News THE CELEBRATED ‘MONA LISA’ WAS AN ANCESTOR OF THE GUICCIARDINI STROZZI FAMILY, THE FAMOUS PRODUCERS OF VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO. THE IDENTITY OF DA VINCI’S PAINTING CONFIRMED BY A NOTE DISCOVERED IN AN INCUNABULUM AT THE LIBRARY OF HEIDELBERG 29 January 2008
News WINE SALES IN SUPERMARKETS GROW AND POLARIZE INTO TWO PRICE RANGES: UNDER 3 EUROS AND OVER 5. SUPERIOR QUALITY WINES ARE ALSO SELLING WELL ACCORDING TO A WINENEWS INTERVIEW WITH SERGIO SOAVI, MARKETING MANAGER OF COOP ITALIA 28 January 2008
News U.S. MARKET FORECASTS - THE NEW YORK ICE OFFICE HAS NO DOUBTS: “2007 WAS A RECORD BREAKING YEAR FOR WINE”. BUT THE STRONG EURO COULD BE A TOUGH HURDLE FOR CONTINUED COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN ITALIAN PRODUCERS AND U.S. IMPORTERS 25 January 2008
News TOP ITALIAN RED WINES MAKE THEIR PREMIER: AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA (25-27 JANUARY), CHIANTI CLASSICO (19-20 FEBRUARY), NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO (21 FEBRUARY), BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO (22-23 FEBRUARY), SICILIA EN PRIMEUR (5-9 MARCH) 24 January 2008
News ANGELO GAJA’S TEN WISHES FOR 2008. ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS ITALIAN WINEMAKERS IN THE WORLD WRITES TO WINENEWS WHAT HIS HOPES ARE FOR THE NEW YEAR 23 January 2008
News WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM (WEF) ALERT: ALARMING FOOD PRICE HIKE IS A PRIORITY FOR 2008 22 January 2008
News THE ITALIAN PARADOX: THE WHOLE WORLD IMITATES THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET BECAUSE IT’S THE BEST, WHILE ITALY IS DROPPING IT. IS IT A NEW DIET TREND? NO, IT’S A WAY TO SAVE MONEY 21 January 2008
News ENOLOGIST CARLO FERRINI AND THE FOUNDER OF CASTELLI BANFI IN MONTALCINO, JOHN MARIANI, GO TO NEW YORK FOR THE “2007 WINE STAR AWARDS”: THE PRESTIGIOUS MAGAZINE, WINE ENTHUSIAST, WILL BE AWARDING THE WINE WORLD’S VIP’S ON JANUARY 28 18 January 2008
News THE FIRST WINE MADE FROM GENETICALLY MODIFIED PLANTS ARRIVES FROM CHINA. IT’S RICHER IN RESERVATROL, THE ELEMENT THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF WINE 14 January 2008
News A STUDY DISCOVERS THE TOP ITALIAN RESTAURANTS THAT ALL OF THE TOP ITALIAN FOOD GUIDES AGREE ON. LE CALANDRE, ENOTECA PINCHIORRI AND GAMBERO ROSSO HEAD THE LIST 10 January 2008
News 2008 NEW YEAR’S FESTIVITIES: 2.8 BILLION EUROS WORTH OF SPUMANTE, COTECHINO, ETC, “DISAPPEAR” 07 January 2008
News STRESSED AND A FEW POUNDS HEAVIER AFTER THE HOLIDAYS? REGENERATE WITH A BIT OF WINE THERAPY: ON JANUARY 18 AT CASTELFRANCI IN IRPINIA A DAY WILL BE DEDICATED TO THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE NECTAR OF THE GODS 07 January 2008
News INCREDIBLE BUT TRUE: TOCAI IS NOW WITHOUT A NAME. BUT THE LEGAL BATTLE OVER THE NAME OF ONE OF ITALY’S TOP WINES CONTINUES 05 January 2008
News WINE SALES AT CHRISTIE’S AND SOTHEBY’S GROW BY 22% AND 32% IN 2007, AND THE AUCTIONED WINE PRICES ARE UP BY 39% ACCORDING TO LONDON’S LIVE-EX 1OO INDEX. ONLY PETROLEUM BEAT OUT WINE FOR GROWTH… 04 January 2008
News CHRISTMAS 2007: ITALIANS GO STRAIGHT TO THE FARMERS – ONLINE – FOR THEIR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING. THE NUMBER OF FARMS WHERE GOODS CAN BE BOUGHT ON THE INTERNET NOW AT 57,530 (+48% SINCE 2001) 02 January 2008
News WHAT ITALIANS WANT FOR CHRISTMAS: ACCORDING TO COLDIRETTI FOOD & WINE ARE THE PREFERRED GIFTS for 2007 02 January 2008
News THE TOCAI SOAP OPERA: A NEW TURN OF EVENTS FOR THE INTRIGUING STORY OF THIS NAME. “FRIULANO” IS SUSPENDED FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE CORMONS WINERY HAS WON THE APPEAL WITH THE COURTS IN LAZIO. DE CASTRO READY TO TAKE THE ORDINANCE TO THE STATE COUNCIL 27 December 2007
News REDIGAFFI BY TUA RITA AND BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO RISERVA 1955 BIONDI SANTI REACH TOP BIDS AT THE ROMANI & GELARDINI AUCTION. 378 LOTS FOR A TOTAL OF 90,000 EUROS. FRANCE’S CHAMPAGNES ALSO EARN HIGH BIDS PRICES WITH A ROMANEE CONTI 1970 AT 2,600 EUROS 27 December 2007
News FIRST, IT WAS SULPHITES. NOW, IT’S MILK AND EGGS. TOMORROW, WHO KNOWS… THE EUROPEAN UNION HAS BEGUN A BARRAGE OF OBLIGATORY INITIAITVES ON WINE BOTTLE LABELS. ARE THEY A TEST FOR A LEGISLATION THAT WILL BE THE SAME AS THAT FOR FOOD? 18 December 2007
News BECOMING A WINE PRODUCER WITHOUT OWNING A VINEYARD OR A WINERY? TODAY, THIS IS POSSIBLE WITH THE “ADOPT A BARREL” PROJECT AT THE VALDIPIATTA ESTATE IN MONTEPULCIANO. IT IS A WAY TO MAKE ONE’S OWN PERSONALIZED WINE. EVEN WINENEWS HAS DONE IT… 17 December 2007
News PLANETA’S SICILIAN WINES AT THE TOP OF THE CLASSIFICATION BY THE “GRAND JURY EUROPEEN”, ONE OF THE MOST EXCLUSIVE AND INFLUENTIAL WINE TASTING TEAMS IN THE WORLD… 16 December 2007
News DOM PERIGNON 1955, POL ROGER 1996, CRISTAL 1979, ROMANEE CONTI 1970, RICHEBOURG 1990, BIONDI SANTI 1955, IMPERIAL SASSICAIA 1999... THESE ARE THE IMPRESSIVE LOTS TO BE AUCTIONED OFF AT THE GELARDINI & ROMANI AUCTION IN ROME ON DECEMBER 15 12 December 2007
News ALCOHOL CURFEW STANDS FOR NEW YEAR’S EVE: THE NEW LAW THAT PROHIBITS ALCOHOL SALES IN PUBLIC AFTER 2 AM WILL STAY IN EFFECT FOR THE HOLDAYS AS WELL. BORNIGIA (PIPER): “AFTER TWO, YOU CAN MAKE TOASTS ONLY WITH COCA COLA, BUT AT PRIVATE PARTIES…” 11 December 2007
News THE BATTLE OF THE CORK CONTINUES TO DIVIDE THE ITALIAN WINE WORLD: THE MINSTER OF AGRICULTURE AND SOMMELIER DEFEND THE “REAL” CORK ; FEDERVINI AND NUMEROUS PRODUCERS DEFEND SYNTHETIC CORKS 10 December 2007
News RICHARD PARSONS, THE CAPTAIN OF THE MEDIA COLOSSAL TIME WARNER, WILL SOON ABANDON SHIP… GIVING HIM MORE TIME FOR WINE PRODUCTION AT HIS “IL PALAZZONE” ESTATE IN MONTALCINO 09 December 2007
News LUXURY GOES ONLINE...BUT WINE IS LEFT BEHIND. LITTLE CONTENT AND LITTLE USE OF E-COMMERCE FOR WINE COMPANY WEB SITES. THE RISK IS LOSING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EASY GLOBAL COMMUNICATION. WINENEWS SOLUTION: “WINERIES ON THE WEB” IS ON THE WAY 08 December 2007
News LAZIO GOES ORGANIC: AUTOMATIC DISPENSERS WITH FRESH ORGANIC FRUIT INSTALLED IN REGIONAL OFFICES 06 December 2007
News WARNINGS OF THE “COSTS” OF CARBON DIOXIDE FOR PRODUCTS WILL SOON BE ON LABELS. A PROPOSAL BY TUSCANY REGION AGRICULTURAL COUNCILOR SUSANNA CENNI 06 December 2007
News RECORD BREAKING AUCTION IN FLORENCE: A 1.5 KG TRUFFLE SOLD TO CHINESE BILLIONAIRE STANLEY HO FOR 330,000 DOLLARS. HO OUTBID THE SON OF SHEIK ABU DHABI. CHINA DOMINATES ENTIRE AUCTION, BUYING 11 OUT OF THE 14 LOTS AVAILABLE 04 December 2007
News A HISTORIC ITALIAN BANK ENTERS WINE SPECTATOR’S “TOP 100” LIST: BARBERA ‘BRICCOTONDO’ 2006 BY FONTANAFREDDA, THE WINEMAKING COMPANY OWNED BY DEL MONTE DEI PASCHI DI SIENA BANK, HAS ENTERED THE TOP RANKS OF THE WORLD’S BEST WINES 01 December 2007
News 2008 WILL BE A YEAR DEDICATED TO RE-LAUNCHING THE ITALIAN WINE CITIES REGULATORY PLAN. CLIMATE CHANGE AND LANDSCAPE AWARENESS MAKE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT A NECESSITY. KEY WORDS: “QUALITY PLANNING” 30 November 2007
News ONLY 22 WINERIES IN ITALY HAVE A UNANIMOUS VOTE FROM CRITICS. VERY LITTLE AFFINITY AMONG THE FIVE MOST IMPORTANT ITALIAN WINE GUIDES… DE GUSTIBUS NON DISPUTANDUM EST! 28 November 2007
News DOM PERIGNON 1955, POL ROGER 1996, CRISTAL 1979, ROMANEE CONTI 1970, RICHEBOURG 1990, BIONDI SANTI 1955, IMPERIALE SASSICAIA 1999... THESE ARE SOME OF THE HEAD SPINNING LOTS AT THE GELARDINI & ROMANI AUCTION IN ROME ON DECEMBER 15 27 November 2007
News AN IMPERIAL OF MASSETO 2001 FROM TENUTA DELL’ORNELLAIA GOES FOR 6,948 EUROS – THE TOP BID OF THE VINTAGE WINE AUCTION ORGANIZED BY GELARDINI & ROMANI AT THE MERANO INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL 25 November 2007
News CAMPARI IS THE TOP BEVERAGE COMPANY IN ITALY. THREE WINE PRODUCERS HAVE ALSO MADE IT ONTO THE TOP TEN LIST: MARTINI & ROSSI-BACARDI, CAVIRO, AND GRUPPO ITALIANO VINI 22 November 2007
News WINE SPECTATOR, THE BIBLE OF WINE, CROWNS FRANCE’S CHATENEUF-DU-PAPE 2005 DI CLOS DES PAPES AS 2007’s NUMBER 1 WINE IN ITS ANNUAL CLASSIFICATION. TWO ITALIANS IN THIS YEAR’S TOP 10: TIGNANELLO (N. 4) E ORNELLAIA (N. 7) 20 November 2007
News ITALY AND FRANCE PUT DOWN THEIR WEAPONS FOR A GOOD CAUSE: 50 LOTS OF WINE AT THE CHARITY AUCTION FOR THE “I GUARDIANI DEL FARO ONLUS” NON PROFIT FOUNDATION OF SUSANNA AGNELLI. AUCTION ORGANIZED BY GELASIO GAETANI LOVATELLI D’ARAGONA 20 November 2007
News “ONE SIP AFTER ANOTHER” (VOLPATO), “CROOKED SYMMETRIES” (DI BAIA), “INK” (MENNA): THE WINNERS OF “READ IN A SIP”, THE LITERARY COMPETITION BY SANTA MARHERITA… WITH ENO-STORIES BY AUTHORS AGNELLO HORNBY, CACUCCI AND SERRA 16 November 2007
