THE MERANO INTERNATIONAL WINE & CULINARY FESTIVAL 2007: FROM NOVEMBER 10 TO 12 AN ENCOUNTER WITH WINE AND THE PLEASURES OF DINING FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIGH QUALITY WINE AND FOOD… AND A CULT LABEL AUCTION BY GELARDINI & ROMANI

The “Merano International Wine Festival” is back (Kurhaus, Corso Libertà, 37, Merano, www.meranowinefestival.com). The 15th edition of the kermes to be held from November 10 to 12 will once again be offering its usual philosophy of diffusing excellence in quality with fine wine tastings, selected and presented directly by producers. It is recognized as one of the most important enological events in Italy, and which takes place together with the “Culinaria” food fair, the 11th edition of the festival dedicated to traditional foods.
As is the tradition, the kermes will present producer selected wine tastings that are divided into various sections. There are “The One Hundred” (one hundred wines chosen as the best from throughout all of the regions of Italy), the “Italian Top Selected” (143 Italian producers who have significantly improved the quality of their wines in recent years), the section “Extremis” (17 wineries who produce wines in particularly difficult climatic and territorial conditions), “Consortium” (areas that are under wine consortium tutelage), and “Dulcis in Fundo” (35 sweet wine producers).
There is also a significant foreign presence, with the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (a selection of 36 châteaux), the Grand Crus et premiers Crus de Bourgogne (a selection of 27 producers from the renowned French region), as well the “International Top Producers” (with selected top producers arriving from Australia, Austria, Chile, Croatia, France, Germany, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, Hungary, and the United States).
And the 11th edition of “Culinaria” will also be offering an array of high end food products in the prestigious Kurhaus halls of Merano, with sweets from Loison, the preserves of Moreno Cedroni, Parmigiano Reggiano aged 65 months in Malandrone, interesting selections of Balsamic vinegar from Modena, and numerous extra virgin olive oils from various regions of Italy. There is also the appointment, "Cooking for Wine" by Luigi Cremona, that includes a selection of star chefs and which will take place in the Gourmet Arena (the new structure located in Piazza delle Terme) for the entire run of the festival. 15 of Italy’s top chefs will be present, with the likes of Fulvio Pierangelini, Igles Corelli, Davide Scabin together with emerging chefs like Pino Cuttaia, Paolo Lopriore, and Mauro Colagreco.
And, finally, on November 11, an auction will be held to celebrate the “white gold” of Alba. At Gourmet Arena, chefs specialized in the preparation of white truffle will pay homage to this magical product, with direct television transmissions at the Hotel Kempinsky in Berlin and the Ritz Carlton of Hong Kong. All earnings will be donated to the Allegra Agnelli Foundation for cancer research (www.fprconlus.it).
Francesco Beghi

FOCUS: Merano’s Vintage Wine Auction
On November 10, the Gelardini & Romani Wine Auction will be auctioning off 350 lots of 800 bottles (standard, magnum, Jeroboam, imperial, Salmanazar) of Italian and foreign wines of top vintage. There will be 102 collectibles, 73 super collectibles, 16 of which have received a score of 100/100 by Robert Parker or Wine Spectator magazine, making this one of the most important auctions of the year. Gelardini & Romani (www.grwineauction.com) is the top auction house specialized in wine since 2004.
Italy will be represented by numerous lots, among which those from Tuscany and Piedmont are particularly noteworthy: Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, Masseto from 1995 to 2003 (including a 2001 imperial); Sassicaia, of various vintages like 1997 and 1998, and a 1985 magnum; Brunello Biondi Santi Riserva 1955, 1958, 1964, 1967, 1968; Rinaldi, Barolo 1901; Conterno, Barolo Riserva Monfortino (1941, 1988, 1997); Borgogno, Barolo 1952, 1961, 1964; Gaja, Barbaresco 1964 and 2000.
But over 1/3 of the catalogue is dedicated to French wines with the most important from the Bordeaux appellation: from Pessac-Leognan (Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 1989), to Pauillac (Chateau Lafite 1996 and Chateau Latour 2000); from Pomerol (Petrùs 1990), to St. Emilion (Chateau Cheval Blanc 1983). There are also several wines from Rodano: Hermitage and Chateauneuf-du-Pape (1998, 2000, 2003 vintages) and Domaines Marcoux, Pegau, Janasse, Bosquet des Papes, Vieux Telegraphe, as well as over 20 lots dedicated to Cote Rotie with wines by E.Guigal (La Mouline, La Turque and La Landonne). And, obviously, there is Champagne with lots of, among others, Dom Perignon (1964 and 1996), Cristal 1983, and Krug 1990.
There is also a wine tasting available by reservation that will include many great labels that will be on auction: from Barbaresco Gaja 1964 to Brunello Riserva Castelgiocondo, Frescobaldi 1999, Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vigne Janasse 2003, and La Mouline E. Guigal 1992.
A part of the earnings will be donated to M3v-Onlus, a non profit organization that promotes the improvement of human conditions and the diffusion of culture and dignity through charitable activities.