Great wine tastings, forums, in-depth analysis and great excellence: the Merano Wine Festival

Exceptional wine tastings, in-depth analysis of current events and trends in the world of wine, innovation, sustainability and more and, of course, the best of production from every corner of Italy, with a virtual toast five hundred years after the death of the greatest Italian genius, Leonardo da Vinci, signed by 950 of the most important producers in Italy: it's time for the Merano Wine Festival n. 28, one of the most popular events in the world of wine, the “wine salon” created by Helmuth Köcher, in Merano, from November 7 to 12.
It opens with a fantastic tasting on November 7 at the Hotel Ansitz Plantitscherhof: 16 magnum vintages of Sassicaia, from 1985 to 2016, both judged 100/100 by “The Wine Advocate” by Robert Parker (whose signature for Italy is Monica Larner), together with the vintages 2013, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1998, 1996, 1994, 1992, 1990 and 1988 (while on November 8, the vintages 2016, 2015, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001, 1999, 1997, 1995, 1993, 1991, 1989, 1987 and 1985 will be tasted from bottle).
But, on the same day, the talks dedicated to innovation, signed by H-Farm, will start. Until November 11, they will cover various topics, from digital transformation in the food supply chain to climate and resistant grapes (November 8), from communication in the “connected reality” (November 9) to e-commerce (November 10), to “smart” fundings in the food sector (November 11).
The program on Friday, November 8, will be full of tastings and in-depth analyses. Among the first, in addition to the second part of the tasting dedicated to Sassicaia, stands out the so-called “Cotarella day”, with tastings of wines from 60 wineries of Italy and the world, followed by one of the most important Italian enologists, but on the table there will also be the so-called “Piwi” wines, in a masterclass that will compare “schools” of Freiburg and Udine, with wines in the glass from vines such as Perge, Souvignier Gris, Solaris, Johanniter, Limine, Sorel and El Masut, among others, which will also be the first of the Charity Wine Masterclass, whose proceeds will go to the realization of a project of solidarity in Africa. Among the latter, the themes that emerged from the Wine Business Forum of Business Strategies held in October at the Milano Wine Week stand out, as well as the panel dedicated to women, moderated by Oscar Farinetti, which will take its cue from the Japanese model of the wine supply chain, and will see on stage Silvana Ballotta (Business Strategies), Antonella Cantarutti ( Donne del vino), Valentina Bertini (wine manager of Langosteria) and Alessandra Piubello (Veronelli). But it will also be the day of the big gala dinner, with chefs such as the starred Massimo Spigaroli and Luigi Tramontano, and Pietro Penna, with the wines of TrentoDoc, and the Consorzio del Prosecco Doc, Barbera d'Asti and Vini del Monferrato and Vini del Sannio, but also the Movimento Turismo del Vino Puglia and Cantine Leonardo, in the edition dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo Da Vinci. But it will also be the day of Naturae et Purae - Bio&dynamica, a space dedicated to natural, organic, biodynamic, orange and Piwi wines.
Saturday, November 9, instead, the “Official Selection” will open its doors, a tasting path in the Kurhaus, where the wines awarded by the “The WineHunter Award” will be tasted, but there are also many goodies of the second day of the “Charity Wine Masterclass”, which will feature wines from wineries such as Quintodecimo by Luigi Moio, in Irpinia, Cà Viola by Beppe Caviola in Piedmont, Castello di Montepò by Jacopo Biondi Santi in Maremma, the great wines of South Tyrol of realities such as Elena Walch, Terlano, San Michele Appiano, Caldaro, Tramin and more. But it will also be the day of the presentation of the “manifesto” of the “Wine Generation Forum” staged at the Milan Wine Week, as well as the charity auction that will see the proceeds go to the Missionary Group of Merano “A well for life”, the presentation of the guide Vinibuoni d'Italia of the Touring Club, and the tribute to Leonardo da Vinci, with the Leonardo da Vinci Wineries, at the Hotel Terme in Merano. At the end of the evening, at the Cinema Ariston, there will also be a tribute to a historical name in the cuisine of Italy, with the screening of the docufilm “Gualtiero Marchesi - The Great Italian”.
Sunday, November 10, still great tastings, with the vertical Madame Martis of Maso Martis, brands of Trentodoc, of the famous Turriga of Argiolas winery, and even, among others, the Chianti Classico of the historic Castello di Brolio, and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo of the reference winery in the area, Masciarelli, led by Marina Cvetic, with a “trip to Burgundy” with wines of Benjamin Leroux.
Among the masterclasses of Monday, November 11, however, stand those dedicated to champagne aged under the sea of Kottakis, while the spotlight will still be on Sardinia’s autochthonous vines and Cannonau, as well as the wines of Sannio, those of South Africa and Sauternes of Château de Fargues.
On Tuesday 12, instead, as usual, the closing will be dedicated to the “Catwalk Champagne”, with the great French bubbles, combined with selected food and wine excellence.
There will also be a very full programme of the “The Circle” space, “orchestrated”, between tastings and music, by Nicola Prudente, that is Tinto of “Decanter” (Radio2), where there will be on stage, among other things, the vertical tasting of 10 vintages of Amarone della Valpolicella of the wines of the 13 wineries that are part of the “Famiglie Storiche”, or the tasting dedicated to the “Shades of Barbera”, with the president of the Consorzio Barbera d'Asti e Vini del Monferrato Filippo Mobrici ( November 9) or, again, the journey between “I Colli Orientali del Friuli” with Annalisa Zorzettig, or that in Valpolicella with Luca Nicolis, “innkeeper” of the legendary Bottega del Vino di Verona, or even in the vast territory of Prosecco Doc, with the director of the Consortium Luca Giavi (November 10).
Just a selection of the rich program, also enriched by many events “Fuorisalone”, from the mixology protagonist in the cocktail bars of Merano, and especially of the Spirits & Mixing Arena, along the Promenade along the River Passirio.
And again, every day, the initiatives of realities such as Signorvino or Tannico (with great tastings and vertical dedicated to brands such as Krug, Cristal, Sassicaia, Gaja, Biondi Santi and Ferrari).
With Merano becoming, for a few days, the capital of the great wines and food and wine excellence of the Belpaese.