Duino Aurisina, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, is the “Italian City of Wine 2022”

The Prosecco-Prosek controversy may be divisive, but wine, after all, is made to unite, even the players who are currently quarreling with each other. And so, a cross-border project, led by the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia Region involving also Slovenia and Croatia, means that, following Barolo City of Wine 2021, the Italian City of Wine 2022 is Duino Aurisinia, in the province of Trieste (city in which, ironically, Prosecco is produced). The Trieste municipality has become the leader of a wide-ranging project, which connects other cities in Friuli Venezia Giulia as well as the neighboring Slovenia and Croatia, from a European and cross-border perspective. The project boasts a rich program of cultural events and wine tourism for a year, looking towards Gorizia and Nova Goriča 2025 (European Capital of Culture) and sustainable development (Agenda 2030). The handover from Barolo Italian Wine City 2021 will be held at the Convention of the Wine Cities (19-21 November 19th – 21st).
The small wine tourism municipality in the province of Trieste, explained a note, has passed the technical commission test of the National Council of the Cities of Wine Association with flying colors, winning over other deserving candidates such as Menfi (Agrigento) and Ziano Piacentino (Piacenza). The dossier sees it as the leader of a full program of initiatives that involves other Wine Cities in Friuli Venezia Giulia, but also neighboring Slovenia and Croatia, with a view to European and cross-border collaboration. The nomination, which received praise from the president of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Massimiliano Fedriga, will be made official at the Convention of Wine Cities (November 19-21). Renata Bianco, mayor of Barolo (Italian City of Wine 2021) will handover to Daniela Pallotta, mayor of Duino Aurisina, who emphasized great satisfaction for the “recognition of an extreme and fascinating environment such as the Karst, a place of excellence for Italian and European wine production. A unique and wonderful territory has been rewarded thanks to its excellent teamwork and a program that will involve almost all the Wine Cities in Friuli Venezia Giulia and their respective territories”.
“We are extremely satisfied that Duino Aurisina received this nomination, as they had participated last year as well with great enthusiasm”, commented the regional coordinator of the FVG Wine Cities, Tiziano Venturini. “The novelty of the project is that it represents not only the Municipality, but an entire territory, working together with other municipalities and enhancing the collaborative relationship that has been consolidated in the past few years. Furthermore, the initiative has a cross-border commitment that involves the Istrian Wine Towns of Croatia, such as Buje, Brtonigla, Umag and Grožnjan. And, the commitment will continue even afterwards, because we intend to apply for hosting the 2025 edition of the international wine competition of the Cities of Wine, when Gorizia and Nova Goriča will be European capitals of culture”.
“The nomination has an extraordinary value for Duino Aurisina also from the viewpoint of European collaboration between neighboring cities and bordering countries”, commented Floriano Zambon, President of Città del Vino, “different languages ​​and cultures have always influenced the Karst territory, and the title of Italian City of Wine 2022 is also a tribute to sharing values ​​as well as mutual collaboration between these different territories and cultures. Consequently, wine tourism and defending local economies are great terrains for unity and comparison”.
Duino Aurisina received this recognition through the extensive teamwork carried out in the past few months in coordination with the Wine Cities of Friuli Venezia Giulia (30 members: 26 Municipalities and 4 Prolocos {local tourist offices}) which has organized a high-quality project, including collaborative interaction between various municipalities and local authorities.
It is important to mention that the project counts 33 documents containing high quality and outstanding events throughout the Region, which will be developed from February to December 2022, promoting significant incentives for the entire territory. There are over 40 municipalities in the Region, plus neighboring Slovenia and Croatia presented in the documents, which make it a cross-border project. More than 13 Regional Prolocos, for a total of 218 businesses, both public and private are involved, and all the participating farms in various capacities. It is, therefore, an “army” of nearly 500 organizations ready to promote the important candidacy. The total economic value of the proposal corresponds to over 1.2 million euros.