Wine, young people, health, markets, innovation: Assoenologi Congress No. 79 in Conegliano

The bond between wine and young people, who need to be won back again the highly topical issue of “wine and health”, as well as the markets of Italy and the world, with their major challenges, without forgetting the overarching theme of climate change, while also looking to the future, among trends, sustainability, skills development, and scientific innovations in areas such as resistant grape varieties, reducing the alcohol content of wines, soil fertility, and more. Meanwhile, in the glasses, the protagonists will be the famous sparkling wines of the territory, those of Prosecco (in its DOC, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG, and Asolo Superiore DOCG expressions), as well as Italy traditional method sparkling wines, Champagne, and other indigenous grape varieties of the area. This is the rich program of the Assoenologi Congress No. 79, taking place in the historic Prosecco territory, between Conegliano and the Santa Lucia di Piave Fair, from May 28th to 30th.
A Congress from which “we want to deliver very important messages, given the delicate and complex moment we are going through. We want to clearly understand the reasons behind the wine crisis so that we can reply concretely: we acknowledge that there is a significant, and worrying decline in consumption - comments Assoenologi president Riccardo Cotarella to WineNews - but I wouldn’t tear my hair out, because we will overcome this phase as well. However, we must carefully analyze the causes, whether they are tariffs, rising consumer prices, changes in markets and consumer behavior, health concerns, and so on, in order to address them clearly and professionally. Without sugarcoating the situation and by making courageous decisions, above all reacting to the attacks on the “wine and health” issue coming from all sides, which only benefit those who shout the loudest”.
The proceedings will open on May 28th at the Teatro Accademia in Conegliano, with scheduled speeches by the EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, and the Italian Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, followed by two talks. One on the theme “Vino e giovani: comprendere il cambiamento, rispondere alla sfida” - “Wine and young people: understanding change, responding to the challenge”, with contributions from, among others, Marianna Neri of the Casanova di Neri winery (one of the most famous brands of Montalcino), the Cannonau Project with students from the University of Cagliari, Joanna Wołosz (captain of Imoco Volley Conegliano), and Denis Pantini, head of Agrifood and Wine Monitor at Nomisma. The other will focus on “Enoturismo: tra territorio, cultura e nuove sfide nel settore del vino” - “Wine tourism: between territory, culture, and new challenges in the wine sector”, featuring Gianmarco Mazzi, Minister of Tourism, Marina Montedoro, president of the Association for the Heritage of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto Regional Council, Dario Stefàno, president of the Wine and Olive Oil Tourism Study Center (Ceseo) at Lumsa University in Rome, and Matteo Zoppas, president of the Italian Trade Agency. In between, there will be a talk on “Wine and Health” by Francesco Montorsi, head of the Urology Unit at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. The proceedings will conclude with a dialogue with the Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, named Assoenologi “Person of the Year” 2026, and the presentation of special awards and recognitions (including one to Alessandro Regoli, director of WineNews). On May 29th, the morning sessions will open with a focus on the main international markets by Denis Pantini and a reflection on “business management” with one of Italy most experienced wine managers, Renzo Cotarella of Marchesi Antinori. René Sorrentino, ceo of Ges Sorrentino, will analyze the current state of the German market, which, together with the United States, is the most important for Italian wine. Alongside discussions on topics such as digitalization, innovation, and supply chain networks, there will be a technical report by professor Michele Faralli of the University of Trento on “Il clima che cambia la viticoltura: quattro decadi di evoluzione bioclimatica, fenologica, produttiva e qualitativa del vigneto”, - “Climate which changes viticulture: four decades of bioclimatic, phenological, productive, and qualitative evolution of vineyards”, followed by a technical tasting featuring Italian traditional method wines and Champagne, and visits to wineries in the Conegliano and Valdobbiadene areas. On May 30th, the sessions will begin with discussions on sustainability, the future of wine in terms of consumption and trends, and education. Research and current issues will take center stage with technical reports by professor Viviana Corich of the University of Padua on “Riduzione della gradazione alcolica dei vini mediante gestione della fermentazione” - “Reducing the alcohol content of wines through fermentation management”, and by Riccardo Velasco, director of Crea Conegliano, on “Nuove varietà e cloni ottenuti mediante tecniche di miglioramento genetico diverse come Tea, fast breeding, ibridazione” - “New varieties and clones obtained through different genetic improvement techniques such as Tea, fast breeding, and hybridization”, followed by the technical tasting “Non solo Prosecco: i vitigni autoctoni del territorio” - “Not only Prosecco: the region indigenous grape varieties”. This will be followed by a focus on the report “Tecniche di coltivazione per migliorare la qualità dei suoli” - “Cultivation techniques to improve soil quality” by Lorenzo Furlan of the Innovation and Experimentation Directorate of Veneto Agricoltura, and then a tribute entitled “Il Cerletti e il suo territorio: una storia lunga 150 anni - Un confronto su passato, presente e futuro della Scuola che ha fatto grande Conegliano” - “The Cerletti School and its territory: a 150-year history - a discussion on the past, present, and future of the school that made Conegliano great”, dedicated to the oldest School of Enology in the Kingdom of Italy, and the round table “ Vino, territori, identità” - “Wine, territories, identity”, with leaders of the various consortia of the “Prosecco galaxy”, which will then take center stage in the glasses during the tasting dedicated to “Il Prosecco e le sue denominazioni” - “Prosecco and its denominations”.