The appeal of made in Italy, “an incredible power”, in the book by Gianni Gagliardo

“I wrote this book because I want Italians to understand how Italy and Italians are perceived beyond our borders. Italy and made in Italy have incredible power”. In this way, Gianni Gagliardo, one of the most prominent Barolo producers and president of the Accademia del Barolo, with a passion for writing (this is his fourth book), explained the genesis of his latest literary work, “Il fascino di un Paese straordinario” - “The charm of an extraordinary country”, presented at the Senate Library, in Rome during a talk moderated by Tg2 director Antonio Preziosi, with speeches by Gianni Letta, journalist (he was, among other things, former director of the newspaper “Il Tempo”, long-time politician, and Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in Silvio Berlusconi governments), and Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, former executive of many major made in Italy brands (former president of Fiat, Ferrari, Maserati, Alitalia, Bologna International Fair, and Confindustria, currently president of Manifatture Sigaro Toscano and director of McLaren Group, ed), who wrote the book preface and afterpreface, respectively.
Gagliardo recalled how, in the 1980s and 1990s, with two suitcases, one with clothes and the other with wine samples, he traveled “to offer a product in countries where it wasn’t needed, and so it was likely they would reject a meeting request. Yet, I was always welcomed, especially by Asians, and that was because I was Italian”. The word Italy, Gagliardo emphasized, “conveys abroad something like friendliness, competence, a value that made in Italy reinforces. We must be fully aware of this. Let’s remember that there are more Italians abroad than within our national borders, 60 to 80 million people who are automatically ambassadors of Italy”. In his book, Gagliardo shares stories of Italians who have brought our style to the world. From Michelin-starred chef Umberto Bombana (with his 8½ restaurants in Hong Kong, the only three-star Michelin restaurant abroad, and in Macau, with one star), to the Di Gennaro brothers, pioneers of Italian cuisine in Germany, among others. Exemplary stories which invite reflection on the deeper meaning of Italian identity and made in Italy.
The talk about “Il fascino di un Paese straordinario” was introduced by the greetings by the “patron of the house” senator Francesco Boccia (Democratic Party). “Gianni Gagliardo experience - said Boccia - is that of many Italian entrepreneurs who have made made in Italy their strength, to then tell the story of their product around the world. And it is also the strength of our country, because in the age of digital capitalism, which has deeply transformed societies, some fixed points remain. Distribution models change, because digital has altered logistics, commerce, and storytelling methods. But wine is not made by algorithms. It is made by women and men who know the land, the countryside, the production, and then they explain them. That is what Gianni Gagliardo has done, and he has done it in a way I really liked, which is why I agreed to host his presentation here”.
Gianni Letta, in his speech, highlighted how Gagliardo, “as he traveled the world, discovered new countries and was welcomed wherever he brought his wine. Behind the label of that product, he hid a deeper, more complex label, that of Italian identity because that wine carried with it a vast heritage of history, traditions, culture, art, and beauty tied to the land and our country, a truly extraordinary country with great charm. He never forgot that charm and explored it fully. In fact, Gianni Gagliardo fourth book is dedicated precisely to the charm of an extraordinary country, which he describes with the same tone, love, emotion, and involvement with which he described his beloved Langhe in his first three books”.
Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, deeply familiar with the world of wine through a family who has managed a historic winery in the heart of the Langhe for generations (the renowned Cordero di Montezemolo), noted that Italy has “an exceptional wine offering. Different in type, origin, and the elements within the product. I believe this is something unmatched in the world. The book is written by an expert, a producer, someone who makes very good wine, in fact, I recommend it - added Montezemolo - and I must say that Barolo by Gianni Gagliardo is truly exceptional, of great quality. I’ve always believed it’s better to make fewer bottles well than many bottles less well, I won’t say badly. That is what I’ve always tried to do, even during my 23 years at Ferrari: always produce fewer cars than the market demanded”. The former Ferrari president also expressed no doubt that wine is a champion of made in Italy, equal to fashion, furniture, design, and of course the “Rossa” (“from my time...,” joked Montezemolo, referring to Formula 1). “I believe that Italian wine - observed the manager - is an appreciated wine, a wine which expresses a strong connection to the territory because from Sicilian wines to those of Trentino, passing through the entire peninsula, we have world-class excellence. So I believe wine can truly be defined as a great Italian excellence”.