Slow Wine Fair 2023: the future and role of good, clean and fair wine

Giancarlo Gariglio, international coordinator of the Slow Wine Coalition, introduced the program that will propel the Slow Wine Fair 2023 - the good, clean, and fair wine Fair, in Bologna, from February 26th to 28th, and said, “the aim of the Slow Wine Fair is to change the standards of how wines are bought and sold. We realize it's a very complicated mission, but only by working on consumer education and training those who market the bottles, can we hope to radically change the production system, favoring methods that preserve natural resources and increase soil fertility, abandoning synthetic chemistry. Furthermore, we want the role of defender of the landscape, promoter of culture and an ethical system of investments in the territory to be recognized in the figure of the winemaker. This is why the Slow Wine Fair 2023 has a full program of Masterclasses, meetings, conferences and exchanges between the leading players in the supply chain: producers, professionals and enthusiasts. Only by joining forces can we revolutionize agriculture and improve the future of the planet”. There will be “750 companies, 50% more than the first edition”. Plus, this year there will also be the bitters section as well as a dozen companies that operate on the supply chain in the name of sustainability”, Domenico Lunghi, Director (live events) of BolognaFiere, added. Sustainability has become the “hub” of more and more small wine companies, following the agreement with Independent Winegrowers (who brought their wine market-event to Bologna from Piacenza last November 25 to 27, ed.)
It will be an excellent opportunity to gain more knowledge and insight, since the Slow Wine Fair has expanded its activities to 8 Masterclasses and conferences. The first conference, titled, “The future of wine is good, clean and fair”, will open the Slow Wine Fair 2023 on February 26th. It is a declaration of purpose, inspired by the Slow Food Manifesto, aiming to bring together all the players on the supply chain and implement a revolution in wine, in the name of environmental sustainability, protection of the landscape and social and cultural growth of the countryside. Gianpiero Calzolari, President of BolognaFiere, Brunella Saccone, Director of agri-food and ICE Agency wines, Barbara Nappini, President of Slow Food Italy, Sabiha Apaydın Gönenli, spokesperson for the Slow Food “Heritage Vines of Turkey” community have all been invited to participate and speak on these issues.
On the same day, February 26th, the concept of coalitions will also take center stage, like the Slow Wine Coalition, which will be explained in the conference, “Wine and community: together we are stronger”, by various associations and consortiums from all over the world, from Italy to Ukraine. And then, the conference, “Wine and landscape: beauty and care”, will discuss landscapes according to the experiences of winemakers who have become their custodians, preserving the territory for future generations, from the Cinque Terre to Turkey, as told by the producers and main players. Finally, the last meeting of the day will focus on the cultural dimension of wine and its history, analyzed by Xavier Fornos and Jordi Ribas Boldú, of “Vinseum”, Museum of Culture and Wine of Catalunya, and of the “Most”, International Film and Wine Festival, among others.
On February 27th, the future of the Slow Wine Coalition, which now engages producers and professionals from 37 countries around the world, will be the focus of the workshop, “Slow Wine Coalition: let’s get active for good, clean, and fair wine”. There will be a discussion on catering, by Eugenio Signoroni, editor of the Guida Osterie d'Italia, Marta Passaseo, sommelier of L’Imbuto of Lucca, and Giacomo Pavesi, patron of Osteria Fratelli Pavesi. Next, Giancarlo Gariglio, editor of the Slow Wine Guide will introduce the “Wine List Awards for Terroir and Slow Spirit”. And then, “The journey of wine, from the vine to the bottle”, the forum dedicated to glass and bottles. And, most importantly, the winemakers’ responses to climate change that impacts wine as well, will be at the center of the conference, “How the geography of wine is changing: responses to the climate crisis”. The round table discussion, led by FEDERBIO and UIV (Unione Italiana Vini), instead, is much more technical, on the topic of accidental contamination of phosphites residues and other active substances not allowed in organic farming, “Accidental and technologically unpreventable contamination of plant protection products in organic farming”. To end the day, the meeting dedicated to Eataly’s wine bars, which aims to promote the model of an “open building site” for everyone — from producers to selectors — where meetings, events and training are the basis to create a manifesto shared by all the players in the coalition, “The Eataly wine shops, building site for the Slow Wine Coalition”.
The last day of Slow Wine Fair 2023, will focus on “Sana Tech”, to build a more natural viticulture, working on the causes and not on the effects, and aiming to maintain a low environmental impact, guaranteeing economic and ecological benefits, “The path towards more natural and sustainable organic viticulture”. The conference closing the event is even more interesting. It will discuss the important subject of wine communication and promotion, which many critical voices, within the European Union, against wine and its role in alcohol abuse, have questioned, “Wine communication of between CMO revision and health-conscious requests”. Participating in the discussion, among others, Roberto Sarti, coordinator of the “Vino & Salute” work table Unione Italiana Vini (Uiv), Silvano Brescianini, president of the Franciacorta Consortium, Alessio Planeta (Planeta), and Paolo De Castro, coordinator of the Socialists & Democrats Group at the Agriculture and Rural Development Commission of the European Parliament.
More than 750 wineries from all over Italy are expected at Slow Wine Fair 2023, such as San Salvatore 1988, Barone Pizzini, Pievalta, Domenico Clerico, Ettore Germano, Borgogno, Casa Eredi di Mirafiori, Giacomo Fenocchio, Vietti, Centopassi, Donnafugata , Planeta, Baglio del Cristo di Campobello, Le Chiuse, Lisin, Panizzi, Patrizia Cencioni (Solaria), Ridolfi, Tenuta di Capezzana, Tenuta Col d’Orcia, Tenuta Sette Ponti, Abbazia di Novacella, Decugnano dei Barbi, Tenuta Castelbuono (Lunelli family), Bertani, Secondo Marco, Speri, Ceretto, Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara, Ar.Pe.Pe., Cupano and Ca' del Baio, just to name a few.
Enthusiasts, buyers and professionals will therefore have the opportunity to discover wines produced from sustainable agriculture, whose watchwords are biodiversity, protection of the agricultural landscape, mindful use of resources, cultural and social growth of farm communities, as well as ever greater consumer awareness. The focus of the Slow Wine Fair is aimed more and more to the market, mass retail distribution and HORECA sectors. Thanks to the collaboration of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, over 100 international buyers, together with many Italian professionals, will attend the Fair. The majority of participants come from North American and Northern European countries. Among these countries, Germany is the most important European market for organic wine, the fourth market in the world for consumption and holds second place for our wine exports). And, the Slow Wine Fair, in fact, has selected a third of the buyers from Germany.