“The Other Vinitaly”: “Summa”, “ViniVeri”, “Natural Born Wines” and for the first time, “Van Italy”

“Vinitaly edition number 54”, at Veronafiere, marks the return to normal of Italian wine’s reference event, together with "L'Altro Vinitaly", and its calendar of events and meetings dedicated to sustainable viticulture of the "great, little" natural winemakers. They are often the not well-known custodians of the environment and biodiversity, strongly linked to the territory and farmer origins. Their wines are artisanal and produced in small quantities are a deeply identifying expression of the richness of Italy’s wine terroirs, starting from the lesser known ones. “Summa” is one of the most important Italian events dedicated to organic-dynamic winemaking excellence from around the world, which will be in the “living room” of the Alois Lageder Estate. “ViniVeri. Wines according to nature” to be held in Cerea, is one of the first Italian reviews of wines and food products obtained from natural processes with the winemakers of the ViniVeri Consortium. “Natural Born Wines - Salone dei vignaioli naturali”, will be in Isola della Scala, that the Emilia Natural Wine Show Sorgentedelvino promoted. And, for the first time, “Van Italy - Natural Artisan Winegrowers Fair”, with the Association of Natural Artisan Winegrowers in San Bonifacio. “VinNatur Tasting” is the great tasting of natural wine of the VinNatur Association, among the most important in Italy, in Gambellara. And the “Italian Taste Summit” is an international b2b appointment dedicated to the best communication and promotion strategies for wine between the Masi Tenuta Canova and Possessioni Serego Alighieri wineries in Valpolicella.
“Vinitaly 2022”, is back in full force with a broad international scope, and is preparing to turn the spotlight once again onto the Italian wine world’s most important worldwide showcase in Verona - edition number 54, “The Restart” (Veronafiere, April 10th-13th). “Summa” is also returning to its evocative historical location, Casòn Hirschprunn & Tòr Löwengang at the Alois Lageder Estate (Magrè sulla Strada del Vino, April 9th-10th). This will be edition number 23, and will be present a special selection of one hundred Italian and foreign wineries (from France, Austria, Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Hungary and Portugal), ready to reveal the new vintages of their sustainable wines produced in harmony with nature, welcoming enthusiasts back after two years. There will be guided and exclusive vertical tastings, seminars and visits to the vineyards and the winery, as well as a prestigious culinary review. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the humanitarian association, Casa della Solidarietà (CdS), which has, for many years, been helping people in difficulty. Which wineries have been selected? The VIP wineries, such as John Malkovich (Quielles), Riccardo Scamarcio (Rivale) and Brad Pitt (Châteaux Miraval), Tenuta di Biserno, Guado al Tasso (Marchesi Antinori), Costanti, Cos to Foradori, Nino Franco, Maso Martis, Montervetine, Petrolo, Luciano Sandrone, Sansonina (Zenato), Toscani and Tenuta di Valgiano, to name just a few.
Meanwhile, in the Verona countryside, the 17th edition of “ViniVeri. Wines according to nature 2022” will be held in Cerea (Expo Area, April 8th -10th), organized by the ViniVeri Consortium. Their scope is to make the wines known, listen to the stories of over 100 wine producers from all over Italy, Austria, France, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and, for the first time, Chile (in a larger space to ensure greater safety), and taste the wines produced from work that respects natural cycles. “And, to continue to carry on our concept of environmental, economic and ethical sustainability, both in the vineyard and in the winery, which has been our purpose for almost twenty years, and is now more relevant than ever”, Paolo Vodopivec, president of the Consortium, explained, “the need has become a priority for consumers and wine lovers, and a path that a growing number of producing companies has adopted and followed”. The tasting-presentation of the Manifesto "Form and substance, lights and shadows" will be dedicated to this theme on April 9th, conducted by Sandro Sangiorgi together with the winemakers of the Consortium. The discussion will focus on the quality of wines, where natural also means correct, enjoyable and good. But there will also be dinners prepared by two young chefs who share prestigious International experiences and a return to their territory of origin. Andrea Irsara is at the Stüa Dla Lâ restaurant of Hotel Grand Ander in Badia (Bolzano), and the Umbrian chef, Giulio Gigli, in the Une restaurant in Capodacqua (Foligno), former chef de cuisine and responsible for the creativity of Disfrutar in Barcelona. It will be possible to buy at the showcase-shop Enoteca ViniVeri, many of the rare selected wines of winemakers at winery prices, plus 1 euro for each bottle purchased, which the Consortium will donate to an association to assist children in difficulty (the official Manifesto of “ViniVeri 2022” is signed by the artist and graphic designer, Maurizio Armellin).
In addition, “Natural Born Wines - Exhibition of natural winemakers” is also back at the “Fuori Salone” (off show event) of natural winemakers, promoted by the Sorgentedelvino Natural Wine Fair in Emilia, in Isola della Scala (Villa Boschi, April 9-11). In the glasses, these wines are the expression of extraordinary terroirs, often lesser known, and produced in small or very small quantities by the skilled hands of artisans who make wine respecting the characteristics of the area, the environment and traditions. The “charter of principles” that the winemakers of “Natural Born Wines” share, simply explains what makes these wines truly special. The grapes are grown using organic or biodynamic methods, fermentation takes place only using indigenous yeasts, in the cellar grapes are transformed into wine without additives, sulphites are used only when necessary, and in small quantities. “In the next several days Verona will become the center of the wine world, so, we also wanted to bring the small, natural winemakers we like there”, the organizers. Visitors will also find a small and very accurate selection of typical products offered by food artisans who share the same principles.
At the same time, and, for the first time, “Van Italy-Fair of Natural Artisan Winegrowers” will be participating in San Bonifacio (Villa Bongiovanni, April 11th). The first edition of the event as been promoted by the Association of Natural Artisan Winegrowers, whose mission is to spread the knowledge of natural wines and to illustrate the diversity and personality of each one of them, in an overview of native and International vines, presenting wines from all over Italy that are like rare pearls, hard to find. Each wine has its own history of a territory, a production philosophy, ethics and, above all, the life story of the people who have chosen to pursue this noble profession, following each production phase with care from the vineyard to marketing. The companies are small and medium-sized, generally family-run, where wines are produced using artisanal processes, obtained from grapes harvested manually, from organic or biodynamic farming, spontaneous fermentation, without the addition of any additives or winemaking adjuvant, total sulfur content at bottling that does not exceed 40 mg / l, regardless of the residual sugar content, and where meticulous care both in the vineyard and in the cellar is an ethical choice that is rewarded with a sincere and uncompromising wine.
And, again, as usual, after the stop due to the pandemic, “VinNatur Tasting 2022” will also return with edition no. 17 in Gambellara (Margraf Area, 9-11 April), with the natural wines from 180 winemakers who adhere to the specifications of the VinNatur Association led by Angiolino Maule, including Italian producers and wineries from France, Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany. A journey through all the Italian wine regions and a selection of other European countries, for those who are starting to learn about natural wines and for professionals of the sector who want to broaden their knowledge by meeting winemakers who have the common goal of sharing techniques and experiences fielded to produce wine in a natural way, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, and to spread the culture of the “terroir”.
“Italian Taste Summit”, finally, is the appointment born from an idea of Joanna Miro to enhance and increase the brand perception of wineries of excellence, different in geographical origin and size but united by the deep connection with their terroir and its traditions, and it will see seminars and tastings with over 50 companies and as many buyers, who will meet up a few kilometers far from Verona between two historic wineries of Garda and Valpolicella such as Masi Tenuta Canova and Possessioni Serego Alighieri (13-14 April). The summit “Oenology and Neuroselling: from modern science, the new ways for the quality of territorial typicality and its promo in Export” will reveal the components of the terroir that generate the wine identity and the sales and communication techniques based on the latest research in the neuroscientific field, with Maurizio Ugliano, professor of oenological technologies and processes and Wine Identity and Typicality at the University of Verona, and Vincenzo Russo, professor of Neuromarketing at the Iulm University of Milan, among the leading experts in oenology, neuromarketing and neuroselling.
After all, in Italy 9 out of 10 consumers drink wine, and the category of young people is growing. According to data from Nomisma Wine Monitor for Veronafiere, the number of people who choose to bring natural wines to the table is constantly increasing, not only for ethical reasons, but above all for the intensity that these wines have in the glass. And more…