“Merano WineFestival” 2024: iconic, organic, PIWI, amphorae and underwater wine. “Quo vadis”?

“Quo vadis wine”? This is the question that the “Merano WineFestival” 2024 will address to all the players in the wine and food world that have been dealing with multiple challenges, like climate change, sustainability from the vineyard to the shelf, decline in consumption, opening to new International markets and new generations of consumers. The event organized by Helmuth Köcher, “ The WineHunter”, will be held in Merano, November 8th to 12th, which had been considered the “elite” of Italian wine and now includes emerging companies and new trends. The event is for iconic , certified organic and biodynamic viticulture production ( SQNPI-National quality system of integrated production system and Equalitas, among others), PIWI, vinification in amphorae and “underwater” wines. The 33rd edition will kick off on November 8th with “Bio & Dynamica & more”, hosting 160 Italian producers of organic, biodynamic, SQNPI, Equalitas, PIWI, amphora and underwater wines, the GourmetArena in the Art Nouveau setting of the Kurhaus will host 130 food, spirits and beer companies as well as the Slow Food Earth Market and the “WineHunter Award Platinum” and the “WineHunter Stars” awards will be presented ( Italian rock star Gianna Nannini, entrepreneur Oscar Farinetti, , Chef Viviana Varese, wine expert Riccardo Cotarella, Italian TV Tg 1 journalist Anna Scafuri, wine artist Stefano Vitale, and sommelier-wine manager Valentina Bertini).
330 Italian and 110 International wineries will participate at the Festival between November 9th and 11th (on November 12th, the focus will be on bubbles -“ Catwalk Champagne & More”, including 120 selected excellent products from Champagne Maisons and Italian Classic Method producers). Plus, there will be cooking shows, side events and Masterclasses, including four exclusive meetings titled“ Intrecci di vite”, organized in collaboration with Liber Experience, to be held in the fascinating setting of the Castello Principesco in Merano. The first meeting will be on November 9th between Maurizio Zanella, founder of Ca ’del Bosco, and Vittorio Moretti, founder of Bellavista, the two leading companies of Franciacorta at National and International levels. On November 10th, Donatella Cinelli Colombini, founder of the Movimento del Turismo del Vino and head of Donne del Vino for many years, will take the stage with her Brunello di Montalcino, and Baron Francesco Ricasoli of Castello di Brolio, with his Chianti Classico. Also on November 10th, two famous icons of territories best adapted to produce Italian white wines will meet: Silvio Jermann, and the famous winemaker, Hans Terzer of San Michele Appiano. The fourth will be the exceptional meeting of two absolute leaders of Italian enology, top players for many years at the National and International level, namely Riccardo Cotarella, president of Assoenologi and Union Internationale des Œnologues, and Renzo Cotarella, CEO of Marchesi Antinori.
The main theme of the “Merano WineFestival” 33rd edition will be the question,“ Quo Vadis?”, addressed to the wine sector, and to agriculture in general, at the “Breath and Cry of the Earth” summit. The summit will be held on November 8th and 9th , hosting six meetings, in collaboration with the International Viticulture and Enology Society, to begin a discussion on the direction the wine world is going, including scientific insights on strategies to adapt viticulture to the changing climate, wines from resistant grape varieties, innovations in viticulture and sustainable agriculture. At the end of the summit, a “Manifesto” will be drawn up summarizing the contributions that have come forth during the themed meetings, tracing guidelines towards the evolution of the food and wine sector.
The “five days” of the “Merano WineFestival”, as usual, will host many events to satisfy all tastes and WineNews has listed some of the top events. For instance, on November 8th, the Masterclass “Espressione dei vitigni PIWI” by Nicola Biasi. On November 9th, a Champagne sabering ceremony on Ponte delle Terme’s scenic walkway, followed by the Masterclass, “Bolla contro Bolla”, led by Oscar Farinetti, who will compare various Italian Classic Method sparkling wines. There will also be an in-depth study dedicated to “underwater” wines, at the Masterclass “Underwater - Vini sott’acqua”, curated by the journalist and presenter, Andrea Radic. On November 10th, the Masterclass “Georgia 8000 years of history - Unique Qvevri wines in tasting” led by Helmuth Köcher, patron of the “Merano WineFestival”, and “Supertuscan on stage”, led by Emanuele Trono and Stefano Quaglierini. On November 11th, the Hotel Therme Merano will host the Masterclass titled“ Gli Svitati”, featuring the ambassadors of the screw cap in Italy. In the GourmetArena, instead, one of the cooking shows for the Campania Region, which has always been the Italian Region closest to the “Merano WineFestival”, from November 8th to 12th, there will be a succession of food interpretations by many chef ambassadors in the territory, such as Antonio Tubelli and Gabriele Troisi, Carlo Scutiero, Antonio Lepore, Gino Sorbillo, Umberto De Martino, Franco Pepe, Lino Scarallo, Peppe Aversa, Antonio Della Volpe, and Angelo D’Amico together with the students at the “G. Marconi” Hotel Institute in Vairano (Caserta).
The“ Merano Wine Festival” 2024 (November 8th to 12th), in other words, will be presented more and more on the International level, in a harmonious combination of elegance, culture and business.

Focus - “The WineHunter Stars”: The food and wine world’s “Magnificent Seven”

The Kurhaus will host “The WineHunter Stars” award ceremony during the gala dinner, on November 8th. Helmuth Köcher, patron of the “ Merano WineFestival”, will present the award to seven prominent personalities in the wine world who have brightened it with their passion, dedication and extraordinary commitment. The famous Italian rock singer-songwriter, Gianna Nannini will receive the “WineHunter Star” as “Wine Producer”, for her ability to blend artistic success and private life in the splendid setting of her Estate, the Certosa di Belriguardo. Oscar Farinetti will be awarded the “Communication Star”, as he is a multifaceted marketing and communication expert as well as a successful writer and entrepreneur. Viviana Varese, the dynamic chef and restaurant entrepreneur, will receive the “Food Star” award. Riccardo Cotarella, an institution in the wine world , who has always combined his profession as an oenologist with civil commitment, will be awarded “Best Winemaker”. Anna Scafuri, journalist, and head of Tg1 Economia, will be awarded the“Wine & Food Journalist” “WineHunter Star”, for the best narration of Made in Italy food and wine in her articles and reportages. Stefano Vitale will be awarded best “Wine Artist” for his illustrations featured on Donnafugata wine labels that have marked an innovation in wine communication since the 1990s. Finally, Valentina Bertini, corporate wine manager of Langosteria, will be awarded best “Wine Manager” for the tenacity and professionalism of a woman who is an example of fine dining in Italy and around the world.

Focus - “Intrecci di Vite”: four exclusive events in the Castello Principesco di Merano

The new entry at the 2024 Festival is four exclusive events, the press release stated, called “Intrecci di vite”, and organized in collaboration with Liber Experience, to be held in the fascinating setting of the Prince’s Castle in Merano. On November 9th, Oscar Farinetti will be the moderator of a unique and exclusive meeting between Maurizio Zanella, founder of Ca ’del Bosco, and Vittorio Moretti, founder of Bellavista, the two leading companies of Franciacorta on National and International levels. The next meeting, again Oscar Farinetti as moderator, will be two interpretations about a grape variety, the star of excellent National winemaking - Sangiovese - who will meet and discuss face to face. Donatella Cinelli Colombini, founder of the Movimento del Turismo del Vino and president of Donne del Vino from 2016 to 2022, with Brunello di Montalcino, and Baron Francesco Ricasoli, at the helm of Castello di Brolio, with Chianti Classico. The two meetings on November 10th will be moderated by Daniele Cernilli, and will feature the two leading icons of the most suitable areas for producing Italian white wines, Silvio Jermann, of the historic Friulian winery, and the famous winemaker Hans Terzer of Alto Adige San Michele Appiano. Then, two of the top leaders and star players of Italian winemaking for many years, on National and International levels: Riccardo Cotarella, president of Assoenologi and Union Internationale des Œnologues, and Renzo Cotarella, CEO of Marchesi Antinori. The initiative is sponsored by the Banca per il Trentino Alto-Adige, and the official partner is Italesse, and the Etoilé Noir glass, a sensory glass produced by the Trieste company, in blown glass, made with great attention to the smallest detail, to enhance the selected wines.