The website for wine lovers

COLLECTOR WINES THE CASE LA DAMA E LA REGINA ARRIVES

" Vigna Villa della Regina" 2016 , Freisa di Chieri DOC Superiore produced in the Turin vineyard which in recent months has received authoritative awards from the main Italian guides in the sector and "La Dama di Milano ", made with the same Malvasia di Candia Aromatica that Leonardo Da Vinci cultivated in his vineyard in Milan, will be on sale together in the personalized limited edition box (150 copies) that can be purchased from the website shop.balbiano.com and, as soon as it reopens, inside the Leonardo's Vineyard Museum in Milan (Corso Magenta 65, for information write to info@vignadileonardo.com). The original collaboration came to life within the Urban Vineyards Association , the international association founded in 2019 to enhance the city vineyards located throughout Europe: an opportunity to promote the heritage of the UVA in an increasingly effective and innovative way. The " La Dama e la Regina " box set contains unique wines that testify to two equally ambitious projects. The urban vineyard of Turin, set in the Turin hills, came back to life at the beginning of the 2000s after decades in a complete state of abandonment while in Milan, through genetic studies carried out by the team of the University of Milan on the shoots found in the Vigna di Leonardo, the DNA of the Genio vine has been rediscovered. The combination arises from the desire to highlight the " pink " thread that links the two wines to women who have been key characters in the story. " Vigna Villa della Regina ", produced by the Balbiano company, was born in the seventeenth-century vineyard of Villa della Regina - today Unesco heritage - the summer residence of some Savoy queens during the eighteenth century: the name of the house testifies, in fact, the key role that the female figure covered in the Piedmontese kingdom, deeply influenced by figures such as Anna Maria d'Orleans or Christina of Bourbon France. " La Dama di Milano " instead tells another incredible story linked to the deeds of the greatest Italian genius, Leonardo Da Vinci who, at the end of the fifteenth century, moved to Milan at the Casa degli Atellani, a fifteenth-century residence with a vine garden given to him by Ludovico il Moro as payment for the Last Supper. Precisely in honor of the famous Moor's lover, Cecilia Gallerani, Leonardo created the famous portrait "The Lady with an Ermine", a masterpiece of female portraiture that today lends its name to the wine made from the same grape that Leonardo cultivated in his Milan vineyard. " With Alessandro Cotroneo, director of the Vigna di Leonardo, we thought it would be wonderful to combine the story of these two wines that represent a real uniqueness on the Italian scene, not only for the organoleptic qualities but also for the extraordinary historical events of which they become witnesses - comments Luca Balbiano - The Dama and the Queen are the result of two major recovery projects that have allowed the restitution of a heritage that is not only wine but above all cultural. And this is precisely the main goal that we want to pursue with the UVA: an enhancement of art and culture closely linked with urban viticulture ".

"Filari in Bolle" 2015: the best sparkling wines of Friuli Venezia Giulia have been awarded

"Filari in Bolle" 2015: the four winners of the first regional selection of Friuli Venezia Giulia Sparkling Wines have been announced First Edition for "Filari in Bolle", the first wine competition open only to sparkling wines where the grapes must be grown in Friuli Venezia Giulia and the company or business unit must be located in the same Region. The arranged categories were: Charmat Method Prosecco Doc, Charmat Method Sparkling Wine single–variety, Cuv

Consorzio Etna Doc excellent expectations from the 2020 harvest

The varied collection on the four sides of Etna, among the last in Italy to end, has just come to an end. More than positive first results: healthy, ripe and balanced grapes. "High quality with peaks of excellence".

"We are certainly very satisfied and we think we can obtain high quality wines from the 2020 vintage" comments Antonio Benanti, President of the Consortium for the Protection of Etna DOC wines . "The territory of Etna is heterogeneous by nature. I am not referring only to the effect that the lava flows, over time, have had in the creation of many extraordinary differences and nuances even on land that is very close to each other. Here the vineyards, rigorously of native varieties, they extend at variable altitudes, from 400 to over 1000 meters, and on different slopes, with very peculiar microclimates. Net of this extraordinary variety that distinguishes us, this year we have been able to find some objective aspects, present almost everywhere, which make us think of a vintage capable of giving wines of remarkable balance and elegance. Aspects that often characterize Etna wines, but which we believe will be particularly accentuated this year " . The Etna harvest began in the second half of September with the harvest of the first grapes for the sparkling wine bases and ended, among the last in Italy, at the end of October with the two red grape varieties, Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio. "A first aspect to underline is that, apart from individual and limited cases, we have not recorded any damage due to hail or frost - continues Antonio Benanti -. It is not such a foregone conclusion" . The ripening of the grapes was generally regular and, even considering the peculiarities of each variety, the different altitudes and characteristics of the four sides, certainly excellent. "On average, the white grape varieties, starting from Carricante, ripened later than in other years on the four sides of Etna. The red grapes, on the other hand, had a more regular ripening and a classic harvest date" . Although it is still too early to provide data in this sense, the 2020 harvest seems to be satisfactory also from a quantitative point of view. "The harvest has just ended and therefore it is premature to provide estimates on volumes. The first impression is of an excellent year in all respects, and this is good news considering that a very complicated year is about to end due to the ongoing health emergency caused by the pandemic " says the Director of the Consortium, Maurizio Lunetta . Going into the details of the different slopes of Etna, there is no lack of confirmation about the quality of the harvest just ended, but at the same time the photograph of the many differences present within a denomination rich in facets. "It is certainly a vintage that we feel we can define as excellent" comments Margherita Platania, producer on the South-West side, with vineyards located at an altitude of 1000 meters . "The initial phase of the season was slightly earlier, but in general we recorded a regular ripening trend. The climatic conditions of this side, with more hours of solar radiation and large temperature variations between day and night, excellent ventilation and scarcity of rain, allowed us to extend the start date of the harvest and thus obtain a slow and perfect ripening of the grapes, including skins and pips. We are satisfied, the grapes promise great things " . Moving to the South-East , an area that benefits from both the influence of the sea and an excellent brightness, we find the ideal conditions for the cultivation of both Nerello Mascalese and Carricante, the comment remains positive. "The ripening of the grapes was very balanced, with the white berried grapes delayed by about ten days compared to usual, so much so that we harvested them together with the red berried ones" explains this time Fabio Costantino, producer with vineyards positioned between 500 and 600 meters above sea level . "This year the growth of the vegetative part both in the field and on the vine has been decidedly abundant: a sign that highlights a great well-being of the plant and that made it necessary to take even more careful care in the vineyard" . The east side, set between the volcano and the sea with often very steep vineyards, is characterized by the preponderant presence of Carricante, which here takes on notes of freshness and incisiveness of particular distinctiveness. "It was a vintage that we do not find it difficult to judge as very beautiful, both from a qualitative and quantitative point of view" explains Fabio Percolla, with vineyards located 900 meters above the sea . "The weather, this year, was an excellent travel companion: we brought very healthy grapes to the cellar which, if desired, could have remained even longer on the plant. The rainfall, typically present on this side, which is concentrated above all in the period in October and November, this year it was less present and allowed us to harvest with greater serenity " . Finally, on the north side, traditionally recognized as the main area for Nerello Mascalese and where, at the highest altitudes, the last DOC vineyards are usually harvested, the watchwords are balance, depth and freshness. "The 2020 vintage can be considered more than satisfactory, with peaks of absolute excellence in the crus" comments the producer Marco De Grazia, from his vineyards located between 600 and 1000 meters above sea level . "The vintage was characterized by a cool and rainy spring followed by a summer with few heat peaks in mid-August. As a result, we recorded a considerable delay in veraison and maturation in general, both of the Carricante and of the Nerello Mascalese. Finally, a surprisingly mild October, accompanied by an extraordinary vegetative richness, allowed us a slow and long ripening and in the end very healthy grapes " . "We are confident, it is a harvest that allows us to make very healthy grapes with all the necessary characteristics, on all sides, to obtain wines of great balance and finesse", concludes President Benanti.

TORREVILLA OVER A CENTURY OF HISTORY TO TASTE WITH 50 SHADES OF PINOT NOIR

The Association of Winemakers joins the “50 shades of Pinot Noir” event: an entire weekend, fifty tastings and as many labels, to discover the main wine of Oltrep

A whole weekend during which enthusiasts and simple curious people can immerse themselves in the world of Pinot Noir, of which Oltrepò Pavese is the first producer in Italy and third in the world. Saturday 17, from 15 to 20, and Sunday 18, from 10 to 19, from the central Piazza del Duomo passing through the historic center up to the Via Emilia, the tasting itinerary will take place with fifty tasting points : a unique opportunity to discover and taste, even in combination with the best traditional gastronomic products, all the nuances of Pinot Noir wines, the result of different vinifications (eight!), but also of different experiences.   And that of Torrevilla is undoubtedly one of the longest-lived experiences : main interlocutor of the Oltrepò excellences, Torrevilla continues in the path, undertaken in 1907 and kept intact with dedication, made up of quality, research, passion and respect for traditions and the territory.   For the occasion, the association of winemakers will offer the nuances of three of its Pinot Noirs from the La Genisia line for tasting : - Riserva 110 Pinot Nero Nature Docg : Classic Method sparkling wine straw yellow color with golden reflections, fine and persistent perlage, it stands out for its very intense aroma with pleasant citrus notes and hints of dried fruit and small pastries, and for its intense taste, fresh and very soft with a persistent finish. - Riserva 110 Pinot Nero Noir Dop : still red with a typical ruby color with violet reflections, an intense aroma with elegant notes of small red fruits that blend with pleasant hints of spices, and a pleasantly fresh, soft and enveloping taste in its sweet tannins, with persistent and clean finish. - Cruasé Rosé Docg : Classic Method sparkling wine with a fine and persistent perlage, it is characterized by an intense and delicate, very penetrating aroma and a fruity, soft and harmonious taste that reveals a pleasant body. 50 Shades of Pinot Noir: Info & Costs. Two points will be set up in Piazza Duomo and in Sala Zonca (via Emilia at the corner of via Ugo Gola) where it will be possible to collect your glass, which will be distributed together with the pocket and map of the tasting points. With 15 euros you will be entitled to 10 wine tastings, which will also be combined in some commercial activities with various tastings of traditional gastronomic products. For those wishing to purchase the kit in advance, they can do so through the Enonautilus portal at the link https://enonautilus.com/experiences/50-sfumature-di-pinot-noir

Cantina di Soave distributed to shareholders over 52.5 million euros.

Soave - The shareholders approved the 2019/2020 financial statements, satisfied with Roberto Soriolo and Wolfgang Raifer, respectively President and General Manager of Cantina di Soave.

The data in summary: The Cantina di Soave Group closes the 2019/2020 financial statements with a consolidated turnover of 121 million euros and this despite the negative impact of Covid-19 which blocked the entire Horeca channel for months and the drop in prices that affected all the types: from table wines to DOC ones. In terms of value, 58% of the turnover is determined by national sales and 42% by international sales . Foreign markets recorded an overall increase of 6%. The balance between packaged and bulk sales was reconfirmed , respectively 54% and 46% of turnover. While the bulk has suffered a slowdown in withdrawals, the packaged has marked an increase of 19% in volumes and 7% in value, partially recovering the drop suffered by the bulk -12% in volumes. The data of the packaged product is very significant if we consider that the search for a greater weight of this type compared to the bulk has always been part of the company's strategies. Within the bottled, a good breakdown emerges between brand sales and private labels, respectively 40% and 60% . Among the former, those with greater commercial strength are confirmed as Cadis, Maximilian, Rocca Sveva, Poesie, Settecento33 and Equipe5. All this demonstrates how the strategy of diversification of channels and the promotion of brands undertaken over the years by Cantina di Soave has once again proved effective in safeguarding its commercial positions and maintaining income. • In terms of company capitalization, shareholders' equity increases and exceeds 65.8 million euros , against an operating cash flow of 8.2 million euros and an operating profit of over 500 thousand euros . • The total contributions amounted to 72 million euros , while the liquidation destined for the remuneration of the grapes conferred by the winegrowing members amounts to 52.5 million euros . «The sector is affected by the aftermath of the 2018 collection», explains General Manager Wolfgang Raifer , «whose abundance resulted in less revenues for the same volume sold. To all this was added a contraction in purchases in the main markets, exacerbated by the health emergency. Without forgetting that the significant increase in the area under vines in Veneto has led to a gradual increase in supply with inevitable consequences for sales prices. The pandemic then caused and will continue to cause changes that were unthinkable until a few months ago. These are transformations that we will find ourselves having to deal with almost daily. Furthermore, there have been radical changes in consumption that will also affect future habits. In the face of a collapse in sales in the horeca channel, there has been a boom in the same in the large-scale retail trade, where from January to November 2020 there is a 6% in the wine sector. This growth has translated into a good performance of sparkling wines and DOC wines. Consumers are increasingly favoring premium wines, in spite of first-rate wines. Cantina di Soave, thanks to the structure and commercial strategy it has adopted over the years, has managed to adapt quickly to the changes imposed by the market. The differentiation of the offer has allowed us to maintain commercial positions in the various market segments: modern and online channel. The performance of both our brand products (4%) and private labels (8%) is positive. Thanks to the investments in recent years, Cantina di Soave will in any case continue its growth path, guaranteeing shareholders a remuneration of the grapes above the market value and that of competitors ».

Spumante Etna DOC a double-digit growth

With a production of more than 160,000 bottles in 2020, more than 30% more than the previous year, the sparkling wines produced on the slopes of Etna are increasingly in demand and appreciated.

Not only still white, red and rosé wines, each with distinctive characteristics linked to the native vines of the territory and to the different slopes of the volcano in which they found a home, but also Classic Method sparkling wines. The richness and heterogeneity of the viticulture that leads to the slopes of Etna are in fact able to reveal themselves also through the fascinating universe represented by sparkling wines produced with the noble art of second fermentation in the bottle. "The production of Classic Method sparkling wines in our territory, although it was only introduced in the production disciplinary since 2011, boasts ancient roots" explains Antonio Benanti, President of the Consortium for the Protection of Etna DOC wines . It was in fact Baron Spitaleri, at the end of the 19th century, who was the first to realize the potential of the Etna area for the production of wines refermented in the bottle. "Those first experiments obviously had the cousins from beyond the Alps as a reference point in the choice of the grape variety to be used. We must wait until the end of the 1980s to begin to see the first pioneering examples of indigenous sparkling wines flourish thanks to the use of Nerello Mascalese " . The Etna DOC production specification allows the production of the "Spumante" type in the "vinified in white" and "rosé" versions, with a stay on the lees for at least 18 months. "During the last meeting of the Consortium, the assembly approved the possibility of producing the sparkling wine only with the classic method, confirming the desire to continue to pursue the path of quality without delay" underlines Maurizio Lunetta, Director of the Protection Consortium Etna DOC wines . "Among the changes approved by the members of the Consortium, and which will soon come into effect definitively, there is also an increase from 60% to 80% in the use of Nerello Mascalese, with the aim of wanting to tie this type even more to one of the most representative native vines of the territory and which are well suited to sparkling wine " . But what are the distinctive characteristics of Etna DOC sparkling wine? "First of all we need to take into consideration the peculiarities of Nerello Mascalese, a grape with a strong vocation to be used also as a sparkling wine base" says Michele Scammacca, producer and pioneer of the Classic Method sparkling wine from Nerello Mascalese . This ancient autochthonous vine, which is presumed to originate in the County of Mascali, is the most widespread on the slopes of Etna and has some characteristics that make it ideal also for sparkling wine, starting from the great acidity and low concentration of color. "These are two very important qualities that allow to obtain elegant, mineral sparkling wines, able to bring out the territory of origin. Moreover, in the best years, it shows a remarkable vocation for longevity: the prolonged stay on the yeasts manages to give sparkling wines of remarkable complexity and depth " . The number of producers who bottle and market Etna DOC sparkling wine has grown over the years and today counts 16 realities for a total of more than 160,000 bottles for the current year, over 30% more than in 2019. The Consortium of Tutela Vini Etna DOC is also evaluating the possibility of including the Carricante vine within the production disciplinary for this type, a noble native white berried grape of the Etna area, already used as a sparkling base by many producers as it has of ideal characteristics for the production of classic method sparkling wines.

WINE GET TO KNOW AT HOME ONAV LANCIA VINODENTRO

ONAV launches #VINODENTRO, the first wine knowledge course entirely online.

<< #VINODENTRO was created to contribute to the cultural growth of the consumer, still low on average despite Italy being the first producer country in the world. - Says the president Vito Intini. - Our Organization, the first to be established in Italy about 70 years ago and still statutory non-profit, believes that, by increasing knowledge, new impetus can be given to the whole sector. >> To make the course more accessible, the language and teaching methods have been renewed, making them more contemporary and also suitable for young people, who are and will be the consumers of tomorrow. #VINODENTRO includes 21 lessons in order to acquire the title of Wine Connoisseur. Of these, 15 are theoretical and asynchronous, therefore available in e-learning mode when you want, 1 in mixed mode and 5 instead are live and involve wine tasting, led by a personal teacher tutor. Tasting made possible thanks to the sending of a kit with a selection of 20 bottles of 50 mL plus one in commercial format, shipped comfortably at home. With two additional lessons in attendance and a final exam, participants will also be able to acquire the title of Onav Taster. The course will alternate between eleven professors selected from the most important names in research and training: university professors, wine and vineyard consultants, experts and master tasters. The name of the course, #VINODENTRO, comes from the awareness that wine is INSIDE us Italians because it is part of our culture. Registration for the course is already open, for information www.onav.it THE TEACHERS Vincenzo Gerbi Graziana Grassini Vito Intini Federica Bonella Gloria Gariboldi Gianpiero Gerbi Daniela Guiducci Francesco Iacono Filippo Paoletti Aldo Venco  

PROSECCO SUPERSTAR BUT IT'S NOT NEW ...

All the final data of the 2020 harvest in Veneto will be presented online on Wednesday 23 December on the occasion of the "historic" meeting of the Vitivinicolo Triptych, an event of Veneto Agriculture, the Region and Avepa. Focus on exports, international wine markets and sales in large-scale distribution and online.

As we have become accustomed to seeing for many years, the lion's share is made by Prosecco , the undisputed and unapproachable " wine star ". The analytical production data will be presented on Wednesday 23 December (10:30 am) on the ZOOM platform (registration on: https://trittico3_2020.eventbrite.it) on the occasion of the third and final focus of the 2020 Vitivinicolo Triptych , an event promoted by Veneto Agriculture with Regione and Avepa . On the occasion, the regional technicians will illustrate to the many operators of the wine sector, eagerly waiting to know the official final data of the harvest deriving from the production declarations of the winemakers, the exact quantity of grapes harvested and consequently the quantity of wine produced this' year divided by type. Final data that will have to deal with the cellar stocks , the sales trend recorded in 2020 and the projections of the national and international markets . All topics that will be addressed and deepened during the focus on Wednesday promoted by Veneto Agriculture, which this year due to the pandemic will not take place as usual in the "historic" headquarters of the Cantina di Lonigo (Vi) but online on the ZOOM platform. Under the spotlight of the experts will not end only the data of the last harvest , which overall was of good quality , so much so as to announce the production of excellent wines , in some cases even excellent. The occasion is important, as mentioned, to also take stock of the trend of Veneto wine exports and sales , which had to deal with the serious crisis linked to the pandemic for Covid-19, which as we know has also heavily invested in international markets . During the focus, Luca Furegon (Avepa - Agricultural Production Sector) and Nicola Barasciutti (Veneto Region - Agri-food Management) will intervene, who will take stock of the production and certifications of Veneto wines in 2020; Enrico Specchio and Alessandra Padoan (Regional Statistical System Unit - Veneto Region) who will present data on Veneto wine exports in the first nine months of the year; José Rallo (director of the Institute for Foreign Trade and CEO of Donnafugata) who will focus on the trend of wine sales, including online markets, in this difficult year marked by lockdowns and restrictions of all kinds; Fabrizio Gatto , buyer and consultant of the wine sector who will explain the reaction of the international markets and Francesco Scarcelli (Coop Italia) that of the large-scale retail trade. The meeting will also be attended by the Regional Councilor for Agriculture Federico Caner and the Commissioner of Veneto Agriculture Alberto Negro .