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Issue 375 - July 2nd - 6th - Expressly created for 11.897 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world |
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“Wine touches many aspects of our lives and it narrates a product fruit of nature, but also of expertise, which has become the mark of Italian excellence appreciated the world over”. These are the words pronounced by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella today in Rome at the "Wine Culture Forum" organized by the Italian Sommelier Foundation, revealing his deep appreciation of a leading sector of the Italian economy that “shows its producers need open markets, capable of dealing with competition, because they have the qualities to win. All economies, in all countries profit from open markets”.
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The history of Italian wine has a rich past and a successful present in markets, research on varieties, territories, wine tourism, and the future would seem equally flourishing. This is thanks to a joint effort of political and cultural institutions, as well as the big companies that are on the markets (which must be open, regulated, and without duties) and the wine artisans who, today, like yesterday, are willing to take risks and innovate, which when successful, bring benefits to the whole sector. Wine gives value to “time”, in the era of “eternal present”, but it also represents values such as solidarity and social improvement. These are the messages, alongside President Mattarella’s, which important personalities expressed at the eleventh edition of the "International Wine Culture Forum" organized by the Italian Sommelier Foundation and led by Franco Ricci, today at the Luiss in Rome, with the participation of many great wineries. “It is an honor to have Mattarella here today when we are celebrating our most excellent product, wine”, said the president of the University Emma Marcegaglia, “which is culture but it also a part of Italy’s future , the engine of economic and social development according to a great Italian entrepreneur like Adriano Olivetti”. Its growth is linked to its widespread culture, “which we believe is equal to that of the Coliseum”, and “to which we have been committed for years, but for which there is still much work to do”, said Ricci. We have discovered, for example, that the hotel schools did not dedicate even one hour of lessons on wine. We fought the institutions, as we are convinced that we need to start with the young “to educate them about their culture”. Wine teaches nature’s rhythms and how they have changed, said Angelo Gaja, recalling those "artisans of wine" who acted and act in a “stubborn and contrary direction”, like Ferruccio Biondi Santi and Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, together with Tachis, who invented Brunello and Sassicaia; but also Valentini, Josko Gravner, Arianna Occhipinti, Angiolino Maule, Walter Massa, and many others. Wine’s great culture is capable of giving new perspectives even to those who have lost the way, said the co-founder of the Community of San Patrignano Letizia Moratti, whose “kids” produce wine.
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“Referral”, or postponement to next year: this is the decision of the UNESCO Commission, which met recently in Bahrain, regarding the recognition of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Hills as a World Heritage Site. In short, even though the opening evaluation was Not Inscribe, an Inscribe proposal was presented, which 12 Member States voted in favor of, but did not reach the 14 votes required for approval. The Commission has requested adjustments to the Dossier to re-discuss it in 2019 in Azerbaijan. One of the positive elements that emerged is the excellent conservation and management of the candidate site. “We knew that it would still take time and work to, but we are determined to achieve our goal”, said Innocente Nardi, President of the Consorzio Prosecco DOCG. |
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“Italian wines have a lot to say, like in Valle d'Aosta, where the 2017 harvest was scarce, but production was excellent. It is exciting to see how men and women can turn a calamity into something magical. And the magic is found in the plains as well, like the rosés in Apulia - Primitivo, Malvasia Nera and Nero di Troia, which have given exceptional wines in spite of the extremely hot year”. The wine writer, Ian D'Agata, talked about the trending territories and those ready to emerge at the Collisioni Festival in Barolo, whose Progetto Vino (of which WineNews is mediapartner, ed.) is the fulcrum. But if you look at memorable wines, the "game" becomes difficult to play, because “Italy has a heritage of over 500 indigenous varieties, impossible not to get excited”: Barolo, Barbaresco, Soave, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, Amarone, Chianti Classico or Brunello. And, Italy is seen as the country of good wines at affordable prices, which is important. we now have to improve the quality basis of all denominations, without turning a blind eye to imperfections. Plus, it is not necessarily true that “small is beautiful”. The greatest difficulty is making 100.000 bottles of a great wine, but there is room for everyone. And, remember that abroad variety still counts more than the denomination. |
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Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence (since 1984, number one in Italy), La Ciau of Tornavento in Treiso, Bottega del Vino in Verona, La Pergola of Rome Cavalieri and Poeta Contadino in Alberobello are the top 5 restaurants that have the best wine lists, according to Wine Spectator’s “Restaurant Award” 2018. There were 91 “Grand Award”, the highest recognition, given around the world. In Italy, 4 new entries received the “Best of Award of Excellence”: Il Duomo di Ragusa, Cracco Restaurant in Milan, the historic Pierluigi Restaurant in Rome and Caffè Dante Bistrot in Verona.
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The United States is still a strategic market for Italian wine, as total exports in the first 4 months of 2018 reached 544.7 million euros, up 4.4% in volume and 1% in value, according to the Vinitaly Observatory-Nomisma Wine Monitor. And, just recently in the States, Italian wine, together with Vinitaly, Italia del Vino Consorzio, Trentodoc, Sicilia Doc and Chianti Classico, was the star of Summer Fancy Food in New York, in the Italian Pavilion created by the extraordinary Made in Italy promotion plan, curated by ICE, including Federalimentare, Cibus, Tuttofood and Vinitaly (and the participation of the President of the Senate, Maria Elisabetta Casellati), under the hallmark, “The Extraordinary Italian Taste”.
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More online protection, more synergy and power to intervene in the fight against false Made in Italy, including confiscation of goods, on strategic markets such as the USA, UK, Canada and the Scandinavian countries. This is the new protocol signed by the Consortium of Wine Valpolicella and the Counterfeit Repression, to protect Amarone, Valpolicella and other important PDO wines in the Verona area. |
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