MINISTER SAVERIO ROMANO: WINE & FOOD IS THE BLACK GOLD OF ITALY. “AMONG MY COMMITMENTS, COORDINATING RESOURCES FOR COMMUNICATION IN ITALY AND ABROAD”... “VINI NEL MONDO” IN SPOLETO JUNE 2ND TO 5TH

“The black gold of Italy is, along with fashion and design, tourism and especially wine tourism. But, we need a control board to coordinate the Ministries of Tourism, of Agriculture and Economic Development in addressing the problem of counterfeiting, which affects 90% of products with Italian names sold in the world,” said Alessandro Casali, head of “Wines in the World”, the cult event held in Spoleto, from June 2nd to 5th. The Minister of Agriculture, Saverio Romano, has “blessed” the event, and added, “events are a strength for promoting products and their characteristics to consumers in Italy: it is a model of communication that needs to be supported and it is important to also include the value of the territory, a selection of excellent wineries throughout Italy and a cultural heritage that project the image of our country in the world. I think it is necessary to combine quality wine to quality PDO food products because the most important top quality Italian products are the driving force for all the others”.
Regarding wine, “we have to work,” said Romano, “on exports and the decline in domestic consumption. My idea of promotion,” Romano continued, “is to imagine coordinated communication campaigns of Made in Italy products, with 70% of investments allotted to foreign markets and 30% to the domestic market. If we succeed in coordinating all the initiatives, from the small town ones to the largest event sponsored by the Ministry, we will have better and more effective results. The theme in communication must always be the excellence of our products, which we can define in three main features: clear and understandable labeling and traceability, security, limitation of production together with the system of designations of origin for the protection of true excellence”.
Wine and food are in second place among the reasons why tourists visit our country. Italians living abroad (70 million worldwide) can act as perfect ambassadors because they have wine & food in their DNA. Let wine be the “flywheel of tourism”: “this is the direction,” said Romano, “that the protocol I signed at Vinitaly, together with the Minister of Tourism Michela Vittoria Brambilla, is taking. Wine deserves to get proper recognition for its excellence and because it is an ambassador of Made in Italy products”. The Minister confirmed his commitment to “put the Ministry of Agriculture at the center of a growing coordination of resources to be used in communication in Italy and abroad”. The Minister of Agriculture, Saverio Romano also confirmed that “events are essential for promoting products to consumers” and, therefore, he welcomed the proposal launched by Alexander Casali, President of “Wines of the World” “to organize a showcase similar to those already existing in a “market ” in the South (rumors say three regions are competing: Puglia, Calabria and Sicily, which is in pole position, Ed.), with all their excellent foods and wines.

Focus - The event: Spoleto June 2nd to 5th “Wines in the World”. Here is what is planned ...
“Wines in the World” in Spoleto, June 3 to 5, will be transformed into an open-air wine shop: the preview is on June 2nd and includes a guided tasting of “The two wines that made the history of Italian wine making: Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino” and a “Gala Dinner” in the Albornoz Fortress. More than 150 personalities from the worlds of politics, culture and journalism will take part in celebrating 150 years of the Unification of Italy. The event is under the official patronage of the Presidency of the Republic (info:  www.vininelmondo.org).
"The event is important especially for promoting wine tourism,” said Minister Romano, who will be in Spoleto, "and the involvement of young people at the "Notte Bianca del Vino” (light night of wine), which seems to be a winning combination of responsible drinking together with musical and artistic events". Fernanda Cecchini, Agriculture Commissioner of the Umbria Region, stressed the importance of having "a National plan for quality products like wine and olive oil and more generally, food and wine. The added value is to offer a whole package that combines products, culture, ideas and traditions through a clever promotion, like "Wines in the world". The mayor of Spoleto, Daniele Benedetti explained that for the territory, which has just recently received the DOC label for Trebbiano Spoleto, "Wines in the World" has "a double meaning: it allows you to enjoy both the beauty of the city and drink wine responsibly".