THE CONSORZIO TUTELA VINI VALPOLICELLA MAKE ITS ANNUAL CONFERENCE AN ALL-DIGITAL EVENT SET FOR FEBRUARY 26–27
story by Lars Leicht / images courtesy of the Consorzio Vini Valpolicella
Faced with continued travel bans, logistical challenges posed by social distancing, and other complications of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella has turned its annual education initiative into an online affair—and has expanded its reach in the process. Instead of greeting its usual two dozen international guests in the historic city of Verona and its surrounding vineyards, the consortium is dispatching 1,200 wine samples around the world for over 100 participants to engage in a virtual tasting with experts on February 26 and 27.
Invited members of the trade and press in 25 countries will receive four sample mini-bottles each of Valpolicella, Ripasso, and Amarone. Specialists from the wine industry as well as representatives from government agencies, academia, and wine-affiliated fields will discuss a myriad of aspects that impact the world of Valpolicella, from sales and distribution to geography, geology, ampelography, climatology, and enology.
Though additional samples will not be available and the producers of the blind-tasted wines will not be revealed, enophiles from around the world can follow along on social media with the webinars and tastings (register below). Recordings of the webinars will be available to view for 15 days following the conference.
“The format is as smart as it is efficient,” says Christian Marchesini, the consorzio’s president. “The historic appellation of Verona offers a multichannel concept that connects all the decision-makers of the wine world: producers, buyers, wholesalers, and press from around the world.”
The conference opens on Friday, February 26, at 11 a.m. Central European Time with the themed discussion “Large-Scale Distribution, Ho.Re.Ca, E-Commerce: The Commercial Future of Wine Is Multi-Channel.” Panelists will include Denis Pantini, agri-food and wine monitor director at economic consulting agency and think tank Nomisma; Paolo Zanetti, founder of the online wine shop Callmewine.com; Alessandro Boga, Italian wine portfolio specialist at leading U.S. wine wholesaler Wilson Daniels; Luca Pizzighella, brand manager of Italy’s national chain of wine shops and restaurants Signorvino; Francesco Scarcelli, brands purchasing manager, wines, beers and spirits, at supermarket chain COOP Italia; and Roberto Burro, professor of psychology at the University of Verona.
The webinar will be followed by three virtual tastings conducted in English, comparing “method wines” versus “territory wines” in relation to climate change and the evolution of wine consumption.
The Veronese appassimento method of drying grapes will be the focus of the Amarone tasting, which will begin at 2 p.m. CET and is open to press and accredited operators only. The panel features Warsaw-based wine writer and judge Wojciech Bonkowski; consulting winemaker Enrico Nicolis; University of Verona professor of biotechnology Maurizio Ugliano; and wine-marketing consultant and educator JC Viens.
Changes made in 2019 to the production regulations for Ripasso will be the focus of the next discussion, starting at 3 p.m. CET. Panelists include wine writer, educator, and consultant Michelle Cherutti-Koval, MW; consulting winemaker Alessandro Bellotto; Tone Veseth Furuholmen, senior product manager of the Norwegian government’s wine-buying agency, Vinmonopolet AS; and the consorzio’s consulting enologist, Alberto Brunelli.
The final webinar of the day at 4 p.m. CET will focus on the renewal and positioning of Valpolicella and feature sensory analyst and wine educator Alberto Ugolini; Gabriele Gorelli, MW candidate and CEO of communications agency Brookshaw&Gorelli; Italian wine consultant Nick Bielak, MW; and wine educator, journalist, and consultant Lin Liu, MW.
The second day of the virtual conference will open with “New Policies in Support of the Italian Wine Market” at 10 a.m. CET with Federico Caner, the Veneto Regional Minister of EU Programs, Agriculture, Tourism and International Trade; Paolo De Castro and Herbert Dorfmann, members of the EU Parliament Agriculture and Rural Development Committee; Veronafiere CEO Giovanni Mantovani; Unione Italiana Vini general secretary Paolo Castelletti; and Consorzio Vini Valpolicella president Christian Marchesini.
At 11 a.m. CET, Nomisma’s Denis Pantini returns to present his research on the “Positioning of Valpolicella in Key Markets” followed by Crea-Vit researcher Diego Tomasi’s report on the influences of climate change in Valpolicella.
The Consorzio Vini Valpolicella represents more than 80% of the appellation’s producers and is one of Italy’s top provinces for wine exports. Its membership represents nearly 21,000 acres of vineyards in the 19 municipalities of the Verona province, with an annual turnover of about 600 million euros.
