Tag: Italian Wine

Vinitaly postponed to April 18-21 2021

This week Veronafiere announced Vinitaly 2020 was canceled, made in agreement with representatives of Vinitaly’s partner associations, which are listed below.

Sol&Agrifood and Enolitech shows, which are held in conjunction with Vinitaly, and have also been rescheduled to 18-21 April 2021.

Commenting on the massive economic impact of Covid-19 for the exhibition business in Europe, president of Veronafiere, Maurizio Danese said that the cost would run into billions of euros.

He said, “We must bear in mind that this situation has a massively disruptive impact on the European exhibition industry. To date, more than 200 events have been rescheduled, with an overall loss of almost 6 billion euros and 51,400 jobs at risk, not to mention all businesses related to this industry and the loss of 39 billion euros in exports for SMEs in Europe generated by international trade shows.”

Giovanni Mantovani, CEO of Veronafiere, said that once the health emergency in Italy caused by Covid-19 had subsided he would be embarking on a “renaissance” for the show, which he had thought would be possible in June this year.

He commented, “The health crisis, as everyone can see, has become distinctly worse and what seemed possible out the outset is no longer so now.”

Continuing he said, “In agreement with supply chain organizations, Vinitaly, Sol&Agrifood and Enolitech will, therefore, take place next year.”

He also stated his intention to grow Vinitaly’s international business and create a new event later this year for the show’s partner organizations.

“In addition to implementing special investments in international events such as Vinitaly Chengdu, Vinitaly China Road Show, Wine South America (23-25 September 2020), Vinitaly Russia (26 and 28 October 2020), Vinitaly Hong Kong (5-7 November 2020 ) and Wine To Asia (9-11 November 2020), as well as initiatives organized by the Vinitaly International Academy, we will be at the complete disposition of the sector and promotion system to consider the development of an innovative event next Autumn at the service of sector companies.”

The calendar for the main events organized directly by Veronafiere or third parties affected by changes is given below.

EVENT – ITALYDATE IN SHOW CALENDARNEW DATE
Model Expo Italy – Elettroexpo7–8 March 202021-22 November 2020
SportExpo6–8 March 2020Postponed to a date to be defined
Samoter – Asphaltica – ICCX Southern Europe16-20 May 202021-25 October 2020
LetExpo16-20 May 2020Postponed to a date to be defined
Automotive Dealer Day:19-21 May 202015-17 September 2020
Veronafil22-24 May 202021-23 May 2021
Verona Mineral Show Geo Business22-24 May 202021-23 May 2021
Vinitaly – Sol&Agrifood – Enolitech14-17 June 202018-21 April 2021
Opera Wine13 June 202017 April 2021
Vinitaly and the City12-15 June 202016-19 April 2021
Innovabiomed:15-16 June 2020Postponed to a date to be defined
Art Verona16-18 October 202011-13 December 2020
Oil&NonOil20-22 October 202021-23 October 2020

 

EVENT – INTERNATIONALDATE IN SHOW CALENDARNEW DATE
Vinitaly Chengdu22–25 March 2020Postponed to July 2020
Fieragricola Morocco @Siam14–19 February 2020Canceled
Living Italy @Design Shanghai12–15 March 202026-29 May 2020
Bellavita Expo Warsaw21-23 April 202030 June-2 July 2020
Vinitaly China Road Show15-19 June 2020Postponed
Bellavita Expo Hamburg20-24 June 202012–16 March 2021

Vinitaly partner associations and their representatives include:

  • Ernesto Abbona, President of the Italian Wine Union
  • Riccardo Ricci Curbastro, President of Federdoc
  • Riccardo Cotarella, President of Assoenologi
  • Sandro Boscaini, President of Federvini
  • Luca Rigotti, wine sector coordinator for Alleanza Cooperative
  • Matilde Poggi, President of the Italian Federation of Independent Wine-Growers

Sources:
Veronafiere and Drinks Business

Zorzettig Releases a Limited-Edition Bottle to Sustain Local Hospital Amid Covid-19 Emergency in Italy

Zorzettig a winery in Friuli, is not new to challenges, having survived World War II before becoming an ambassador of regional viticulture, in Italy and abroad. Now, the winery has taken another important step in sustaining the local community and its well-being. The Zorzettig family has organized a fund-raising project aimed at economically supporting the intensive care unit of Ospedale Universitario Santa Maria della Misericordia in Udine which is fighting at the forefront of Covid-19 emergency.

The winery will be selling a limited edition of Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, a native red variety, on Tannico.it. The proceeds will be used for buying necessary equipment. The limited-edition will display on the label the sentence Andrà tutto bene (everything will be alright) in eight different languages. Eight is a lucky number in China, where the emergency has started, and which is now experiencing the first positive signals. The disposition of the sentences aims at representing a hug, a familiar gesture we cannot share right now. The bottles will be on sale, on their website at info@zorzettigvini.it and on Tannico in the next few days for €35 per bottle.

Zorzettig has produced 720 bottles of red wine made with the grape variety Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, grown predominantly in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy, which has been one of the regions of Italy most affected by the outbreak.

“Andrà tutto bene is a good wish for the future that needed to be translated in a practical action right now” explains Annalisa Zorzettig, who runs the family business. “We love our land and our community and we asked ourselves how we could help. This is how we came up with the idea of a limited edition with a good wish aimed at going beyond space and time. We love the idea that families will buy this bottle to share it with beloved ones seated around the same table. In the future, this will be a reminder of a challenging time we were able to overcome and of a moment which has taught us, once more, how precious are little joys and beloved ones”.

info@zorzettigvini.it
https://www.tannico.com/

26th Grand International Wine Awards Mundus Vini Spring Tasting 2020

The Mundus Vini wine awards are held in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, in the heart of the Palatinate region in the Pfalz, south of Frankfurt every spring.  268 wine experts from 54 countries gathered at the 6-day tasting in February to blind taste and assess around 7500 wines from 45 countries. Jenny Ratcliffe-Wright, Cape Wine Master, was invited to be a judge for another year in a row and this time as Canada’s first-panel chair.

Over the days of tasting, Ratcliffe-Wright chaired a panel with judges from Germany, Australia, Russia, Ukraine and Portugal who tasted wines from 11 countries.  Garnacha based red blends from Germany and Spain showed solid quality with very few faulty bottles or winemaking faults. A flight of Sauvignon Blanc from Trentino and Veneto in Italy and white blends from various regions in Italy showed good varietal character, while the blends highlighted the great quality of white wines coming out of Italy recently, being super easy to every day drinkers to enjoy.

The Pinot Noir flight from Chile and New Zealand was outstanding with judges awarding many medals.  Merlot from various Spanish regions ranging from La Mancha to Catalonia was solid without too many surprises.

The sparkling wine and Prosecco flight from Italy and Germany showed wines that were whistle clean and market-ready.  Rioja from Spain was interesting in that there were many different styles from the region, but in general, the quality was very high.

The Shiraz and Shiraz blends from South Australia showed beautiful balance and fruit.  There was a Pinot Gris flight from Germany, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Serbia and North Macedonia, while being from a wide range of countries, the grape showed its character and it was obvious why this varietal is so popular worldwide.

Chenin Blanc from various regions in South Africa from Swartland to Walker Bay was promising with a wild card of a Chenin Blanc from Armenia included in the lineup and that had been blended with Aligoté and Kangun.

Valpolicella Ripasso from Northern Italy was an interesting flight with many excellent wines.

Each judge is measured daily on a tasting and scoring graph against their peers to ensure precision of tasting without too much deviation and to ensure consistency.

Christian Wolf, tasting director for Mundus Vini said: “We can see purely by the figures and the feedback from our tasters that the level of quality has risen considerably this year.”

Australia emerged from the competition as number one in the overseas category with a total of 72 medals with Kilikanoon Wines being named, once again, the best Australian winery with 19 medals. South Africa came in 2nd of the wines from overseas with 55 medals and Argentina 3rd with 49. The best Argentinian winery was Gruppo Peñaflor who received a total of 11 medals

Some of the top-rated wines of the show were:

2016 Kilikanoon Oracle Shiraz (Best of show, Australia red)

2018 Jaraman Chardonnay (best of show Australia white)

2016 DeWetshof Estate The Site Chardonnay (best of show South Africa white)

2016 Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Shiraz (Best of Show, South Africa red)

2015 Felipe Staiti Honor (Best of show Argentina)

For the European wines, Italy scored the most medal with 658 with Spain a close second with 631 and France with 325.

“It was an exciting tasting this year to see high quality from so many regions and a privilege to judge with so many accomplished international palates.” Says Jenny.  “I look forward to judging in the competition again next year.”

Jenny Ratcliffe-Wright

Puglia’s Negroamaro – to be discovered

I traveled to Puglia, Italy early October 2019 to attend a four-day educational tour.  The Educational Tour Guagnano (Salento – Puglia – Italy) “Negroamaro Stories” was carried out with the support of the Comune di Guagnano, the Municipality of Trepuzzi, the Gal Terrad’Arneo, the Municipality of Porto Cesareo, of the National Association of AIS of Lecce, and  Solento Wine Shop.

Puglia is geographically located in the south-eastern tip of Italy, covering 7,469 sqm. It is bordered by the Adriatic Sea on the east, by the Ionian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its climate is Mediterranean, with hot summer temperatures only partially mitigated with sea breezes.

On my first day I attended the Museo del Negroamaro for a press conference, which kicked off the 2019 “Stories of Negroamaro” tour. In attendance were partner organizations, participating wineries, local politicians, and artist Arianna Greco.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conference speeches and presentations were given (in Italian) by:

Antonio Rizzo – Ass. cultura e al marketing territoriale del Comune di Guagnano;

Claudio Maria Sorrento – Sindaco del Comune di Guagnano;

Chiara Tondo – Ass. all’Agricoltura del Comune di Guagnano;

Cosimo Durante – Presidente Gal Terra d’Arneo;

Viviana D’Amico – Presidente del Comitato Tecnico Organizzativo del Premio Terre del Negroamaro; and

Titolari e Rappresentanti – Aziende Vinicole Guagnano.

The conference introduced us to the Guagnano and Terra d’Arneo area and presented grape harvest data for 2018-2019.

After the presentations and speeches, I met and mingled with Italian wine journalists, winegrowers and members of the local and regional associations, while tasting the delicious local cuisine.

After lunch, I participated in a tour of the Museo del Negroamaro.  I found out that the Museum was formerly a millstone from the 1800s. It now houses antiques and antiquities from yesteryear, such as traditional presses, barrels, fermenters, weighs, pressure switches, and other tools and equipment previously used in the processing of grapes and winemaking. The Museum also houses the Negroamaro Study Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the next four days, I will be visiting eight wineries or Cantinas in Puglia and tasting their DOC and IGT wines, with a focus on the indigenous varieties Primitivo and Negroamaro.  The participating wineries include: Cantele Cantele; Cantina Sociale Enotria; Vini Leuci; Feudi di Guagnano; Cantine Cosimo Taurino; Cantina Moros di Claudio Quarta; Taurino Francesco; and Tenuta Marano.

The first winery visit was Cosimo Taurino

The Taurino family have been growing grapes and making wines in Puglia for seven generations. This multi-award-winning estate owns 80 hectares of cultivated vineyards exclusively with Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera grapes, both indigenous to Salento.  The Taurino’s family respect for terroir and for native grapes is inspiring, and their impact on the vinous history of Puglia is unprecedented.

 

 

Two wines that really stood out for me were:

Cosimo Taurino, Notarpanaro Salento  2010

100% Negroamaro

Tasting Notes:  This wine offers complex aromas of cherries and raspberry, with some notes of wood and spice, which all come through on the palate;  this medium-bodied wine has fleshy tannins and a long finish.

Cosimo Taurino, Patriglione 2013

100% Negroamaro

Tasting Notes:  This wine has notes of red berries, leather, tobacco, and some traces of pepper. It’s a rich and full-bodied wine with a good balance.

Unfortunately, I could not complete the rest of the tour due to a family emergency.

 What I learned in Salento….

About  Negroamaro

Negroamaro is a deep, black-colored grape with taste characteristics of black currant, cherry, blackberry and cloves with some cinnamon undertones.  It is almost exclusive to the Salento region (Brindisi and Lecce) and is harvested in late September.

Negroamaro is used in 13 regional Dop labels (out of 28 in Puglia) and is produced in the provinces of: Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto: Alezio, Brindisi, Copertino, Galatina, Leverano, Lizzano, Matino, Nardò, Negroamaro in Terra d’Otranto, Salice Salentino, Squinzano, and Terra d’Otranto.

Negroamaro has a high alcohol content with some floral and fruity aromas; this makes it an ideal blending wine because the aroma does not distract from other grape varieties.

The Soil

It is worth mentioning that one of the secrets to the fabulous tasting Pugliese wine is the soil.  It’s dense red clay, high in iron-oxide – this provides a sweet, structured, full-bodied wine.

Over the last few years, the wines of Salento have been gaining tremendous success. The next-generation winemakers have both improved the taste and the image of the wines in this emerging wine region.

A special thank you to the municipal administrations, for organizing this wonderful trip.  I’m looking forward to going back to Puglia in the near future and learning more about this up-and-coming wine region.

Liz Palmer

 

Prosecco harvest down 3-5%

The harvest in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore has just come to an end with yields down between 3% to 5% from last year.

“This month we have just spent on the Rive vineyards has been one of intense work,” said Consorzio president, Innocente Nardi.

Nardi said that this has been an exceptional year for the territory, “starting off with the accolade from UNESCO, but also including the fiftieth anniversary of the denomination and our ban on glyphosate, which has made us the largest wine zone in Europe to forbid the use of this well-known herbicide.”

According to a statement from the Consorzio, harvesting took place in ideal conditions. “We registered an average pH of 3.30 and acidity of 6.55, values that are ideal for the production of elegant sparkling wines,” said the statement.

After a cold winter, spring was cooler and rainier than usual, which caused a delay in bud break. This was followed by a hot summer, and the weather was fine during the harvest. The harvest began in the most easterly zone and one slopes with the most exposure to sunlight, such as the vineyards at San Pietro di Feletto.

The region’s steep slopes are difficult to harvest with machinery, and “600 to 700 hours of manual work are necessary per hectare each year”.

The wines from 2019 will be the first to take advantage of the new production regulations passed in August of this year, which allow for sui lieviti (“on the yeasts”) sparkling wines that have been refermented in the bottle, and extra brut, with residual sugar between 0 and 6g per Litre.

https://www.prosecco.it/en/prosecco-superiore-docg/