News THE RESULTS OF THE 2007 GRAPE HARVEST ACCORDING TO THE FOUR OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ITALIAN WINEMAKERS: MICHELE CHIARLO (PIEDMONT), FAUSTO PERATONER (LA VIS, TRENTINO), MARCO CAPRAI (UMBRIA), ALESSIO PLANETA (SICILY). HIGH QUALITY EVERYWHERE... 02 October 2007
News ”BY NEXT YEAR, ‘GRAPE HARVEST VOUCHERS’ WILL BECOME A REALITY”: THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, PAOLO DE CASTRO SPEAKS TO WINENEWS ABOUT ONE OF THE NEW REGULATIONS OF THE WELFARE REFORM, CURRENTLY AWAITING DECREE FOR GO AHEAD 02 October 2007
News “FARMERS SHOULD HAVE FAIR COMPENSATION... IT IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT GRAIN COSTS THE SAME AS 20 YEARS AGO”: THE DEFENSE MADE BY SLOW FOOD INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT, CARLO PETRINI 01 October 2007
News WINENEWS RUMORS WERE RIGHT… THE OFFICIAL LIST OF TOP WINES ACCORDING TO THE TOP ITALIAN WINE GUIDE VINI D’ITALIA (GAMBERO ROSSO-SLOW FOOD) HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED, THE WINERY OF THE YEAR GOES TO GAJA. ENOLOGIST OF THE YEAR TO MATTIA VEZZOLA (BELLAVISTA) 28 September 2007
News VITICULTURE CONQUERS ONE OF ITALY’S MOST FAMOUS FASHION CENTERS, TRINITA’ DEI MONTE, FOR THE FIRST GRAPE HARVEST IN THE HEART OF ROME. “GALLICO” TO BE MADE FROM THE ORNAMENTAL GARDENS OF THE FRENCH CONVENT SACRO CUORE 28 September 2007
News WINE & SPIRITS MAGAZINE PICKS “TOP 100 WINERIES”. THIRTEEN ITALIANS MAKE IT ONTO THE CLASSIFICATION: FROM GAJA TO MAZZEI, MASI, RUFFINO, CERETTO AND VILLA MATILDE (THE ONLY WINERY FROM SOUTHERN ITALY) 26 September 2007
News WINE & FOOD INSTITUTE: ITALIAN WINES IN THE U.S. CONTINUE TO INCREASE… AND ON FEBRUARY 21 AND 25, 2008, “GALA ITALIA” IN NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES WILL BE PUTTING ITALIAN ART AND FASHION ON SHOW ALONG WITH THE COUNTRY’S WINES 26 September 2007
News FOOD CONSUMPTION TRENDS: ETHNIC, HEALTH, LUXURY AND READY-MADE FOODS INCREASE WHILE BASIC FOODS LIKE BREAD AND PASTA AT A STANDSTILL. REVEALED BY A STUDY CONDUCTED BY COOP, THE LEADING ITALIAN LARGE-SCALE FOOD DISTRIBUTION CHAIN 23 September 2007
News EUROPEAN UNION: YES TO STOPPING FALSE GRANA PRODUCTION IN ITALY AND ABROAD. COLDIRETTI CONFIRMS THAT THE FAKE “MADE IN ITALY” MARKET IS WORTH 50 BILLION EUROS 23 September 2007
News THE 2008 ESPRESSO GUIDE’S FINE WINE AUCTION SET FOR OCTOBER 11TH AT STAZIONE LEOPOLDA IN FLORENCE. TOP OF THE LINE LABELS TO BE AUCTIONED OFF BY PANDOLFINI: FROM SOLAIA TO SASSICAIA, TERRA DI LAVORO, BAROLO GAJA, MOUTON ROTSCHILD AND ROMANEE CONTI 20 September 2007
News 2007 GRAPE HARVEST: UIV/ISMEA STUDY SHOWS ITALY IS DIVIDED BY DROUGHT. DECLINE IN PRODUCTION BY 12% FOR A TOTAL 43.5 MILLION HECTOLITERS. QUALITY CONSIDERED GOOD. FRANCE REGISTERS SIMILAR TRENDS. THE SITUATION REGION BY REGION AND FOCUS ON MONTALCINO 20 September 2007
News ONLY FIVE TROPHIES FOR ITALY (TALENTI, UMANI RONCHI, ROCCA, VALPANTENA, FALCHINI) AT THE “DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS”, THE PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FROM THE AUTHORITATIVE MAGAZINE DECANTER. 19 September 2007
News AND THE NOMINEES ARE: ENOLOGIST CARLO FERRINI, THE SAN PATRIGNANO COMMUNITY WINERY, MEZZACORONA WINERY, AND THE TERROIR OF VALPOLICELLA. THESE ARE THE FOUR ITALIAN NAMES COMPETING IN THE WINE STAR AWARDS 2007 BY THE AMERICAN MAGAZINE WINE ENTHUSIAST 17 September 2007
News MYWINEFARM.COM: A NEW SITE DEDICATED TO WINE? NO, A VIDEO GAME THAT GIVES PLAYERS A CHANCE TO BE A WINEMAKER FOR A DAY. FROM THE VINEYARD TO THE WINERY TO THE FINISHED BOTTLE OF WINE… 17 September 2007
News COSTS - COLDIRETTI COMBATS AGRICULTURAL MARKET PRICE HIKES IN CITIES. FARMER MARKET BOOM IN FRANCE, BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES, BUT ITALY STILL CAN’T PASS DECREE 13 September 2007
News “WINE? IT PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN MEDITERRANEAN AND ITALIAN CULTURE. IT SERVES CULTURE. DISSUASIVE MESSAGES ON LABELS ARE USELESS”. THE PHILOSOPHER TULLIO GREGORY EXPLAINS HIS ENTHUSIASM FOR THE NECTAR OF THE GODS TO WINENEWS 13 September 2007
News FROM THE VINEYARD TO THE CITY: EVEN IN ITALY GRAPEVINES HAVE BECOME AN ORNAMENTAL PLANT AND A DIRECT MARKETING TOOL IN URBAN CENTERS. COMMENTS BY VALENTINO VALENTINI, PRESIDENT OF CITTA DEL VINO 11 September 2007
News ECO-ENERGY: THE E.U. AUTHORIZES THE TRANSFORMATION OF 200,000 HECTOLITERS OF WINE INTO BIOETHANOL 10 September 2007
News DRINKING & DRIVING: FRENCH GOVERNMENT SPURS CAR MANUFACTURERS (RENAULT, PEUGEOT-CITROEN) TO EQUIP VEHICLES WITH ALCOHOL LEVEL MEASURING TOOLS. VOLVO AND SAAB ALREADY IN ACTION IN SWEDEN, AS WELL AS NISSAN AND TOYOTA IN JAPAN. AND IN ITALY? 09 September 2007
News 2007 ITALIAN GRAPE HARVEST: ONE OF THE SCARCEST AND EARLIEST OF THE PAST 50 YEARS... THE FIRST “OFFICIAL” PREDICTIONS BY ENOLOGISTS - 43.2 MILLION HECTOLITERS OF WINE (-13% FROM 2006), QUALITY HETEROGENEOUS. PRICE OF GRAPES INCREASES 06 September 2007
News ITALIAN WINES WIN ABROAD BUT BREAK EVEN AT HOME. IN A WINENEWS SURVEY, TOP PRODUCERS ANTINORI, PLANETA, GAJA, CAPRAI, MASTROBERARDINO, BANFI, AND MASI CLAIMED FOREIGN SALES WERE GOOD (ON BOTH HISTORIC AND NEW MARKETS), BUT LESS POSITIVE IN ITALY 04 September 2007
News THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, PAOLO DE CASTRO: “THE DNA SEQUENCE OF GRAPES HAS BEEN COMPLETED”. THE FOUNDATION FOR GENETIC RIGHTS: AND NOW HOW WILL IT BE USED?” COLDIRETTI: “THE GENE SEQUENCE MAP USED TO GUARANTEE THE IDENTITY OF TERRITORIES.” 03 September 2007
News “IT’S TIME TO STOP MAKING REASSURING PREDICTIONS ABOUT THE GRAPE HARVEST... CONSUMERS MUST BE SERIOUSLY INFORMED OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND WHAT VITICULTURE IS DOING TO CONFRONT THIS” THE DENOUNCEMENT BY PROFESSOR OF VITICULTURE AT MILANO, ATTILIO SCIENZA 31 August 2007
News WINENEWS SURVEY – NO AGREEMENT ON THE 2007 HARVEST TOP ENOLOGISTS-AGRONOMISTS, CARLO FERRINI, RICCARDO COTARELLA AND LEONARDO VALENTI HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON THE OUTCOME OF THIS YEAR’S GRAPE SITUATION. FROM SICILY TO TRENTINO, THE FORECASTS ARE IN 30 August 2007
News FROM THE MOST IMPORTANT NAMES AND THE BEST WINES, FROM THE TRENTINO TO FRANCIACORTA AND THE VENETO, EVERYONE’S CONFIRIMING AN EARLY BUT GOOD 2007 HARVEST FOR ITALIAN SPARKLING WINES. CONSUMPTION OF SPUMANTE CONTINUES TO INCREASE ON FOREIGN MARKETS 29 August 2007
News BEES: A THERMOMETER FOR CLIMACTIC CHANGE. COLONIES IN TILT DUE TO DROUGHT, EARLY FLOWERING, AND CHEMICAL TREATMENTS. ITALIAN HONEY HARVEST FOR 2007 RECORDS A NET DECLINE (110,000 QUINTALS) 28 August 2007
News ITALIAN WINE & FOOD ATTRACTS TOURISTS AND IS WORTH 20 BILLION EUROS. ACCORDING TO COLDIRETTI, PIEDMONT IS THE LEADER IN WINES, VENETO TAKES FIRST PLACE FOR WINE ROADS, TUSCANY THE QUEEN OF LOCAL PRODUCTS, AND EMILIA ROMAGNA LEADS IN DOP AND IGP 27 August 2007
News SOUVENIRS FROM ITALY? EXCLUSIVELY FOOD AND WINE. ITALIAN HOLIDAYS NEVER LEAVE A BITTER TASTE BUT RATHER THE SWEET FLAVOR OF WINES AND CHEESES. SMALL COMPLICATIONS FOR THOSE WHO TRAVEL BY PLANE 25 August 2007
News THE SALONE DEL NOVELLO MOVES FROM VICENZA TO VERONA. “MISTER VINITALY”, GIOVANNI MANTOVANI, TALKS TO WINENEWS.TV: “VERONA IS EVER MORE THE CAPITAL OF ITALIAN WINE”, THE FIRST FRUITS OF 2007 HARVEST WILL BE TOASTED WITH IN THE CITY OF ROMEO AND JULIET 24 August 2007
News WINE IMPORTS TO THE U.S. INCREASE IN THE FIRST SEMESTER OF 2007. ITALIAN WINE & FOOD INSTITUTE: ITALY INCREASES 10.1% IN QUANTITY AND 9.7% IN VALULE. A BOOM FOR SPARKLING WINE BOOM WITH +23.7% IN VOLUME AND +24.7% IN VALUE 24 August 2007
News ITALIAN POLICE CRACK DOWN ON FALSE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO, BAROLO, AND CHIANTI IN GERMANY (A MARKET THAT ABSORBS 14% OF TOTAL EXPORTS). COLDIRETTI LAUNCHES ALARM: “FAKES ARE THE TOP MARKET” 22 August 2007
News STAG’S LEAP WINE CELLAR, THE SYMBOL OF HIGH QUALITY MADE IN USA WINEMAKING, HAS AN ITALIAN SPIRIT. THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN ANTINORI AND CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE AND THE STORY OF STAG’S LEAP. IT WON OVER THE TOP FRENCH NAMES AND HAS INSPIRED HOLLYWOOD 05 August 2007
News TWENTY-FIVE SOMMELIERS FOR THE ITALIAN ANTI-FRAUD POLICE UNIT (NAC): A “REFINING” COURSE FOR THE DEPARTMENT THAT ENFORCES EU FOOD AND AGRICULTURE NORMS 05 August 2007
News EVEN A MEDIOCRE WINE CAN RISE TO THE TOP OF THE LIST. HOW? WITH THE NEW YORK WEB SITE SEXYSOMMELIERS.COM … IS THERE SPACE IN ITALY FOR SUCH AN ENOLOGICAL NOVELTY? 05 August 2007
News RUSSIANS AND CHINESE, OR THE “NEW RICH”, INCREASE THE PRICE OF VINTAGE WINES: A +45.7% GROWTH REGISTERED ON LIV-EX EXCHANGE (MADE UP OF 155 OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WHOLESALE VENDORS WORLD WIDE). A LIST OF THE MOST COVETED LABELS ON INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 02 August 2007
News EARLY HARVEST: ITALIANS ARE ON VACATION BUT GRAPES TO BE PICKED BY QUALIFIED FOREIGNERS. THE SOLUTION OF UMANI RONCHI, ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS ITALIAN WINERIES, HAS BEEN TO TURN TO THE SPANISH AGENCY “TERRA FECUNDIS” 30 July 2007
News “ENONAUTS” CONSUME 48 BOTTLES OF SPARKLING WINE PER PERSON PER YEAR. DOESN’T MATTER WHETHER AT HOME OR IN RESTAURANTS, AS LONG AS IT’S ‘MADE IN ITALY’. BELLAVISTA, CA’ DEL BOSCO AND BERLUCCHI THE PREFERRED NAMES 28 July 2007
News AGRICULTURAL COSTS: FOR EACH EURO SPENT ON PASTA ONLY 8 CENTS SPENT FOR WHEAT. AND THE NEED FOR AGRICULTURALLY BASED BIOFUELS 25 July 2007