Riccardo Cotarella: “enough defending ourselves: the wine world must make itself heard again”

“We have reached a turning point. For too long, the world of wine has been under attack: simplified, trivialized, often placed on the defendant bench without distinction, without in-depth analysis, without respect for a millennia-old culture. Today, at last, something is changing. Major international institutions are beginning to acknowledge what we have always maintained: there is a clear and essential distinction between moderate consumption and alcohol abuse. And it is precisely on this distinction that the future of wine depends”. This is how the speech titled “Stop with defense: the wine world must make its voice heard again” by Riccardo Cotarella, president of Assoenologi and one of the most important Italian and international enologists, begins. We are pleased to receive and publish it below. Cotarella was also recently interviewed by WineNews during the launch, held in recent days in Rome at the Ministry of Agriculture, of the institutional campaign promoting the value and culture of wine, “Il vino è il nostro tempo - Coltiviamo ciò che ci unisce” - “Wine is our time - We cultivate what unites us”, airing from February 15th on national TV and radio and not only.
“The recent position taken at the UN on the prevention of non-communicable diseases marks a fundamental step forward - continues Riccardo Cotarella in his speech - the language used clearly refers to the “harmful use of alcohol”, not to consumption in itself. This is a paradigm shift that restores dignity to a cultural battle that the wine world has fought for years, often alone, against ideological approaches and misleading generalizations. This doesn’t mean evading the issue of responsibility. On the contrary: it means firmly reaffirming that wine can’t and must not be confused with alcohol abuse. True wine culture arises and lives in moderation, awareness, and its connection with food, with the territory, and with a balanced lifestyle. It is precisely this distinction - which for years we defended almost against the tide - which is finally being recognized today. And it is on this foundation that we must continue to move, with expertise and determination, without accepting ideological simplifications or alarmist messages that have nothing to do with the reality of our sector.
In this context, the decision by Ireland to postpone the introduction of health warnings on wine bottles also fits. A choice which represents a significant political and cultural signal. Not a retreat, but an acknowledgment that the issue is complex and can’t be addressed with brutal, uniform, and decontextualized communication tools. It demonstrates that the debate is still open and that the wine world, if united, can and must make its voice heard. Not defensively, but by putting forward a vision rooted in knowledge, responsibility, and identity.
At this point, however, merely acknowledging the change is not enough. We must take a step forward. We need a true collective surge of pride. The wine world must wake up, react, and move out of a passive stance. From winemakers to enologists, from wineries to trade organizations, from communicators to marketing managers, all the way to distribution and hospitality: we are all called to do our part. It is time to tell the story of wine for what it truly is. To explain, to inform, to disseminate a correct and authoritative narrative. And in this sense, we hope that the mass media will give prominence to these new positions, just as they did when it came to demonizing our sector. We need articles, media campaigns, cultural initiatives, and coordinated, ongoing promotional actions. We need to occupy the public space with serious, credible, fact-based content. We can no longer afford silence, timidity, or fragmentation. When we were under attack, defending ourselves was necessary. Today, as those positions are being reconsidered, we must go on the offensive, culturally and communicatively, with courtesy but with firmness.
Wine is not asking for indulgence. It is asking for respect. And respect is built through the ability to tell our story, to explain, to assert our economic, social, and cultural value. If we truly want to revive consumption, confidence, and the pride of belonging to this sector, we must act now, together, with vision and continuity. Wine is work, land, identity, community. It is an integral part of our history and of our way of life. Today, we have a new opportunity. It is up to us to decide whether to endure it or turn it into a fresh start”.

Riccardo Cotarella