. The project involves a truly unusual Barolo auction, to be held at Christie’s on October 30 at Castello di Grinzane, in connection with New York. There will not be ready-to-drink bottles, but 15 barrels of Barolo, each of which will yield around 300 bottles of the “king” of Langhe wines (which WineNews has tasted in advance). With very special grapes, because the Nebbiolo bunches dedicated to the project come from Vigna Gustava, on the hills of Grinzane and its Castle, which belonged to the Count of Cavour. A historic vineyard of almost 4 hectares purchased by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo to invest, with Barolo, in a social project that integrates local development, community activation, training and economic and social value. A vineyard that is a Geographical Mention in which Lanati has selected the oldest plants and the plots that produce the best quality. The result is 15 expressions of the same vineyard, which will allow those who buy them to have their own wine (and to decide for themselves which charity the proceeds will go to, as we understand). “For the first time”, explains Matteo Ascheri, president of the Consortium, “a batch of wine from the 2020 vintage will be auctioned off as barrels and delivered to those who will have purchased it in lots of 300 bottles in 2024”, including in different formats and with a label signed by internationally renowned artist Giuseppe Penone. And with wines in barrel that will be evaluated by Galloni, whose reviews will be reported as Nft (Non Fungible Token), with the image of the original tasting note signed by the famous critic. The objective in the debut year is truly ambitious, as the aim is to raise at least 900,000 euros. And in the future, to involve the Consortium’s producers. |
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Autumn has just begun, with half of Europe (i.e. more than half of the world’s vineyards) still in the middle of the harvest, and the season of the great international wine rankings has already begun. The first, as always, is the “Top 100 Best Buys” 2021 by “Wine Enthusiast” magazine, which lists the best wines in terms of value for money (maximum $15 on the shelf). As always, the Italian selection is well-stocked (the Italian editor of the magazine is Kerin O’Keefe, ed.), with Italy present with 11 labels, signed by wineries such as Umani Ronchi, Gorgo, Villa di Corlo, Castello di Gabbiano, Malvirà, Colosi, Monte Antico, Cantina Frentana, Ruggeri, Cantina di Venosa and Stemmari, behind the hosts of the United States with 38, and France with 13. No. 1 in the ranking is the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon from Chateau Ste. Michelle. |
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As widely announced by the EU Commissioner for Agriculture Wojciechowski, the application for protection of the traditional term “Prosek”, presented by Croatia, has been published in the Official Journal and now, as Coldiretti points out, “all interested parties will have a period of two months from the date of publication to present a reasoned objection, which the Commission will analyze before adopting a final decision”. There is a need to speed up the process, and it is first and foremost national policy that must take responsibility for this problem, starting, of course, with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies Stefano Patuanelli who, speaking at the Chamber, reiterated that “the proposal for recognition by Croatia of the traditional term Prosek is inadmissible, and the Government will fight in Europe to have it rejected. The EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowsky, stressed that the Commission’s objective is to strengthen the PDO and PGI system, and certainly not to weaken it”. Alongside the Government, the Unione Italiana Vini (UIV), Federvini and Coldiretti are ready to support Prosecco in its battle (see in-depth statements). |
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“Cattività” by Gian Maria Tosatti, a site-specific installation that encourages reflection on the possibilities for collaboration between man and nature, in the rooms of the historical Montalcino estate: this is the winning artwork of “Artisti per Frescobaldi”, the biennial contemporary art prize that continues the Frescobaldi family’s centuries-old tradition of patronage. The works inspired by CastelGiocondo, which, with those of Erica Mahinay and Andrew Dadson, dress the limited edition of 333 Magnums of Brunello in the great 2015 vintage. |
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“We, the G20 Agriculture Ministers, met in Florence on September 17-18, 2021 and reaffirmed our commitment to achieve food security and food for all, and to ensure sustainable and resilient food systems, leaving no one behind”. The first point of the final declaration of the G20 Agriculture Ministers meeting in Florence in recent days, is also the most important of the 21 points of the “Florence Charter for Sustainable Food Systems”, presented by the Minister of Agriculture Stefano Patuanelli. “We need to increase multilateral relations and cooperation between countries in order to avoid waste and allow the production of healthy food even in countries where this does not happen despite having the possibility to do so”, said Patuanelli. |
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The world’s first cryptocurrency entirely guaranteed by high quality Italian wine is ready: the “Iwb” is available since September 21, 2021, and it is issued by the Italian Wine Crypto Bank, the first and only wine bank in the world based on blockchain and cryptocurrencies. The project’s partner wineries include Allegrini, Arnaldo Caprai, Marchesi Mazzei, Planeta, Salvatore Molettieri, Tasca d’Almerita, Tenuta di Capezzana, Tua Rita, Tenuta di Trinoro, Passopisciaro, San Filippo, as well as Banfi, Barone Ricasoli, Fontanafredda and Poderi Gianni Gagliardo. |
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