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Issue 665 - January 22nd - 26th 2024 - Expressly created for 4671 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world | |
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| | | A Barolo, the “king” of Italian wines, from Marchesi di Barolo, the winery where it was born with the Marchesa di Barolo and which preserves its history, and a Marsala, the first Italian wine of worldwide resonance, from Florio, the winery that preserves its tradition, both from 1936, the year Pope Francis was born. There is Italy reunited, from the Piedmont of its origins to Sicily, in the gifts delivered to the Pontiff at the Vatican, and there was in the Italian wine community that, among entrepreneurs, institutions and communicators, he received in a private audience at the Diocese of Verona and Veronafiere-Vinitaly’s day on the “Economy of Francis and Italian Wine” (where WineNews was also present, ed.). | |
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| | “In terms of the number of companies involved, the quality of production and the impact on employment, yours is certainly a significant reality, both on the Italian and international wine scene, and it is therefore good that you find yourselves reflecting together on the ethical aspects and moral responsibilities that all this entails, and that in this you draw inspiration from the “Poverello”, St. Francis of Assisi. The fundamental lines along which you have chosen to move - concern for the environment, work and healthy consumer habits - point to an attitude focused on respect, at various levels. And respect, in your work, is certainly fundamental: for a quality product, in fact, the application of industrial techniques and commercial logic is not enough; the land, the vine, the processes of cultivation, fermentation and aging require constancy, they require attention and they require patience”. These are the words addressed by Pope Francis at his private audience with the Italian wine community at the Vatican. Recalling that “sacred Scripture itself speaks of these issues” and that Jesus “speaks of the Father as a farmer, who cares for the vine, pruning it and thus ensuring that it bears good fruit. Respect, constancy, the ability to prune in order to bear fruit: these are precious messages for the soul that are well learned from the rhythms of nature, from the vines and the workmanship” that involve an infinity of skills, only partly transmissible in a “scholastic” way, because they are “linked to the sharing of a practical, life wisdom”, all the more fruitful “the more we allow ourselves to be involved in the human dimension of what we do”. And if respect and humanity are valid in the use of the earth, they are even more decisive in maturing in individuals and businesses the ability to break “self-referentiality” by making “possible all care for others and the environment” by considering the impact caused by our every action. “Authentic care for our own lives and our relations with nature is inseparable from fraternity, justice and fidelity to others. Wine, land, farming skills and entrepreneurial activity are gifts from God, but let us not forget that the Creator has entrusted them to us, to our sensitivity and honesty, so that we may make them, as Scripture says, a true source of joy for “the heart of man””.
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| | Wine bottles sold in Italian stores and large-scale distribution in 2023 return just under 1 billion, 3.1% less than the previous year for a total value of just over 3 billion euros. This is noted by the Uiv-Isma Observatory based on Ismea-Nielsen-IQ in relation to wine sales in large-scale distribution and retail stores through 2023. Still wines set volumes at -3.6% (with reds at -4.9%) and record the 11th consecutive quarter with a minus sign. Sparkling wines remain in line with the previous year’s volumes, but only thanks to “low cost” Charmat non Prosecco (+7.1%), without which the type would turn negative by 2 points. | |
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| | | Giacomo Conterno’s Barolo Monfortino Riserva at the absolute top, with per-bottle adjudication, on average, of 700 euros, ahead of Frescobaldi’s Masseto and Soldera’s Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino, which tick off, on average, 600 euros; and then, in the fourth bracket, Biondi Santi’s Brunello di Montalcino Riserva and Bruno Giacosa’s Barbaresco Riserva. In fifth, Cappellano’s Barolo Otin Fiorin Pie Franco-Michet, Giuseppe Rinaldi’s Barolo Brunate and Romano Dal Forno’s Amarone; in sixth bracket, Bartolo Mascarello’s Barolo, Giuseppe Mascarello’s Barolo Monprivato, Frank Cornelissen’s Etna Rosso Magma, Aldo Conterno’s Barolo Riserva Granbussia, Montevertine’s Le Pergole Torte, Giacomo Conterno’s Barolo Cascina Francia, Tenuta San Guido’s Sassicaia and Gaja’s Sperrs. Seventh bracket, on the other hand, for Gaja’s Barbaresco, Emidio Pepe’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Antinori’s Solaia, Burlotto’s Barolo Monvigliero, Gaia & Rey again from Gaja, and Pietradolce’s Etna Rosso Vigna Barbagalli, Frescobaldi’s Ornellaia, Poggio di Sotto’s Brunello di Montalcino, Valentini’s Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Sandrone’s Barolo Cannubi Boschis, Antinori’s Tignanello and Casanova di Neri’s Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto: here are the 30 strongest Italian wines at auctions, according to the “Classification of Grandi Cru 2024” by Gelardini & Romani Wine Auction. | |
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| | | After a year-end that rewarded Classic Method sparkling wines (Champagne, Franciacorta, Trentodoc and Oltrepò in the lead) and the great reds (Barolo above all, then Amarone, Brunello and Chianti Classico), and saw sales growing over the same period 2022 (in 55% of cases), people are also looking forward to next spring-summer with a decidedly positive sentiment (for 63% sales will be stable, for 27% they will increase) coming from Italian wine shops. At least from the more than 120 gathered by the Vinarius Association. | |
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| | Over 2,340 companies (38,000 considering also the agricultural processing ones), 21.5 billion euros of direct turnover, 10 billion euros of exports (80% of which are concentrated between Europe and North America, and with a surplus balance of more than 8 billion), 1 billion euros brought to the tax coffers (73% coming from excise duties on intermediate products, 26% from corporate income taxes and 1% from state marks), to which is added a consumer VAT for wine, spirits and vinegars of 3.2 billion euros: these are the most important values that emerge from the “Chain Study”, for the Wines, Spirits and Vinegars sectors, carried out by Nomisma for Federvini and presented at the Chamber of Deputies. Numbers from which reflections (in more detail) on the present and future of the sector began. | |
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| | Some positive signs seem to be coming from bars, restaurants, wine shops and the out-of-home for the Italian wine market. At least looking at the results of the Meregalli Group, a historic wine & spirits distribution company, with 2023 sales at 99.4 million euros (+8% over 2022). A balance sheet that is also a good observatory of consumption trends. Rosé, Meregalli explains, confirms the growth of recent years, white wine runs above average, unlike red wine, and sparkling wines always have a high and constant demand. | |
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