“Finchè c’è vite c’è speranza” and “Wine of the Opera”: the winning cartoons of “Spirito DiVino”

An astronaut on a non-better precised planet characterized by arid ground with three bottles of Docg wine on the back “acting as oxygen”, and a look which, from the safety helmet, appears thrilled in front of a small vine leaf which is growing. And, then, a machine for pressing on the stage of a theater, from which wine pours filling the wine glasses of an audience assisting to the show. Here, respectively, “Finchè c’è vite c’è speranza” by Italian Milko Dalla Battista (over 35 category), and “Wine of the Opera” by Coskun Cemrenur, from Turkey (under 35 category), the winning cartoons of “Spirito DiVino” 2025, the historical International Contest of satiric illustrations, unique in its genre to be exclusively dedicated to the satire in a wine sauce, signed by Movimento Turismo del Vino Friuli Venezia Giulia which celebrated edition No. 25.
The categories in the competition were two: in that of over 35, Milko Dalla Battista, from Sanremo, raised on the highest step of the podium with “Finchè c’è vite c’è speranza”. German Philipp Sturm with “Bach e Bacco” ranked second, while, at the third place, Marco De Angelis with “Artificial Intelligence” and, from Thailand, Prawit Mongkolnowrut with “Pleasure Journey” ranked equal. On the contrary, regarding category under 35 won Turkish Coskun Cemrenur with “Wine of the Opera”, followed by Austrian Cakir Gokce with “Be Free with Wine and Sail to Your Dreams”. At the third position, equally, Italians Davide Nolfo with “I Vini Infernali”, and Andrea Vallini with “Com’è questo vino?” ranked. In the end, “Premio Speciale Cover” - “Special Award Cover” was awarded to Bruno Morello for cartoon “Piacere Di-Vino”, while “Menzioni speciali Go 2025” - “Special mentions Go 2025” went to Giorgio Gino Giunta with “Scambio Culturale”, and Samanta Bartolucci with “Vite Insieme”. All cartoons laughing at and making satire about today wine world: from the circles of Dante’s Inferno varying according to the type of wine (from the vinegary to insipid up to oxidized and sweet), to the Italian pouring his/her wine to the Slovenian and vice versa, from modern robots crushing grapes with feet as in ancient times, people did, to the bunches of grapes sketched as musical notes by creating an assonance between Bacchus, God of Wine, and German composer Johann Sebastian Bach.
Following the tradition, the prestigious jury made up of journalists, intellectuals, and famous Italian cartoonists selected them out of 300 participants: the honorary president of the contest is Giorgio Forattini, while the in power president is Alfio Krancic. And, then, Emilio Giannelli, satirical historical illustrator of “Corriere della Sera”, graphic and humorist Valerio Marini, director of Touring Silvestro Serra, Gianluigi Colin, art and cover editor “La Lettura” of “Corriere della Sera”, Franz Botré and Enzo Rizzo, director and vicedirector of magazine “Spirito di Vino”, Carlo Cambi, among the most important Italian food and wine journalists, Paolo Marchi, founder of “Identità Golose”, philosopher Aldo Colonetti, conductors of “Decanter” on RaiRadio2 Fede & Tinto, and president of Movimento Turismo del Vino Fvg Elda Felluga.
“We reached the significant goal of 25 years of the contest - commented Felluga - and, we can only be happy that this date coincides with “Nova Gorica e Gorizia Capitale Europea della Cultura” 2025. The over 9,000 collected works in these years, and created by cartoonists all over the world testify the vitality of “Spirito DiVino”, a contest in which the scratchy language of the satire becomes tool of dialogue between art, wine, and civilizations”.
The cultural value of wine was restated also by Mario Anzil, vice president and Regional council member of Culture of Friuli-Venezia Giulia: “cartoons make one laugh, but, at the same time, they stimulate to reflect about art and culture. And, in all this, wine is a glue capable of inspiring suggestion, and an impulse to consider the world with a different attention, and, to some extent, a deeper one”. Also president of regional council member Mauro Bordin thinks the same: “the culture of wine is a culture of dialogue, discussion, and union between civilizations and territories, and celebrating anniversary No. 25 of “Spirito DiVino” means not only paying homage to creativity, and irony, but also to recognize the fundamental role that wine plays as cultural ambassador, and symbol of opening”.