Italian wine teamed up in Paris: producers, athletes, institutions

Italian wines teamed up in Paris , on a world stage, at Casa Italia , the hospitality house set up at Le Pré Catelan in the French capital. Called together by LT Wine & Food Advisory, a company that selected the Italian wines on behalf of the National Olympic Committee present in the Ensemble, on Friday 2 August our country joined forces in the meeting which brought together authoritative representatives of the institutions ( Matteo Zoppas President of Ice, Massimiliano Giansanti President of Confagricoltura and Giovanni Malagò President of Coni with a message), sportsmen (Luigi Busà, gold medal in Tokyo), leading names in the national wine scene (Renzo Rosso, Stefano Benini Frescobaldi, Igor Boccardo, Guido Damilano, Lorenzo Tersi), prestigious chef (Davide Oldani) and two leading names in agrifood journalism (Luciano Ferraro and Giorgio Dell'Orefice).

The common thread was the title of the event, “ Italian wines team up in Paris ”, which served as a liaison to the interventions. As Giovanni Malagò recalled in a message on the occasion of the event, Italy is present in Paris with "a great selection of wines, celebrating a double historic anniversary. First of all, Casa Italia is the hospitality house par excellence in the Olympic world because it is the first ever created and this year in Paris it celebrates 40 years since its birth. Secondly, Casa Italia is located inside Le Pré Catelan where on the evening of 23 June 1894 Baron Pierre de Coubertin raised his glass to toast the birth of the Olympic Games of the modern era. So a double toast in the name of history and tradition”.

Lorenzo Tersi , founder and CEO of LT Wine & Food Advisory, highlighted how the Italy of wine presents itself in Paris "giving voice to the protagonist territories of Made in Italy winemaking, representing all the regions of our Peninsula, enhancing biodiversity and designations of origin. We made a synthesis with the awareness of being ambassadors of Italian wine in the context of a global audience."

The word then went directly to the producers. Renzo Rosso , via video link, underlined the uniqueness of Italian biodiversity which leads to unique products. “I come from the world of luxury and I hope to bring a lot of energy, modernity, vision and above all aggregation because Italian wine production deserves to be at the top”.

Stefano Benini Frescobaldi , Vice President of the Frescobaldi Board of Directors, linked sport and wine. “The Olympics have always evoked values such as dedication, discipline and determination whether they were directed towards the performance of the individual athlete or teamwork. These three values have also allowed our company to face the challenges of the global market with precision and a positive spirit, making our company grow as a competitive team, made up above all of people".

Igor Boccardo , CEO Leone Alato, highlighted getting together. “Never before has it been essential for our sector to team up on the international market, promoting the richness and variety of our wines and our cellars. The Paris Olympics are an exceptional showcase to raise awareness of the quality of national productions and to demonstrate that Italy, when moving together, is capable of achieving flattering results, as our extraordinary athletes are demonstrating."

Guido Damilano, at Cantina Damilano, focused on creating a system: “We have the honor of taking the name of Barolo around the world and telling, through our wines, the unique territory of the Langhe. We are true ambassadors of Made in Italy. For this reason, working as a system is essential to continue to bring value to our sector, guarantee growth and global competitiveness and above all to face the challenges that arise, first and foremost climate change and environmental sustainability".

Word to the chef Davide Oldani , curator of the food part of Ensemble restaurant at Casa Italia. “In Paris we bring together two great food and wine cultures, the Italian one and the French one. Our work is not a synthesis but a liaison that becomes a perfect equation in the spirit of the Ensemble made up of great products combined with great wines such as the selection present at Casa Italia".

Finally, the conclusions of the day, starting from Massimiliano Giansanti , President of Confagricoltura. “We have the honor of representing the great Italy of wine with the reference companies of the national wine scene. At a global level we are experiencing a phase of profound change in consumption, but what remains steadfast is the value that wine represents. For us Italians, in particular, it is culture, identity, territory. Certainly one of the best emblems of Made in Italy. Our commitment, in Europe and in the world, is also to transmit these values together with agricultural companies and their work, with the awareness that responsible consumption is the basis of the spirit of aggregation that wine evokes and sublimates".

Closing the important moment of discussion was Matteo Zoppas, president of the ICE Agency. “Today, in a moment of uncertainty the watchword is teamwork, as happens in sport. The collaboration between the different actors of the country system, made up of ICE, Sace, Simest and Cdp, together with the Government, associations and above all entrepreneurs. A union that passes from the growth diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the productive competitiveness promoted by the Ministry of Made in Italy up to the activities in favor of the sector of the Ministry of Agriculture. For foreign trade, teaming up means providing companies with the necessary tools at every stage of internationalisation, in Italy and abroad. For the wine sector, trade fair platforms confirm themselves as a constantly evolving and fundamentally important tool. Agenzia ICE organizes group exhibitions abroad aimed above all at small and medium-sized businesses and prestigious events such as the new Vinitaly Chicago, which will take place in October, from which the entire sector will be able to benefit, from the smallest to the most authoritative and established ones. Care of the relationship with operators is the basis for promotion and development not only in the wine supply chain but in all sectors of Made in Italy".

The event was organized by LT Wine & Food Advisory . Founded by Lorenzo Tersi, it is a consultancy boutique specialized in the wine sector and active in the strategic, marketing and M&A fields. He boasts a long experience in the most prestigious sporting events in the country. He is the Official Supplier at Casa Italia Paris 2024 where he oversaw the scouting for the selection of Italian wine on behalf of CONI.