Trentino, Giovanni Frapporti's Vigna Eccellente awarded in Isera

Second place for Luciano Pizzini and third for Filippo Tonini. The "Francesco Graziola" literary prize was also awarded to Nereo Pederzolli, a long-time journalist, always a member of the evaluation commission and author of a documentary on the history of Marzemino. The ceremony took place in conjunction with the launch of the Summer School of agri-food journalism named after Sergio Ferrari.

It is Giovanni Frapporti, under 30 winemaker from Folaso di Isera , a perfect example of a young man who believes and invests in Marzemino, who won the coveted prize, the only one in Italy and Europe, created in 2001 with the desire to enhance the important bond between viticulture and landscape and the active role of farmers in the harmonious construction of the same.

It is no coincidence that the commission chaired by Attilio Scienza and composed of Marco Stefanini, Duilio Porro, Bruno Mattè, Francesco Penner, Enzo Merz, Nereo Pederzolli, Carlo Rossi and Franco Nicolodi, was enriched this year by the new and important entry of Nicla D 'Aquilio , architect expert in urban planning, landscape and construction of beauty: in her speech she recalled how the most fitting definition of the term landscape is "the appearance of the places in which we live, the formal outcome of the work and transformations of 'man' and how in Vallagarina this is strongly characterized by the presence of vineyards. In reference to the analyzes carried out during the visits to the vineyards, he underlined how great creativity was perceived in the care, in the entrances as well as in the spaces separating the road, from which emerges the great love of the farmers - defined as "landscape chisellers" - for your own work. The choice of materials used in the vineyard is also important, he adds.

“The winemaker – explains the commission's motivation regarding the award given to Frapporti – managed, even if in a hilly area, to make a double pergola in Marzemino an example of a balanced vineyard, with healthy and ripening bunches. The plants have a very active foliar system and also from the point of view of treating fungal diseases, no problems have been found." Second place for Luciano Pizzini , awarded by Marco Tonini of Cassa Rurale Vallagarina, for his very balanced vineyard even if in an area particularly damaged by the great phenomena of 2023, and third for Filippo Tonini , awarded by Gian Franco Frisinghelli, Councilor of the Municipality of Isera. For its vineyard which demonstrates excellent knowledge of the practices aimed at making even the espalier a training system suitable for the Marzemino variety and for the excellent health of the bunches.

During the meeting, Attilio Scienza wanted to emphasize the choice to organize the awards ceremony in conjunction with the first edition of the Summer School named after Sergio Ferrari and aimed at transferring to the participants, between frontal lessons and round tables with operators in the sector , the knowledge to disseminate precise and documented information to the general public on the most current and "hot" issues related to agri-food production, banning urban legends and fake news. “A great dream of Sergio Ferrari himself – he recalled – who considered this type of training for journalists fundamental for bringing the agricultural world and consumers into contact”.

There will also be space for the presentation of the "Francesco Graziola" literary prize , attributed to Nereo Pederzolli because "he has followed the best vineyard in Isera since its birth, has retraced the long history of Marzemino and contributed with his critical thoughts to giving new energy to its ancient vineyards. Pederzolli's words and images - the motivation continues - have sought the roots of an effort, an intelligence and a product that have accompanied human events over the centuries, which have nourished art and creativity and which are not have never been strangers to the affirmation of freedom”.

And, as tradition, before the announcement of the winners, there was an opportunity to scroll through the 2023 seasonal performance , thanks to the report by Marco Stefanini of the Edmund Mach Foundation . A fluctuating trend between drought and heavy rainfall, very cool periods and very hot ones and, consequently, multiple hail phenomena, even damaging ones. From a water point of view, the availability of water was quite widespread throughout the year except between the end of June and the beginning of July, where the great heat caused the plants a bit of a crisis. The subsequent frequent rains, although heavy, allowed the land to have the necessary water available. The phenomenon of lightning is very interesting, the quantity of which was extraordinarily higher than any year in the last twenty years (18,000 against an average of 4/5 thousand and a single peak of 8,000 in 2019). “If during the first round of visits by the commission in July – commented the technician – the hail damage was evident, which had caused a large fall of leaves to the ground, in the final phases of observation the vineyards proved to be very much in balance , thanks to the intervention of the winemakers, who were able to contain the attacks of fungal diseases at the same time".

In particular, the commission made four outings: from 7 to 9 August a first passage was carried out on 28 plots for 22 handlers; on August 24th the 16 vineyards were selected and the compromised ones were discarded; on 7 September the 12 best were defined and on 14 September the 3 winners were identified, announced in recent days.

The award ceremony represents the last act of " The Excellent Vineyard...and it's immediately Isera ", an event organized by the Municipality of Isera with the support of Trentino Marketing, the coordination of the Trentino Wine and Flavors Route, as part of the promotion of the provincial wine events called #trentinowinefest , and the collaboration of APT Rovereto and Vallagarina