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Issue 558 - January 3rd - 7th 2022 - Expressly created for 4.335 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world |
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2021 just ended was another record year for investments in the fine wines segment. This was confirmed by the most important indices of the Liv-Ex, the secondary market benchmark. The Liv-Ex 100 grew by 23.1% over the 12 months (the best of the Italians for revaluation was Antinori’s Tignanello 2015, +47.7%). The Liv-Ex 1000, the largest of all, also did well, up 19.1%. This also includes Italy 100, which, after 2020 as the absolute star, performed less well than the market, but still grew by a robust 13.9%. In the year in which the Liv-Ex reached a record in value, number of wines traded and members. |
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There is still no official word, but the “Settimana delle Anteprime di Toscana” (Week of the Tuscan Previews), according to the latest rumors collected by WineNews, is moving towards postponement: the current situation is too confused to guarantee the “natural” development from February 12 to 18. The announcement by Avito, the association that brings together all the wine consortia of the Grand Duchy, and Regione Toscana, is expected shortly, but what is emerging is perhaps the only sensible solution that would allow Tuscan wine to “anticipate” the major international fairs, ensuring, with the overcoming of the peak of contagions (predicted by immunologists and epidemiologists at the beginning of February), the presence of journalists and professionals from Italy and the rest of the world. On the trade fair front, the latest news comes from “Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris”, which has officially confirmed the regular running of the first international event in two years, at full capacity, from February 14 to 16, with 2,800 exhibitors from 32 producer countries. On the other hand, “Millésime Bio”, the exhibition dedicated to green products in the Mediterranean, scheduled for January 24-25 and postponed by five weeks, from February 28 to March 2, while waiting for the epidemic wave to pass. There is no question of Vinitaly 2022, confirmed in Verona on April 10-13, just as ProWein in Dusseldorf (March 27-29) seems to be safe from possible moves. Returning to the rest of the “Wine Previews” panorama, according to well-confirmed rumors, intercepted by WineNews, “Grandi Langhe”, the kermesse organized by the Consorzio di Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani, in partnership with the Consorzio del Roero, scheduled for January 31 and February 1, is almost certain to be postponed. Canceled, and still awaiting rescheduling, according to WineNews rumors, is “Anteprima Amarone 2017”, which the Consorzio di tutela dei Vini della Valpolicella had planned for February 4 and 5, 2022. |
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The podium of the countries that export the most wine, in value, is always the same: France, Italy and Spain - while waiting for the 2021 figures - together shipped more than 20 billion dollars worth of wine in 2020. However, this figure does not tell the whole story about the specific weight of wine exports compared to overall exports. As emerges from the figures compiled by Aawe - American Association of Wine Economists, wine represents, with 9.97 billion dollars, 2.04% of French exports, and the specific weight of Italian exports is even lower: 7.19 billion dollars are worth 1.45% of total exports. In this special classification, Georgia comes first: in what is historically the vineyard of the former USSR, wine exports are worth 210.3 million dollars, representing 6.29% of all exports. |
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Santa Margherita, one of the most prestigious wine centers in Italy, owned by the Marzotto family, through its American branch, Santa Margherita USA, has acquired a majority stake in Roco Winery, one of the most prestigious wineries of Oregon. And so Santa Margherita, already a leader in Pinot Grigio in the USA, now also invests in one of the territories that, in just a few years, has become one of the world’s reference points for Pinot Noir in particular. But, above all, it opens up the direct-to-consumer channel, which is experiencing strong growth in the No. 1 Italian wine market. “It is a strategic operation for us”, explains Beniamino Garofalo, CEO of Santa Margherita, to WineNews. “As well as adding a prestigious brand to our perimeter, it will allow us to sell Santa Margherita Group wines directly to the end consumer in 17 American states, including Florida, California and Washington, something that the American system only allows US wineries to do. Thus, with the (majority) ownership of Roco Winery, we will be able to dialogue directly with the American end consumer, to make them more familiar with the stories of our wines and other products that they may still know less about, and to sell them our wines directly. With a different selection, obviously, from the one that currently goes into classic distribution”. |
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Carlo Giacosa (at no. 2 overall, with the Barbaresco Montefico 2016), Feudi di San Gregorio, Cavallotto, Giacomo Mori, Fontodi, Argiano, Massolino, Argiolas (led by Antonio, Francesca and Valentina Argiolas, in the photo) and Venturini Baldini: these are the 9 Italian wineries selected by “The 50 Best Wines of 2021” by Vinepair, the popular wine portal in that market, the USA, which even in 2021, which will probably close with a record 7 billion euros for Italian wine exports, is confirmed as the first foreign country for Italian wineries. |
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For a great director like Ridley Scott, attention to detail is a veritable obsession. The proof comes from his latest film, “House of Gucci”, released in Italy in December, a biopic on the murder of Maurizio Gucci, descendant of the Florentine fashion house, who died in 1995, played by Adam Driver (two Oscar nominations). Starring Adam Driver (two Oscar nominations), the film also stars Lady Gaga as Maurizio Gucci’s controversial wife Patrizia Reggiani, who drags the Gucci family epic into bloodshed and oblivion. What did not go unnoticed by the most attentive viewers, however, was the bottle of Moscato d’Asti from Cantina Bera from Neviglie, beautifully displayed on a table set in the mountains. |
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Just before the end of year festivities, Queen Elizabeth, who became a producer at the age of 95, launched her “Vintage Prosecco - Christmas”. It is sold for £15 in small 200ml bottles at the royal estate in Norfolk, Sandrigham, under which label the royal family also sells “Celebration Gin” and a beer. Prosecco, of course, comes from Italy: it is the Prosecco Vigna Dogarina di Campodipietra produced by Vivo Cantine from Campodipietra in Salgareda (Treviso). |
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