Wine will be leading a happy, and sustainable revolution in agri-food

The 4th edition of the “Slow Wine Fair” is being held at (and has been organized by) BolognaFiere, under the artistic direction of Slow Food (including the “Slow Wine Coalition” worldwide meeting). The sentiment and opinions coming from the event have emphasized to not hide the difficulties the sector is facing, from the market to the climate, but rather start again from the concept of “good, clean and fair wine”, combined with organic and sustainable food, changing the narrative to center it on soil and biodiversity and the landscape, as well as bringing out a new environmental awareness. It is true that the new generations may not be in love with wine anymore, but they are in love with the environment, which is an aspect wine can rightfully claim, because of its history, culture and its cover role in protecting hills, territories and villages. This is a positive and proactive response to the decrease in consumption, as well as to health “terrorism”, the fear of duties and alarmist messages on bottle labels, to which, however, one can surely respond by playing the beauty card, closeness to nature, growing more organic (a sector where Italy is already a leader), and proposing new solutions to reduce the environmental impact. One solution for all is “slimming down” glass bottles, to help sustainability not stop at the fundamental production aspect, the vineyard and the winey, but rather go beyond, to the shelf and a product that is now global, in consumption, like wine. More than half the wine produced in a Country is consumed outside the Country, and it travels thousands of kilometers from the vineyard to the glass. Awareness and trust, plus the ability of wine to lead a happy and sustainable revolution in the agri-food sector, are the key words that this year, for the first time, go hand in hand with the new format, “Sana Food”, the historic organic and natural fair. “Sana Food” is in its 36th edition, it is an important event for enthusiasts, the HORECA (hotels, restaurants, catering) channel and specialized retail to promote a new model of production and consumption, especially for the environment and health.
The “Slow Wine Fair” is an International Fair dedicated to “good, clean and fair wine”, an event that looks and thinks big, and it has the numbers, too. This year the Fair has put the theme of sustainability, packaging and logistics of the wine supply chain at center front. We are talking about more than 1.050 exhibitors from all the Italian regions and 30 Countries, 157 foreign wineries, more than 50% of which are certified organic or biodynamic, and over 6.000 wines for tasting that await enthusiasts, buyers and professionals. The audience of the “Slow Wine Fair” (made up also of many young people, ed.), has the opportunity to discover producers in the “Slow Wine Coalition”, and wines that express the values of the “Manifesto of good, clean and fair wine”. “Sana Food” is the first event in Southern Europe dedicated to all the variations of healthy eating outside the home in a controlled and sustainable supply chain. It is a “triumph” in the exhibition of organic and biodynamic products, thanks to 250 exhibiting companies, including producers and distributors/retailers, 15% of which come from abroad, specifically from Austria, South Korea, Poland, Romania and Slovenia.
“Slow Wine Fair” & “Sana Food” is the “Perfect Couple” event being held at BolognaFiere until February 25th. The two events are creating an increasingly strong bond, in terms of ideas and philosophy, at the exhibition center (the video here), as Gianpiero Calzolari, president of BolognaFiere, confirmed, “we make our know-how available to best enhance the products. Eating out is an important moment, from breakfast to dinner, and it is essential to pay attention to what and how you eat and drink. We have decided on this new format because “Slow Wine Fair” and “Sana Food” are both designed for the eating out world. These are the two Fairs that put quality, sustainable and healthy wines and foods, mainly organic, first and foremost. We promoted this project with the aim of offering an opportunity to a market where the origin of food, the quality and well-being of people and animals as well as environmental protection, are primary to producers and consumers”.
Giancarlo Gariglio, curator of the Slow Wine Guide and coordinator of the “Slow Wine Coalition”, said that the event is taking place in a turning point year, 2025, due to a “systemic crisis”, though we must remember that there have been many years of uninterrupted growth in the sector. “Perhaps the last real economic miracle over the past 40 years was wine in Italy”, Gariglio pointed out, before illustrating a scenario that has now changed. “Young people are not attracted to the wine world, plus there is the danger of duties, factors that could unleash the perfect storm. However, we do have hope of getting over the crisis stronger than when we entered it. Of the exhibitors at Slow Wine, 70% are organic, biodynamic or in the process of certification. We would like to think that environmental sustainability is the first pillar on which to start a revolution. In Italy, wine also has a social role, producers are the sentinels of the landscape, and it is not a coincidence that UNESCO has acknowledged four wine territories with its brand. Plus, there is the economic aspect. Wine has changed the territories; for instance, compare what Bolgheri and Montalcino were like a few years ago and what they are today with the number of tourists that visit them. Wine has changed the territories and it will continue to do so”. But, Gariglio continued, to change “we need to rethink the situation, like the glass bottle issue. And, wine can become a virtuous machine. I think this Fair will help start a change of narrative and point of view regarding wine, helping the perception of what role it really holds in society”.
Barbara Nappini, president of Slow Food Italy, also said wine needs to renew itself, and spoke of committing to a “happy wine”. We need, she continued, an “innovation supported by a far-sighted policy. We need to protect the soil as well as biodiversity, the only two assets that can save us”. Nappini also launched Slow Wine’s “call to action” to “reduce the weight of glass bottles, as they create an impact on the entire supply chain. The greatest contribution in terms of ecological impact is packaging, and therefore, glass bottles. Young people are extremely sensitive to environmental issues, consequently, to start again we need to talk about the efforts that are being made. At this “Slow Wine Fair” we are asking for something more for our environment, which, due to the increase in ecological awareness, is becoming the object of more severe legislation, as is the case in many countries. This new battle to reduce the weight of bottles must be fought first and foremost by producers, while it will only be won with the help of the entire supply chain - the wine merchants who explain the choice of the winery, to the restaurateur, who duly promotes it, and to us when we choose what to bring to the table. The message that comes from the “Slow Wine Fair” therefore, is that we must help the producers, we must not leave them alone in this moment of important transition”.
Organic production is the pillar of “Slow Wine Fair” and “Sana Food”, whose representatives dominate the spaces of BolognaFiere. It is now a solid reality, as Maria Grazia Mammuccini, president of FederBio emphasized, “organic wine is becoming the driving force of sustainability, while it already is from the economic and social point of view. As a matter of fact, organic wine has made unknown territories become known. We are in a complicated phase, generally, regarding wine, and yet consumption of organic and biodynamic wine is growing, demonstrating that this is one of the paths to take to put agriculture back at the center”. Regarding “demonizing” wine, Mammuccini said that “wine is not alcohol, but it is fermented. We need to focus on sustainability and food education, but we cannot destroy a thousand-year-old history in a short time, it is not right”. Wine, in terms of “green” efforts, has done its part and is ready to grow further. “23% of the National viticulture is organic, and those employed in the sector represent a third of the total organic workers in Italy. In 2024, recovery and growth were consistent, organic has become a tool to promote ecological transition. In Europe, instead, we need to talk about the Green Deal, a word that has disappeared”. MEP Stefano Bonaccini, who is the rapporteur on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform for the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament, talked about decisions to be made at the continental level and another problem that the sector faces; that is, the climate emergency, and said, “first of all, we must say no to demonizing wine, which is wrong. We have to distinguish between conscious consumption and abuse, and obviously we must fight against abuse. We are working on the CAP. It is a measure that today takes up a third of the resources of the EU budget (387 billion euros in the 2021-2027 cycle) and we want to maintain it”, Bonaccini explained to WineNews, and introduce more specific issues, such as a chapter dedicated to risk management. We need to ensure that in case of a natural disaster, insurance will be provided to those affected. Insurance companies, however, are fleeing from this sector, which is very expensive, so, in addition to European solidarity, there needs to be the certainty of a public fund, 2 billion euros, to help farmers take out insurance, and insurance companies to stay in the sector”. Brunella Saccone, Director of the Agri-food Office of ICE (foreign commerce institute, agency for International trade and promoting Italian companies abroad), stated that Made in Italy agri-food is very well represented and positioned abroad, recognized for its tradition, culture and quality. “Here in Bologna, ICE has brought 130 foreign buyers from 14 countries, together with 8 trade analysts, experts in the sector, offering companies a concrete opportunity to investigate strategic issues. There are more than 1.000 business to business meetings scheduled, in addition to a series of tours in the area to allow professionals to learn about the methods of healthy, organic and sustainable production”. The spotlight, therefore, is on the organic sector, which in general is more sustainable and a significant resource for our Country. The sector is valued at more than 5 billion euros, two thirds of which are exported, a constant growth trend, and +6% on total agri-food exports. In the case of organic wine, it reaches 8.5% of total wine exports (ICE data), while sales in Italy are close to 60 million euros (Nomisma data).