Wine as a “bridge” of union of the first “Capitale Europea della Cultura Transfrontaliera” 2025

There is a border that has cut mountains, rivers, houses, courtyards, families, and the beautiful vineyards of Collio-Brda in half, one of the most suitable and important wine territories of the Old Continent, thanks to the legendary Ponca, where the history of Europe was written, but whose border has been overcome, thanks also to the gastronomic traditions and viticulture that have united the people who have lived in this land “crossroads” of different cultures, and which, today, is a symbol of peace. It is the border that does not divide but unites Gorizia and Nova Gorica, Italy and Friuli Venezia Giulia with Slovenia, and which together will be the first “European Capital of Cross-border Culture” in 2025, thanks to a unique and “borderless” experience, example for all of Europe because, for the first time, the working method on the cross-border territory is conducted by overcoming national dynamics on a planning, administrative and operational level. And the wines will be the protagonists, to tell the thousand-years history of these lands through unique flavors and aromas like the people who crossed the border to win dialogue and collaboration and build a better future together.
The cities of Gorizia and Nova Gorica, therefore, are candidates as the food and wine epicenter of Europe, but the entire area of North-East Italy will be “strategic”: this is demonstrated by the many projects of “Go!2025” which are about to arrive between 2024 and 2025 – under the direction of Gect Go, the European Group of Territorial Cooperation which has the task of building a unique city, that of the area between Nova Gorica and Gorizia, where borders have been overcome and which next year is preparing to live the experience of a cosmopolitan reality where it can welcome a large audience - tangible and concrete sign of the new vision and of a transnational modus operandi that looks at food and wine as a “bridge” of culture and socialization, with events that will culminate with the first #borderless edition of “Gusti di Frontiera” the largest Triveneto event of flavours, which will celebrate 20 years without borders in September 2025, between Italy and Slovenia, after a bridge-edition, from 26 to 29 September 2024 in Gorizia, which promises to be increasingly vast and inclusive, with over 50 countries from the five continents. In the cross-border Karst, the “Borderless Okus” project will propose gastronomic experiences and events that combine contemporary art and comics to promote cultural diversity and support sustainable development through sustainable tourism. Among the events, there will also be the “Malvasia In Porto” Festival, to enhance the geographical areas linked to Malvasia wine with meetings and tastings: appointment in Venice in October-November 2024, in Muggia, in the extreme North-East of Italy, in July-August 2025, and in Ljubljana, Slovenia in autumn 2025. Two more cross-border partners, the Franciscan Monastery of Kostanjevica in Slovenia and the Spessa Castle in Italy, will be protagonists with the “Great Wines of Friendship and Peace” project, proposing an innovative tourist offer linked to the cultural heritage of the best vineyards classified as Grand Cru already un the eighteenth century by Empress Maria Teresa of Austria in the cross-border wine region that includes Collio, Brda and the Vipava Valley, conceived as unique for its wine-producing peculiarities. And which, in autumn 2024, will be the protagonists as every year of the charity auction of selected wine barrels donated by Italian and Slovenian wineries for the Kostanjevica Monatery. Without forgetting the “eno(satire)” of the historic “Spirito di Vino” competition promoted by the Movimento Turismo del Vino of Friuli Venezia Giulia and unique in its kind dedicated to current affairs satire insired by the world of wine, and which is preparing to celebrate a quarter of century, with a major event in Palazzo Lantieri in Vipava Valley in Slovenia and in Piazza Lantieri in Gorizia with the Satire Festival scheduled for February 2025, and in the meantime, in May 2024, with the first cross-border satire itinerary, between Gorizia, Vipava and cellars where the winemakers will promote many events within the event.
“Wine and viticulture are part of the culture of this cross-border territory, and have always represented the common path of our people”, says the Agriculture Councilor of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region Stefano Zannier. “Go! 2025”, for the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia in Italy, Matiaz Longar, supported by the Secretary of State and Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Slovenian Government Eva Knez,, “it is a project that goes beyond the borders of a historically divided region, in which Slovenian and Italian cultures become a bridge between two peoples: a connection also favored by the commonalities linked to taste, wine and gastronomy typical of geographically bordering areas”.
A union that will be sanctioned on a symbolic date, February 8, 2025, in which Slovenia celebrates its national poet France Prešeren and Italy remembers the birth of the poet Giuseppe Ungaretti, to symbolize the importance, more relevant than ever in the scenario of international conflicts, also against the backdrop of the Old Continent, of the exchange between cultures, peoples and traditions that have always coexisted in Europe, which brings prosperity and peace.