“Feminine, singular”: San Gimignano’s Vernaccia is betting on social media and Millennials

It is the only high level and historical appellation of white wines among the great Tuscan reds and the only wine mentioned in the “Divine Comedy” by Dante, this year celebrating 700 years from his death. Sante Lancerio, bottler of Pope Paul III Farnese, Vasari and Michelangelo Buonarroti all highly praised Vernaccia di San Gimignano, inextricably linked to a unique territory, as the vineyards look out at the towers of the “Manhattan of the Fourteenth Century”. San Gimignano has a rich history and is now looking to the future by focusing on two distinctive traits of its character. “Feminine, singular”, playing on the characteristic that “la” Vernaccia is the only feminine Tuscan appellation among the various “il” (Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Nobile di Montepulciano, and so on). Now, the Consortium of the “White Queen”, led by the president Irina Strozzi Guicciardini, is ready to launch a communication campaign, through social media, even in the complicated period we are experiencing right now. This period is even more delicate for a “Glocal” wine; that is, one bottle out of five is sold in San Gimignano, because of the enormous tourist flow that touches this unique town halfway between Florence and Siena, while one in three bottles ends up on world markets (annual production, on average, is 5 million bottles).
The focus of this new communication campaign (that the Siena agency Giango conceived) is to return Vernaccia di San Gimignano “to being a top wine, not only in Tuscany but also on the national and international scene, with its vision of sustainable wine, its historical values, the bond with the territory and its uniqueness. Vernaccia is feminine and singular, which is why it was suggested to focus on this uniqueness, as it is the only denomination in Tuscany that can be declined in this way: Feminine, singular”, explained the Consortium.
The goal “is to restore the appropriate value to Vernaccia di San Gimignano and to position it in first place among quality white wines, by focusing on those characteristics that make it a unique, noble and rebellious appellation. It is unique in its versatility as it can be combined with dishes other than fish, as well as being capable of evolving and improving over the years. It is noble because of its centuries-old history that has made it the star player on the tables of Popes and Kings. It is rebellious because it is the white you don't expect that goes against stereotypes, which comes from an uncontaminated territory and does not accept compromises”.
The Vernaccia di San Gimignano Consortium’s 2021 communication campaign will focus, above all, on social channels. This is not only because they represent the par excellence tool to reach the Millennial audience, but also because at the moment, since the Pandemic has made live events impossible, they are the only ones that can replace them.