Month: May 2022

Anteprima Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2022 – an immersive experience in one of the most ancient red wine zones of Tuscany – Filippo Magnani

The unmissable preview of “Vino Nobile di Montepulciano” was held inside the Fortress of Montepulciano at the end of March in the centre of the medieval town. The doors were officially reopened to the public. For the first day of the event, wine journalists and Trade from the Montepulciano area had the opportunity to not only taste the wines, but to also meet the producers behind these beloved productions of refined quality. Two main vintages were presented:  Nobile di Montepulciano 2019, considered a great vintage, and the Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2018.

The Consorzio of Nobile di Montepulciano had previously introduced a variation to the chart of regulations last year introducing 12 Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive called “Pievi .” The name conceals the roots of the past of this Tuscan territory, and it refers to the social organization in smaller areas and the role of the monastic orders since late Roman and Lombard times.

The wine estates together with a select scientific research group, have carried out studies on both the geological and pedological side of the territory and an in-depth analysis of the territory’s history. The project started during the pandemic, and it has culminated with the production of 500,000 bottles that will be labelled Pieve, and which oversaw the public administration and its boundaries.

The bottles waiting to become Nobile di Montepulciano Pieve are now maturing, and we will have to wait until 2024 to appreciate the extraordinary work done by the consortium and the producers.  The new qualification of the vineyards of Montepulciano lays another brick in the consolidation of identity and a clearer recognition of the extraordinary Tuscan wine territory.

 

MY TASTINGS at “ANTEPRIMA”…

My favourite wines:

Winery: Poliziano
Wine: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Docg 2019

Ruby core with rims. Intense bouquet of cherry with balsamic overtones and slight scent of black pepper. Lovely entrance, round with ripe fruit, medium body. Firm, velvety tannins with a long finish.

Winery: Dei
Wine: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Docg 2019

Brillant, ruby red with compacted rim. Pronounced flavour of cassis and violet. Spicy with overtones of leather. Full bodied with quite bright acidity. Well balanced with rich red fruit and elegant tannins. Harmonious finish. A charming wine with aging potential.

Winery: Il Mulinaccio
Wine: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano “La Spinosa” Docg 2019

Clean with a deep ruby core. Lovely aromas of ripe plum with a touch of vanilla. Black cherry in the palate with a light toasty scent. Full body with round, sweet tannins. Fresh and harmonious finish. I liked it!

Winery:  Bindella
Wine: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Docg 2019

Ruby colour turning slightly purple. The nose expresses flavours of red fruit and rhubarb with a hint of mint. The palate is balanced with notes of ripe cherry and prune. Dry and fragrant, with soft tannins and long persistence. Full body with a nice end.  A great wine.

Winery: Tenuta della Talosa “Alboreto”
Wine: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Docg 2019

Brilliant, deep ruby core with violet hues. Intense flavour of black cherry and liquorice with overtones of lavender and new leather. Fragrant entrance with discrete alcohol and ripe fruit. Sweet, velvety tannins and quite long aftertaste. A harmonious, charming wine…

Winery:  Boscarelli
Wine:  Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Docg 2018 Riserva

Bright with paler reflections. Pronounced flavour of red cherry, wild blueberry, and balsamic notes and anise. Rich and well structured, good balance of body, fruit, acidity, and velvety tannins. An excellent wine.

Winery:  Le Berne
Wine:  Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Docg 2018 Riserva

Brilliant deep red. Attractive bouquet of strawberry and violet mixed with spicy notes of black pepper. Full body with lots of red fruit in the centre palate with smoky scents on the back. It expresses harmony with velvety tannins and long, fresh finish.  A lovely wine.

Winery: La Braccesca
Wine: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Docg 2018 Riserva, Vigneto Santa Pia

Medium ruby core, paler towards the edge. The wine displays intense flavour of wild berry with scents of new leather. Rich and powerful, good balance of body, fruit, acidity, and firm tannins. A lovely wine with great potential.

Winery: Contucci
Wine: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Selezione “Mulinvecchio” 2017

Intense and brilliant garnet colour. Its bouquet is intense and ample with notes of blackcurrant and violet. The palate is rich and elegant. Full bodied with impressive freshness and velvety tannins. A long finish. A great wine.

About Montepulciano

The village of Montepulciano is situated on a gentle sloping hill of limestone composition that separates the Val di Chiana from the Val d’Orcia. It is in one of the most popular and explored wine destinations in Tuscany, a symbol of local culture. Montepulciano has been a wine production zone since ancient times and witness to the progress in the cultivation techniques from the Etruscans to the modern days. Among the pillars of the Olympus of wine production in Tuscany, Montepucliano represents an open-air museum of the wine culture of the region. It is an extremely interesting destination for wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs who arrive in this magnificent territory from all over the world.

The charming old town is enriched by Etruscans finds, large Renaissance structures, important churches decorated by illustrious artists, ancient theatres, and local artisan’s shops. It is a charming village full of wonderful peculiarities where you can emerge yourself in its beauty and history and explore with help of one of the best guides of the Tuscan territory: WINE!

Production zone

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vino Nobile Vintage Chart

 

 

 

 

 

 

#VinoNobile #italianwinelovers #wine #NobilediMontepulciano #VinoNobilediMontepulciano #tuscanytourism #montepulciano #igerstuscany #igerstoscana #travelling #italianwinetourism #consorziovinonobiledimontepulciano #anteprimetoscane #anteprimavinonobile #anteprimavinonobiledimontepulciano #anteprime #anteprimeditoscana #anteprimeditoscana2022 #toscana #winelovers #wine #tuscany  #igtoscana #italianwine #italy

Wine Brand Equity stabilizing after COVID, but yet to fully rebound

Building on feedback from over 25,000 wine consumers in 25 markets; representing over 400 million global wine drinkers, the fifth annual Wine Intelligence Global Wine Brand Power Index reveals a stabilization of wine brand equity, following the steep erosion of brand equity seen in 2021 amidst Covid disruptions. The 2022 data also suggests that global wine brand equity has yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels.

The Wine Intelligence Global Wine Brand Power Index 2022 incorporates consumer feedback on key brand health measures and an index is calculated at a global level as well as at a country level across 25 key wine markets. This year’s index saw Denmark featuring as a substitute for the Russian market, which was not surveyed.

At an aggregate level, the top 15 global brands collectively scored higher (6.5 points more) in 2022 compared with 2021. However, on a two-year view, scores remain substantially lower than in 2020, noting that the 2020 result was based on consumer surveys that took place in 2019 (before the Covid pandemic). Across the two-year period (2020-22) awareness levels tended to be more resilient; the main driver of change in the index during this period appears to come from the recalled purchase and connection scores, which both fell significantly for the top 15 global brands in 2021.

Yellow Tail and Casillero del Diablo claim the #1 and #2 spots (again) respectively in the 2022 Global Wine Brand Power Index, with their brand power index scores remaining well clear of all other wine brands. Both brands place as the #1 brand in three out of the 25 markets, with Yellow Tail also claiming a top ten ranking in 10 markets and Casillero del Diablo in 14 markets. Yellow Tail’s strength in the US market is cementing its #1 global ranking in the index. Barefoot now ranks as the 3rd most powerful wine brand globally, rising every year from its 13th position in 2019.

Other notable climbers within top 25 of the 2022 Wine Intelligence Global Wine Brand Power Index include Santa Carolina, which continues its rise to now rank #7; Apothic rising five places to #14 and Dark Horse – which has jumped eight places to #25.

Commenting on the rankings, Lulie Halstead, CEO of Wine Intelligensaid: “In a year characterized by relatively less upheaval for consumers, it’s a relief to see equity for wine brands has stabilized in terms of consumer connection as wine drinkers have returned to more frequent touchpoints with wine in both retail and the on-premise.”

She added: “Successful wine brand owners will be those with a focus on restoring the fundamental positive connections that have propelled their brands to such widespread success on the world stage in the first place, while doing their best to maintain availability and the value proposition amid input cost increases and supply chain disruptions.”

Source:  Wine Intelligence

#winenews #winelovers #wineeconomics #winetrade #winebusiness #winemarketing #winewednesday #WW #wine #winetrends #wineresearch #WineIntelligence #vino #vin

Italy’s largest Wine Museum to open in Verona

A few weeks ago, it announced that the city of Verona has the approval to develop a wine museum “Museo del Vino (MuVin)”, with support from the Italian Ministry of Tourism and various Italian tourism agencies. Verona is also hosting Vinitaly, one of the world’s largest wine fairs, a wine museum seems to be a good fit.

“I was in Edinburgh, Scotland, years ago, and there I had the opportunity to visit the popular Scotch Whisky Experience”, said Enrico Corsi of the Veneto Regional Council, who promoted and developed the idea behind the project, to wine news platform Decanter. “I wondered why something similar could not be done with wine in Italy. I realised that we did not have anything comparable in our country, apart from a bunch of smaller private initiatives.”

Minister of Tourism Massimo Garavaglia was pleased with the promotion. “The real innovation here is that, with the MuVin, Verona will become a hub for the whole country and in particular for the Italian wine tourism sector. This project has the capacity to go far, and we’re 100% behind it”, Italian food news platform Foodtop reported.

MuVin is now a €50 million project that will feature a museum, visitor and exhibition centre located in Verona’s Gallerie Mercatali. The venue will be opposite the city’s exhibition area, which hosts a number of popular shows all year-round, including Vinitaly itself. MuVin will also feature an ‘experiential path’ that will show visitors the history of wine, viticulture, wine production, the impact of climate change on wine production, and wine and food pairing.

The museum wants to offer educational activities as well, with wine lovers welcomed to learn wine-tasting techniques as well as to conduct virtual visits to wineries and UNESCO heritage vineyards in augmented reality rooms. According to Corsi, the project should be finished in four years. “We expect MuVin to be ready by 2026, when Northern Italy will host the next Winter Olympics.”

Sources: Decanter, Euronews, Foodtop (Italian), L’Adige (Italian)

 

#wine #winenews #winetrade #winetourism #winemuseum #verona #MuVinVerona
#italianwine #italianwinelovers #Vinitaly #wineandfood #MuseodelVino #MuseodelVinoVerona
#winelovers

Washington Wine Allocated Almost $1 Million to Wine Research

The Washington State Wine Commission (WSWC) was awarded almost $1 million in research grants for the upcoming year through the statewide grape and wine research program, along with its own grant program. The broad research projects aim to improve wine quality by tackling high-priority vineyard and winery issues.

The WSWC Board of Directors approved 24 projects totaling $994,184 for the upcoming fiscal year (July 2022-June 2023). Research grant awards have grown by 30% since 2015.

The research theme for the coming year is sustainability. WSU is working to develop cutting-edge, sustainable management strategies and tools that wine grape growers can use in the newly launched Sustainable WA certification program.

Scientists will evaluate innovative techniques to control pests and diseases, such as combining attractants with drone aerial release of beneficial predators, using pheromones to disrupt the mating of grape mealybug, trialing UV light in vineyards to control powdery mildew, and growing cover crops to trap or trick nematodes that feed on grapevine roots. A long-term research vineyard will be planted in 2021 to study the effects of traditional and novel viticultural practices on soil health.  Winery projects will include developing a predictive model of Raman spectroscopy and machine learning to make wine analysis faster and easier, mitigating potential impacts on grapes from smoke exposure, and using native yeasts to reduce wine alcohol concentrations.

Through the WSWC’s own research grant program, research teams from WSU and University of California, Davis are collaborating to better understand condensed tannins and develop a novel approach to analysis of tannins in wine. The WSWC also awarded one-year demonstration grants to study acid timing on sensory perception of wine and fund evaluation of different irrigation sensors in a WSU Smart Vineyard.

Wine research in Washington is funded through several competitive grant programs. A statewide program administered by WSU combines public, private and industry monies to support viticulture and enology research at WSU. Four entities fund the statewide program: the Washington State Wine Commission, Auction of Washington Wines, WSU’s Agriculture Research Center, and state wine liter taxes (1/4 cent per liter of all wine sold). Additionally, the WSWC administers a competitive grant program to support short-term, demonstration research at Washington community colleges and studies beyond state borders.

Return on investment from previous research has helped growers and wineries improve wine quality, reduce pesticide inputs by up to 80 percent which saves the industry $35 million annually, conserve up to 50% irrigation water from deficit irrigation strategies, and make informed frost and cold protection decisions using a cold hardiness model. Current research projects have significant potential for economic benefits, including sustainable nematode management tools for replant situations to protect an estimated $44 million in annual replanting costs, helping growers assess risk for phylloxera to prolong replanting with rootstocks, which costs $25,000 per acre.

Learn more about the research projects at Washington State Wine Commission website.

#wine #winelovers #wineresearch #winescience #wineries #winegrowers #wineeconomics #vineyards #sustainability #USWine #wawine #washingtonwine #washingtonstatewine #winenews #USwineindustry #winetrade@wa_state_wine

 

Sicilia en Primeur 2022…. It’s a Wrap!

What an amazing experience attending Sicilia en Primeur 2022!  Assovini Sicilia has certainly set the bar high for its eighteenth edition, and I believe the attending journalists will attest that this.

By the Numbers

This year is the 18th edition. In attendance were 80 national and international journalists. There were 7 wine tours, over 500 wines tasted, and 1 Masterclass.

After two years, the itinerant event organized and produced by Assovini Sicilia, was held in Erice, in the historical venue “Centro di Cultura Scientifica Ettore Majorana.” The medieval town of Erice has previous welcomed journalists, scientists, scholars, institutions, and enologists.

Inaugural Conference – some highlights 

The conference and opening of Sicilia en Primeur 2022 was held on April 30 with renowned Journalist Massimo Giletti as the host and various guest speakers giving their technical-scientific presentations on the theme “Back to the roots. Sicily experiencing the future.” Including a presentation by Professor Antonio Zoccoli, (President of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics) “Wine is also physics, and neutrino detectors are useful to unmask wine frauds” and he further states that “There is no wine without neutrino.”

Professor Marco Moriondo (Institute of Bioeconomics of CNR in Florence) states “Wine-growing Sicily is less exposed to climate change thanks to its soils, terroir, biodiversity and microclimates.”

Enologist Mattia Filippi and founder of Uva Sapiens states “Sicily is nowadays enjoying a privileged condition and its viticulture structure is so strictly connected with its traditions that a series of productive variables are extremely relevant also with regard to climate change.”

The Mayor of Erice, Daniela Toscano, along with Lorenzo Zichichi, both hosts of the “Centro di Cultura Scientifica Ettore Majorana”, mentioned the historical and scientific vocation of the medieval town of Erice.

Laurent de la Gatinais, the President of Assovini Sicilia, spoke of Sicily as “a miniature continent. Its diversity will be the key of our future. Therefore, we need to focus on vine, its study, its development. It has always been said that the human factor is fundamental in the production cycle, and today I strongly believe that it is more and more actual and understood as science, knowledge, and know-how. This is the only way we can tackle important issues, such as that of climate change. Assovini Sicilia wants to be the advocate and pioneer in leading the future of Sicilian viticulture following new models.”

“Sicily is today the largest organic wine area in Italy” comments Antonio Rallo, the President of Consorzio di Tutela Vini DOC Sicilia. It is a territory that by its very nature identifies sustainability as the keystone of the Sicilian viticulture system. This is the direction to where the industry of the island is moving, towards quality wines, authentic and recognizable in their identity and sustainable throughout the whole production process.”

Sicilia en Primeur is not only an important event for the Sicilian wine industry. It is also a perfect opportunity to showcase Sicily’s viticulture and historical-archaeological heritage through its wine tours. Stay tune for my updates on the wine tour.

#winesofsicily #sicilianwines #italianwines #travelsicily #siciliaenprimeur2022 #siciliaenprimeur #DocSicilia #ViniDocSicilia #SiciliaDoc #Sicilia #Sicily #SicilyWine #WineofSicily #DrinkSicily #sicilianwine #sicilianwines #vinosiciliano #vinosicilia #vinisiciliani #winelovers #wineexperience #travelling #instadaily #winetravels #winetourism #traveler #travelgram #winetasting #wineinfluencer #wineadventures #traveldiary #traveling #italianwine #italianwinelovers #AssoviniSicilia #erice2022