Italian wine is riding the crest of restarting on “The Wings of Beauty”, from “Merano Wine Festival”

Italian wine is riding the crest of restarting on “The Wings of Beauty”, of which it is one of the most successful and admired ambassadors in the world. And, it is doing it also through live events, like the “Merano Wine Festival”. Following the forced closings caused by the pandemic, the Festival is coming back to the “elite” of Italian wine, in Merano, from November 5th to 9th, in one of the most beautiful Altoaesina towns, the Kurhaus, in the GourmetArena, at the Puccini Theater, at the Hotel Terme Merano, and more. Helmuth Köcher will stage his classics from The WineHunter Area, the prestigious collection of over 400 wines produced by more than 400 different companies, to Naturae et Purae - bio & dynamica, dedicated to the organic wine world and PIWI, to the Catwalk Champagne. Of course, there will be Master classes, insights and awards, such as “The Wine Hunter Platinum Awards 2021”, the best of the best of excellence, selected by the Merano Wine Festival, which went to wineries such as San Michele Appiano, Bellavista, Nino Negri in Clerico, Borgogno, Pio Cesare, Fino, Fontodi, Ornellaia, Maso Martis, Lungarotti, Tommasi (De Buris), Tenuta Sant'Antonio, Allegrini, Vin de la Neu by Nicola Biasi, Castellare di Castellina, Braida (Bologna family) and Ferrari, just to name a few. Thanks to the WineHunter Hub platform, created a year ago for the 29th edition of the festival, digitally, it will also be possible to follow the event online and virtually meet the producers, while the whole program will be in person and secure. “The Official Selection” is the heart of the event, among the halls of the Kurhaus, where wine producers will alternate in two sessions: the first session (Friday, November 5th and Saturday, November 6th) and the second session (Sunday, November 7th and Monday, November 8th). It will be the same format for the Food-Spirits-Beer, Territorium and Consortium section, hosted in the adjacent GourmetArena, which will host a maximum of 100 producers at a time, also divided into two sessions. Further, in the GourmetArena Territorium Campania Felix there will be selection of wines and culinary delicacies from the Campania Region, in addition to the scheduled cooking show, and the star will be the starred Chef, Gennaro Esposito. Naturae et Purae - bio & dynamica is also returning, and scheduled over the five days, in the Hotel Terme di Merano, dedicated to the top wines from organic and biodynamic agriculture, natural and PIWI. “The WineHunter Area”, the prestigious collection of over 400 wines produced by more than 400 different companies, will be on the podium of the Kursaal as well as at selected Merano Hotel lounges from Friday, November 5th to Sunday, November 7th. It will be possible to taste wines from a specific Region of Italy, thanks to The WineHunter Hotel Safari initiative. Catwalk Champagne, with the prestigious French Champagne maisons will, as usual, close the Festival on Tuesday, November 9th.
Throughout the event, there will be the “off-site” Merano WineCitylife, which brings together entertainment, tasting areas and master experiences along Corso Libertà, as well as Side Events and collateral events that will enhance the event through a schedule of meetings, competitions and tastings, linked to current and trendy issues in the wine and spirits world. The WineHunter Talks will present a series of meetings dedicated to sustainability in the wine chain, wines in Amphora, bio & dynamica and PIWI wines as well as a “bar chat” dedicated to spirits. “Mixed Itineraries” is an important event in the Spirits Emotion Area. It is the Cocktail & Drink Competition, in collaboration with 5 Hats, which engages 26 bartenders and 26 clubs, divided into three sessions (from November 5th to 7th). It is a special occasion to enhance the world of spirits, which, for many years, has been the star of Merano WineFestival. The competition will anticipate the presentation of the new guide, “Mixed Itineraries”, to be published in December. The guide reviews the professionals and the venues that have been awarded the new WH Globe Red, Gold and Platinum award by The WineHunter Award jury. The Gala Event, on the other hand, is scheduled for Saturday, November 6th in the Kursaal of the Kurhaus, where The WineHunter, Helmuth Köcher, in front of a selected audience, will begin the Festival, presenting guests of honor and speeches that pay homage to the pursuit of excellence contained in its motto, “Excellence is an Attitude”, the presentation of the Platinum Awards and the winners of the Emerging Sala Award by Luigi Cremona and Lorenza Vitali.

Focus - “The Wine Hunter Platinum Awards 2021”

Abruzzi
Castorani - 2009 Dieci Inverni Colline Pescaresi TGI

Alto Adige – Südtirol
Kellerei Terlan - 2008 Rarity Alto Adige Südtirol Doc
Kellerei St. Michael-Eppan - 2016 Appius Alto Adige Südtirol Doc
Schreckbichl - Colterenzio - 2019 Chardonnay Lafóa Alto Adige Südtirol Doc

Campania
Masseria Felicia - 2011 Etichetta Bronzo Falerno del Massico Doc
Vestini Campagnano - 2017 Casavecchia Di Pontelatone Doc

Emilia-Romagna
Eredi Contte Otto Barattieri di San Pietro - 2009 Vinsanto Albarola Colli Piacentini Doc

Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Livio Felluga - 2017 Abbazia Di Rosazzo Rosazzo Docg

Lombardy
Bellavista -2013 Vittorio Moretti Franciacorta Riserva Docg
Nino Negri - 2018 Sfursat Carlo Negri Sforzato di Valtellina Docg

Piedmont
La Scolca - 2009 Soldati La Scolca d’Antan Rosè VSQ
Braida di Giacomo Bologna - 2018 Bricco dell’Uccellone Barbera d’Asti Docg
Domenico Clerico - 2017 Aeroplanservaj Barolo Docg
Elvio Cogno - 2017 Ravera Barolo Docg
Giacomo Borgogno & Figli - 2016 Barolo Fossati Docg
Pio Cesare - 2017 Pio Barbaresco Docg

Apulia
Gianfranco Fino Viticoltore - 2018 Es Più Sole Salento TGI

Sardinia
Attilio Contini - 1995 Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva Doc
Silvio Carta - 1977 Vernaccia di Oristano Vernaccia di Oristano Doc

Sicily
Valle Dell’Acate - 2014 Iri Da Iri Cerasuolo di Vittoria Docg

Tuscany
Azienda Agricola Colmano - 2000 Vinsanto del Chianti Riserva Doc
Bucciarelli - Antico Podere Casanova - 2007 Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo del Chianti Classico
Baracchi - 2017 Il Mio Sangiovesone Toscana TGI
Castellare di Castellina-Rocca di Frassinello - 2017 I Sodi di San Niccolò Toscana TGI
Duemani - 2018 Duemani Costa Toscana PGI
Fattoria Le Pupille - 2018 Saffredi Toscana TGI
Fontodi - 2018 Flaccianello della Pieve Colli della Toscana Centrale TGI
Ornellaia - 2018 Ornellaia Bolgheri Doc

Trentino
Maso Martis - 2011 Madame Martis Riserva Brut Doc
Biasi Nicola - 2019 Vin De La Neu Vigneti delle Dolomiti Weinberg Dolomiten TGI
Ferrari - 2014 Ferrari Perlè Zero Trento Doc

Umbria
Lungarotti - 2016 Rubesco Vigna Monticchio Torgiano Rosso Docg

Valle d’Aosta
Rosset Terroir - 2019 Sopraquota 900 Vdt

Veneto
Antonio Facchin e Figli - 2011 Geron Raboso Marca Trevigiana TGI
De Buris (Tommasi Family Estate) - 2010 De Buris Amarone della Valpolicella Docg
I Scriani - 2008 Twenty 20° Anniversary Verona TGI
Tenuta Sant’Antonio - 2011 Lilium Est Amarone della Valpolicella Docg
Allegrini - 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Docg
Carlo Ferragù - 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Docg

Focus - “The Wine Hunter Platinum Food” awards

Alto Adige

Zu Plun - Yellow Gin

Campania
Assuntinadicapri.com - Limoncello al Pepe Garofanato
Alma de Lux-Spirits for Soul - Cigarro Liquor
Azienda Agricola di Cerbo - Composta di Cipolle
Armatore - Colatura di Alici di Cetara 2017 in Orcio di Ceramica

Emilia-Romagna
Acetaia Cazzola e Fiorini - Riserva Famiglia Fiorini 50 Anni
Acetificio Mengazzoli - Cuore Nero in Edizione Limitata
Antica Corte Pallavicina di Terre Verdi - Culatello di Zibello Dop
Up Stream Italiana - Upstream Baffa Royal

Lombardy
Ma! Officina Gastronomica - Brisaola di Codone
Njc srl Caviale Aquavirgo Sevruga

Marche
Distilleria Varnelli - Varnelli Anice Secco Speciale
La Golosa di Curi Maurizio Pesca Sciroppata

Piedmont
Mazzetti d’Altavilla - Brandy 35 Anni
Distilleria Sibona - 2.1 Distillato di Birra

Apulia
Agricola Dargenio - Olio Padre

Sicily
Azienda Agricola Rossoraro - Zafferano Puro in Pistilli

Trentino
Black Sheep Pasticceria di Alta Qualità Bio, Raw e Vegan - Bali

Veneto
Pasticceria Lorenzetti - L’Agostin Integrale
Stringhetto Fabrizio - Spalmabile Fondente Caffè
Frantoio Bonamini - Vert De Vertes
La Casearia Carpenedo - Blu ’61