All relevant wine-growing regions in the world were represented at ProWein providing a complete overview of global wine ranges. Add to this a selection of some 400 spirits specialities.  Newcomers included a joint stand from the Japanese government themed around sake as well as a large stand featuring various Palinka fruit brandies from Hungary.

ProWein 2018 has continued its growth as one of the largest wine and spirits trade fairs globally with over 6,870 exhibitors this year up from 64 countries up from 6,615 exhibitors from 62 countries in 2017.  Over 60,000 trade visitors attended up from 58,500 visitors a year earlier.  ProWein officials say that in 2018 one in two visitors found new suppliers at the show and 95 per cent of those surveyed saying they had fully achieved their objectives at the show.

New to this year’s show was an exhibition theatre of craft drinks with 76 exhibitors from 15 countries presenting craft beers, spirits and ciders.  “Our new offering was received extremely well. This shows we have our finger on the pulse of the industry here and have succeeded in staging the theme right to the point. We are on the right track here and look forward to expanding the concept even further,” says Marius Berlemann, Global Head Wine & Spirits and Director of ProWein.  Over 300 organic wineries were also on display in a specific area of the exhibition.

The programme of events that rolled at ProWein 2018 was nothing short of spectacular: numerous tastings were scheduled for the ProWein Forum in Halls 10 and 13. Add to this, a host of events right at the exhibitors’ stands. The spectrum of approximately 500 events ranged from tastings with a national focus to cross-origin presentations like the Tasting Zone organised by the international wine award Mundus Vini.  Themed highlights also include the unique Champagne Lounge boasting 40 tradition-rich Champagne cellars. It was located in the centre of the Champagne segment where some further 150 labels are presented. The special “Packaging & Design” show complemented the ranges of ProWein displaying current trends and developments in packaging.

Right after ProWein in Düsseldorf 24 to 27 April will see ProWine Asia 2018 being held in Singapore. ProWine China 2018 in Shanghai will follow from 13 to 15 November. The next ProWein in Düsseldorf is scheduled from 17 to 19 March 2019.

Republished from April 18, 2017

The 51^st edition of Vinitaly, Italy’s top wine trade show, took place in its hometown, Verona, in April 9–12, combining lively celebration and restrained analysis of world-wide variations affecting the global wine industry.  This consistently international event drew 128,000 visitors from 142 countries; more than 30,000 foreign accredited wine buyers (+8% over 2016, out of a total international attendance of 48,000), and 4,270 exhibitors from 30 countries.  International operators increased over 2016: from the United States (+6%), Germany (+3%), United Kingdom (+4%), China (+12%), Russia (+42%), Japan (+2%), Northern Europe (+2%), the Netherlands and Belgium (+6%).  Though Italian wine remained the star, this year’s edition also highlighted more exotic products, such as Chinese “Bordeaux-style” blends from Ningxia, to English sparkling wine.

Veronafiere, Vinitaly’s organising body, highlighted its move towards a clearer distinction between business occasions in the exhibition premises and the off-show events dedicated to wine lovers in Verona’s city centre and its province: “Vinitaly and the City” (the name of this dual event/location concept) this year attracted 35,000 wine lovers to the historic centre of Verona and to Lake Garda’s wine-town of Bardolino.  The fair itself started with a happening called “OperaWine”: smartly playing on the Veronese ancient Roman Arena (annually home of a prestigious summer opera festival), OperaWine drew more than 1,000 invited guests to a grand tasting at the remarkable Palazzo Gran Guardia, showcasing 104 selected Italian wineries representing the country’s 20 regions and presenting wines produced from over 60 grape varieties.  At the historic Palazzo Giusti del Giardino, the “Grandi Cru d’Italia” (an association of leading Italian wineries), held a charity auction of its associates’ wines to help a non-profit group that assists children suffering from neurological disorders.

Attracting consumers as well as professionals, Vinitaly is the opportunity to assess the state of Italian wine.  This year’s edition featured several seminars and conferences on topics such as terroir, grape varieties, marketing and communications, and so on.  The countless tastings extended from comprehensive regional evaluations to dedicated verticals of primary producers.  The four days of the event offered almost 400 conferences, seminars and training courses focusing on the world of wine.  As ever, there was an impressive calendar of tastings: more than 250 were organised directly by Vinitaly and regional consortia.

International trade and its future were also subjects of careful attention, with two strategic countries as specific targets: the U.K., which is now in the process of leaving the European Union (read my “Wine Brexit” article), and the United States, where federal bureaucrats are thinking of imposing tariffs on imported products such as wine and spirits.  Simultaneously, the Italian wine industry carries on its effort to target the Chinese market.  Actually, Vinitaly’s theme this year was the new “Silk Road” for wine.  A special happening showcased the Chinese wine and spirits giant “1919”.  Its CEO, Robert Yang, defined his idea to grow from currently 1,000 retail stores to 6,000 by 2019, and promised to increase 1919’s offer of Italian wine by that year.  Italy presently accounts for a meagre 5 percent of China’s wine imports, far behind France and Australia.  China was represented at Vinitaly also by other business giants such as Alibaba, Cofco, Winehoo and Suning.

On the final day of Vinitaly, acclaimed oenologist and wine entrepreneur Riccardo Cotarella and a group of his clients known as the “Wine Research Team” organised a conference: “New Frontiers of Italian Viticulture and Oenology.”  The group’s scientific director, Attilio Scienza (a foremost Italian agronomist, teaching at the University of Milan and a consulting winemaker), elucidated that several of such important “Frontiers” are sustainable solutions to a changing and warming climate.  His advice is to: “find clones and varietals that are resistant to drought and that can resist diseases”.

As usual and very conveniently, Vinitaly was integrated by the simultaneous scheduling of other “sister” tradeshows: Sol&Agrifood (the quality agro-food show, with a focus on top olive oil), and Enolitech (focusing on accessories and technologies for olive oil and wine production, celebrating its 20th edition).

The next Vinitaly, the 52^nd, is scheduled 15-18 April 2018.

On March 27th, 2018 Master Sommelier and award-winning author John Szabo, will hold an “International Volcanic Wines Conference” (IVWC) in New York City.  In 2016 Szabo published a book titled: “Volcanic Wines: Salt, Grit and Power”.  Through the IVWC, Szabo wishes to create a volcanic wine movement in the US.

This follows similar pioneering initiatives already in action in Europe such as “Vulcanei” in Italy in which last year (May 6th and 7th, 2017) over 200 volcanic wines from more than 50 Italian producers were presented and tasted (www.vulcanei .wine).

Szabo would like to provide educational and promotional opportunities for volcanic wine producers internationally, with an eye to the North American market.  His conference will act as a sponsor to ultimately combine the world’s volcanic regions and create a “volcanic wine brand”: an exclusive class of wines produced within volcanic viticultural settings.  The IVWC aims also to classify its “volcanic wine brand” as premium high quality wines with a true sense of place, thereby increasing their perceived value.  However, volcanic soils and perceived value are not guarantee of excellence in the bottle…  There is much more than this.  Szabo’s work will certainly be heavy and complex, and will be meaningful the greater the number of quality vinous participants.  Moreover, objectivity is crucial to make the IVWC a reference in global volcanic wine, rather than simply another business and marketing initiative.

Within the IVWC, participants will discover the exceptional features that characterise volcanic wines, with involvement of expert insight and wine producers from different areas such as Soave, Campania, Basilicata, Sicily, Santorini, Tokaj, Badacsony, Somló, Washington State.

The IVWC confirms that world-wide attention concerning quality wines produced on volcanic soils is fermenting and increasing.  This is certainly excellent for wine aficionados and companies.

Moscato is both the Italian name for the Muscat vine variety group and the name for specific varietal slightly sparkling sweet wines, with underlying acidity, produced with Muscat grapes.  “Moscato” on Italian wine labels relates to a varied range of wines, from non-sparkling dry whites to fully sparkling wines to very sweet, dessert wines.  The wines usually have floral aromas of orange blossom and golden or white peaches.

Muscat is one of the oldest grapes used by man to make wine.  Ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated these vines and produced renowned wines from them.  Several varieties of Muscat are used, but the best quality wines are made from Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains, also known in Italy as Moscato di Canelli.  It is Italy’s fourth most planted white variety.  Muscat family vines are widely planted in several countries.  Yet, the type most commonly planted in California is Muscat of Alexandria, quite a less significant grape.

Some of these wines, especially those produced in Italy’s Asti region, are of excellent quality.  However, others are appalling, in particular those produced by gargantuan wine industry multinationals.  The finest lightly sparkling bottles come from the area around the town of Asti in Italy’s Piedmont.  They are called “Moscato d’Asti”, and they are prepared by halting fermentation (rapidly lowering its temperature) once the alcohol level grows to 5.5%.  Their natural fizziness originates from the carbon dioxide released during fermentation.  The wine is then filtered to remove yeasts, so to prevent further fermentation in the bottle.

Moscato is a relatively inexpensive, lightly sparkling, sweet wine with good acidity.  It can be enjoyed as an aperitif, with pâté or similar food or as a complement to dessert.  It also supports spicy Asian dishes, savoury meals, tapas and cheese.

The best, multifaceted and food friendly Moscatos are those produced in Italy, again in the Moscato d’Asti area.  Moscato d’Asti should not be confused with Asti Spumante, the latter being a fully sparkling and higher alcohol sweet wine also made from Muscat in Asti.  “Spumante” on the label is the Italian word for sparkling (“foamy”).  The region’s best and ripest grapes are used for Moscato d’Asti.

A shortlist of some of the best Moscato names would include: Saracco, Ceretto, Bera, Fratelli Barale, La Spinetta, Marchesi di Grésy, and Vietti.  Please note that the finest producers of Moscato d’Asti often also produce great Piedmontese red wines (Barolo and Barbaresco); this makes enticing looking for both.

Americans are building a powerful sweet wine trend.  US Sales of Moscato wine rose in the past several years, especially among relatively young buyers (21 to 30 years of age).  Nielsen reports for wine consumption in the US say that sales of Moscato there increased over 200% between 2009 and 2011, and that they rose again by 78% in 2011, exceeding $300 million in sales that year.  Moreover, Moscato has become a huge cultural phenomenon in the rap and hip-hop music worlds in the past years, with Moscato being mentioned in several big hit songs.  Sales of Italian Moscato d’Asti in the US rose by near 50% during that time.  However, US giant wine company Gallo, commands the American market in volume terms with around a 43% share (selling both Barefoot and Gallo Family bottlings), while Trincher’s Sutter Home Brand has about a 27% share.

The amount of Moscato grown in Italy is obviously limited.  Big wine firms (Americans in particular) have been purchasing it with increasing “thirst”, consequently raising prices for the grape to their highest level ever.  Moscato vines are also rapidly and extensively being planted in Australia, Chile, France and California’s Central Valley, but those new plantings will take years to come into production.  To create the big quantity asked by the American market, mammoth producers are reportedly adding wines from neutral white varieties such as French Columbard (and others) to their Muscat bottlings, thus diluting the amount of real Moscato in the bottles being sold.

English sparkling wine is now a serious global wine industry player.  In 2015, more than five million bottles of sparkling and still wines were produced in the UK.  British land under vine has doubled in the past 10 years, with over than 500 commercial vineyards and 133 wineries.  Sparkling wine represents 70 per cent of total wine production in England, confirming the country’s love for fizz.  In the past, English wine was considered a novelty.  Perceptions have improved, however, and this sparkling wine is now exported to 27 countries, including France, home of Champagne.

The best vineyards are in southern counties such as Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset and Cornwall.  The quality of English sparkling wine has improved with climate change; warmer weather conditions have favoured grape ripening and tamed acidity.  In a recent blind tasting competition held in Paris by Britain’s Wine and Spirit Trade Association, English sparkling wine surprisingly ranked better than Champagne.

An example of this English bubbly surge is given by the world’s most representative monarch.  Queen Elizabeth II herself has recently entered into the sparkling wine market, allowing winemakers to produce bottles of fizzy wine on her Royal estate in Windsor.  This project started in 2011, when the UK’s largest wine retailer, Laithwaite’s, was given permission to plant a vineyard at Windsor Great Park, a Royal Park not far from Windsor Castle, the Queen’s renowned residence.  Classic Champagne varieties were planted there: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.  By 2013, the grapes were ready for picking, and after two years of aging, the first 3,000 bottles of “Windsor Vineyard English Quality Sparkling Wine” were released by Laithwaite’s.

The Queen’s name has obvious business weight, and despite coming from a new-born and yet immature vineyard, the bottles (packaged as a three bottle gift selling for £75) sold out quickly.  However, it is assumed that many purchasers might have something else on their mind besides the wine’s quality.  Indeed, it is common sense that rare wines and vintages can drive astonishing prices.  It is currently impossible to estimate how much such bottles might be worth in the future, but they have very promising price accolades, such as being produced from vines grown on the Queen’s estate and representing the wine’s first vintage.  The 2014 vintage was valued £34.99 per bottle.  Soon enough, we all may have a chance to toast with the Queen’s wine since, within a maximum of seven years, the Royal vineyard is predicted to produce 20,000 bottles annually.

April 26, 2016

On April 13, 2016 Italian wine, as a whole, dedicated the most important tasting of Vinitaly’s 50^th edition in Verona to the recently deceased Giacomo Tachis (read my article on this subject on gourmettino.com, February 17, 2016).  Tachis has been the first Italian oenologist to be appreciated on an international level.  He created some of the greatest Italian wines (Sassicaia, Tignanello, Alceo, Turriga, to name a few), but he also contributed to the rediscovery of ancient terroirs such as Marche, Sardinia and Sicily, and to establish Tuscany among the greatest world wine terroirs.  Tachis wrote fundamental pages of winemaking and modern viticulture in the tale of Italian wine.  In this context, his personality and his life have been relevant for decades, in particular for those who worked with him and followed his suggestions; many of whom (producers and estate owners themselves) were attending this event.

Tachis’ daughter, Ilaria, narrated her father’s life, his achievements and his personality.  Particularly interesting was the insight regarding Mr. Tachis’ passion for sciences, his temperament and his winemaking canons.

On the last day of Vinitaly, selected guests had the opportunity to taste several masterpieces created by Tachis; produced by some of the leading Italian wine firms.  Let us assess them.

• Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2012 (Tuscany): I have tasted this wine on several occasions and it is consistently excellent.  The colour is intensely red with violet hues.  It has a fine, subtle nose of small berries, coffee and dark chocolate: very delicate.  In mouth, instead, is very vigorous and structured, still quite in its youth and exuberance.  Some green tannins, though not drying, some cutting edges on the finish.  Lovely restraint and elegance.  For the long haul: it will evolve elegantly with bottle age.  It should be re-tasted in the future. Extremely good.
• Feudi del Pisciotto Pinot Nero L’Eterno 2012 (Sicily): this wine was not made by Giacomo Tachis himself, but by following his advice and inspiration.  This is Pinot Noir made on the slopes of Etna volcano in Sicily.  Lively red colour, Volcanic traits both in terms of aromas and palate.  Cherries and red berries and light liquorice.  In mouth it’s unbelievable: broad, full of intensity, yet very drinkable and persistent.  It also displays flavours of red oranges (typically grown on Etna)!  Wow! Truly Sicilian in character and truly excellent!
• Santadi Carignano del Sulcis Riserva Terre Brune 2012 (Sardinia): dark violet-red in colour.  Violets, cherries, Sardinian bushes and olives.  Big mouth full of fruit, but lacking perfectly matching class.  Some consistent tannins and substance.  Very pleasant and with some long and enjoyable aftertaste (with liquorice) and persistence.  Very enticing and extremely good.
• Antinori Tignanello 2011 (Tuscany): restrained nose, a bit closed.  Small berries and dark chocolate.  However, flavours have been hampered by an odd tone of mushrooms (perhaps a faulty bottle escaping from professional sommeliers screening and serving the wine).  What a pity…  Allegra Antinori (daughter of Marchese Piero Antinori), presented this wine and explained that this was its 40^th vintage (Tignanello was not produced on continuous basis).  On the palate this wine is better, being refined and elegant.  Persistent, with a lovely finish.  Fine tannins and some alcohol.  The 2011 vintage was overall excellent in Italy.  One would expect 2011 Tignanello to fare better than assessed in this circumstance (especially in terms of aromas).  It needs to be tasted again to evaluate its progression, its intrinsic quality and to conclude that this event was tainted by a faulty bottle unprofessionally served to expert tasters.
• Agricola Punica Barrua 2010 (Sardinia): This wine company is rather young. In fact, it was born in the first years of this century as a joint venture in Sardinia between Santadi and Marchesi Incisa della Rocchetta, proprietors of Tenuta San Guido (both already mentioned above).  Lovely nose of berries, Mediterranean scrubs, coffee, dark chocolate, hints of tobacco leaves.  On the palate it is perfectly balanced and intense.  However, there is some noticeable acidity and alcohol.  Good tannic frame. Long, persistent.  Slightly burning on tongue sides. Very good.
• Castello dei Rampolla Alceo 1999 (Tuscany): This wine estate is located in Panzano, the heart of Chianti Classico. Here vineyards have been farmed biodynamically for over 22 years.  This wine, however, is produced mostly from the ubiquitous Cabernet Sauvignon grape, with a bit of Petit Verdot.  “Alceo” was the proprietor’s name who Giacomo Tachis honoured giving it to the single vineyard from which this wine is made.  Dark red colour. Intense nose, dark berries, blackcurrants, dark chocolate and coffee.  Excellent mouth, Precise and very rich, superb precision and refinement.  Remarkable balance between tannins and intensity.  Appropriate length and persistence.  Pure excellence!
• Guerrieri Gonzaga San Leonardo 1999 (Trentino): Located in southern Trentino, this estate has an established reputation for excellence.  Introducing his wine, Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga told the audience that when Tachis retired, ending his collaboration with his company, he suggested Carlo Ferrini as his successor and this very capable oenologist has indeed taken charge of winemaking.  Nice dark red shade.  The nose is rich, dominated by spices, with noticeable blackcurrants, dark chocolate and coffee.  Palate is very intense and broad.  Excellent structure.  Fine, powerful and very elegant, persistent and lively.  First-rate.
• Donnafugata Mille e una Notte 1999 (Sicily): Antonio Rallo, owner, guided our tasting.  Dark red pigment and dark red ripe cherries nose.  Fruity, rich and spicy, with hints of chocolate.  Round, supple, enticing, long, delicate and feminine.  Very drinkable and very long, moderate tannic frame.  Excellent finish.  Excellent wine.
• Falchini Campora 1998 (Tuscany): the oenologist now working at this estate is Elisabetta Barbieri, a young talent and a pupil of Giacomo Tachis.  Cabernet Sauvignon of intense red colour.  Restrained aromas of blackcurrants and dark chocolate.  Fruity.  On the palate it is lovely balanced.  Well-made and elegant.  A nice wine, however lacking structure and some length.
• Le Pupille Saffredi 1993 (Tuscany): A wine now well into its maturity.  It is quite interesting to notice that this wine was first vinified in 1985, from Cabernet Sauvignon cuttings grafted on old Sangiovese rootstocks (Merlot and Alicante are also part of the blending).  Very dark red liquid.  Noticeable typical Tuscan essence immediately pervading the nose.  Dark forest berries, dark chocolate and ripe plums.  Intense, full, structured and long.  Very complex and long lasting.  Still very lively and fresh.  Precise tannins, refined and very drinkable.  Excellent.
• Argiolas Turrriga 1995 (Sardinia): A blend of four autochthonous Sardinian red grapes in which Cannonau is dominant.  Black.  Rich, elegant nose, displaying notes of juniper, wood, Sardinian bushes and olive tree’s freshly cut wood.  Chocolatey. On palate is refined, long, persistent and coherently distinguished by the sweetness of fruit and chocolate on the one hand, and by the vigour of coffee on the other.  Lovely balance and character.  Elegant, persistent and with a never-ending finish.  Absolute excellence!
• Umani Ronchi Pélago 1995 (Marche): A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Montepulciano (40%), Merlot (10%).  Once again the colour is dark red.  The nose is complex and polished revealing yellow and red peppers combined with mature fruit, plums in particular.  Clear-cut body and structure.  Very pleasant palate.  Perfect equilibrium, firm tannins and acidity.  Ripe and refreshing.  Very persistent and a fantastic finish with some final spicy notes.  Excellent.

Summing up our tasting, I would like to point out that there was extreme coherence in all the wines presented.  This does not mean that all the above wines taste the same.  Far from it!  All the wines have finely chiselled individual traits.  It means that the imprinting of Giacomo Tachis is palpable and evident, no matter from where these wines are from, from which grapes they were made, from which vintage they date and from which proprietor the respective estates are owned.  Quite remarkable!  Some of the most relevant features always emerging from our tasting are: the talent to re-discover and appreciate specific terroirs (not only Tuscany, but also Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino and so on.  In practice the whole Italian Peninsula), the ability to produce consistently excellent wines, the fine use of native and international grapes (or both simultaneously), the production of wines that are all intensely coloured, refined, balanced, and exceptionally pleasant to drink (the wish of any fine wine lover).

April 25, 2016

This grand tasting was one of the biggest events that took place at Vinitaly in 2016.  Organised by Vinitaly and Associazione Italiana Donne del Vino (Italy’s Wine Women Association), it marked the opportunity (given to selected guests) to taste 10 landmark wines from the 1967 vintage, produced by companies with women at the helm.  These wines have been coupled with their most recent vintage available, hence showing the evolution of top Italian winemaking in the last 50 years.  All this, at the 50^th edition of Vinitaly, of course. Let us go through the wines and the sensations they transmitted.

La Scolca, Gavi 1967 (Piedmont white): Piedmont, land of great reds, but also of some interesting whites, such as Gavi, in this case.  Very pale yellow turning to light orange.  Date, bananas, ginger.  Bright acidity, some evident oxidation and steely notes.

La Scolca, Gavi 2015: bright yellow, crisp, intensely persistent, a bit light but very elegant. Nice.

Fratelli Berlucchi, Rosso di Franciacorta 1967 (Lombardy red): produced from a grape mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Barbera and Nebbiolo.  Orange-reddish colour, some marked oxidation and Marsala aromas.  Hints of cellar moist and dust.  Some acidity and persistence.

Fratelli Berlucchi, Mandola 2013: a red from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  Nice spicy Cabernet, good acidity backbone.  Some peppery notes between forest berries.  Good acidity and persistence. Nice.

Castello di Gabiano, Barbera Riserva 1967 (Piedmont red): Orangey colour.  Strong goudron and evolved notes (among them: earth, dirt, yeast and old cellar).  Still acid and vibrant, very persistent

Castello di Gabiano, Barbera Riserva 2011: Very intense black and red berries and cherries.  Vinous grapey flavour.  In mouth it is highly loquacious and lively, very acid, tannic and strong.  To lay down for the long run.  Good.

Capezzana, Villa di Capezzana Carmignano Riserva 1967 (Tuscany red): This wine was re-corked.  Strong coffee tones.  Dark red with bright orange rim.  Strong, voluptuous and super-balanced.  Tannic and well structured.  Still very lively and drinkable.  Astounding: not showing its 50 years at all!  Even an experienced taster would hardly guess its age!  Superb!

Capezzana, Villa di Capezzana Carmignano Riserva 2012: Nice flavours of small berry fruits, long and tasty.  Well balanced and elegant.  Velvety.  Strawberry is particularly evident, as are tannins.  Strong alcohol and astringent.  Very good.

Castello di Querceto, Chianti Classico Castello di Querceto Riserva 1967 (Tuscany red): Some volatile acidity.  Still very acid in mouth and still astringent. Big and powerful.  Notes of yeast and animal leather.  Vivid and lively, yet not so refined and too tannic and acid.

Castello di Querceto, Chianti Classico Castello di Querceto Riserva Il Picchio 2012: Still young, very acid and tannic.  For the long run.  The nose, however, has very pleasing cherry flavours and the palate is very persistent.  Good.

Lungarotti, Rosso di Torgiano Rubesco 1967 (Umbria red): Lively and fruity.  Tamed alcohol and tannins, very intense and persistent.  Strong tertiary notes of exotic tastes and yeast.  Quite in good shape for its age!

Lungarotti, Vigna Monticchio Rubesco 2012: Very fruity and complex nose.  Dark ink red colour.  Spicy.  Palate is full, alcoholic, tannic and astringent.  Not so balanced; a bit too harsh and hedgy.  Fairly nice.

Banfi, Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura 1967 (Tuscany red): Lovely nose of ripe fruit and spices with some leather notes.  Long and persistent in mouth.  Fully ripe.  Very pleasant and elegant, superb, long, balanced, rewarding. Wow!

Banfi, Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura 2010: Ripe plums, berries, coffe and sage.  Round and elegant.  Some evident tannins and acidity and a bit drying on a long finish.  Very good.

Fattoria dei Barbi, Brunello di Montalcino 1967 (Tuscany red): Yeasty hints in nose and mouth, otherwise pleasant.  Balanced and velvety, long and refined.  A very good wine with some wrinkles.

Fattoria dei Barbi, Brunello di Montalcino 2012: Lovely aromas of ripe berries, plums, pepper and other spices, cinnamon and dark chocolate.  Elegant and balanced on the palate.  Good structure and precise acidity, both well proportioned.  Long, persistent and very drinkable.  Excellent.

Rivera, Il Falcone Riserva Rosso Stravecchio Castel del Monte DOC 1967 (Apulia red): this wine offers many sensations; the most striking of them is an intense aroma and flavour of fennel!  Yes there is strong fennel with a mix of red fruits and spices.  Long, smooth and balanced, excellent.  Very interesting and truly a new experience in tasting fine wine!

Rivera, Il Falcone Riserva Rosso Castel del Monte 2012: the nose is not so strong or evident; it’s merely cherries and subdued spices.  In mouth, however, is broad and elegant, with a good balance between acidity and sweetness.  Very good equilibrium.  Long and persistent.

Masi, Camporiofin Rosso del Veronese 1967 (Veneto red): very dark red with slightly orange ring.  Lively and intense.  Again, a wine any educated taster would never initially believe from 50 years ago!  Very inviting, complex and long, some ginger, and an overall great class. Excellent!

Masi, Riserva Costasera 2009: dark red with violet hues.  Dark violets and ripe cherries with pastry and cinnamon.  Lovely, but strong.  Velvety and very intense, albeit evident alcohol.  Highly persistent.  Extremely good.

This tasting gave a unique opportunity to ascertain the evolution of Italian wine-making in the last 50 years (hence, since Vinitaly’s birth).  In the glasses tasters found noble wines.  Some of them showing the folds and lines of old age.  Some others, instead, are extraordinarily well-preserved, rightly mature, lively and pleasant… are they eternal life potions?  I think so!  They are all representing a long period of extraordinary improvements in quality and market success for Italian wine (and wine by Italian women in particular).

Brexit is real!  The majority of Britons have voted to abandon the European Union and a common European political, economic and social framework.  In recent times there has been much talk about this possible outcome and its consequences.  In the night, exit polls initially suggested a win by the pro-EU campaigners, but then the opposite anti-EU verdict materialized, bringing to everyone’s attention the new dramatic European situation and a plethora of uncertainties.  What does this mean for UK vs. EU in terms of wine commerce and consumption, now and in the future? We shall discuss this issue, dealing with current critical points, mainly from the perspective of UK consumers.

The UK wine market… what are we talking about?  Well, the UK is one of the most significant importers of wine in the world, including high value fine wine.  For certain product categories, for instance bubbly wine such as Champagne, it is “The” market.  Britons drink over 354 million litres of EU-produced wine each year, but that amount has dropped in the last few years as consumers have looked to New World wines from places like Argentina, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Just four days ago Majestic Wine boss Rowan Gormley warned that Brexit would push up the price of wine as the cost of any imported goods will inevitably rise.  Majestic Wine is the largest specialist wine retailer in the UK.  Gormley stated that if Brexit would occur, causing a sustained fall in value of the British pound, then all imported products will have to go up in cost over time and wine will be no exception to that; wine from EU producing countries (priced in Euros) in particular.  He also said this scenario would affect all Majestic’s competitors equally, without upsetting the supply chain, but certainly hampering sales growth.  Gormley made the comments as Majestic announced its first sales progress in four years, one year into a turnaround plan.

There are three main factors that will determine post-Brexit business interaction criteria:

-currency rates (relative value of the British Pound vs. Euro, but also in the long term vs. the US Dollar and possibly vs. other currencies),

-trade tariffs (to be levied upon exchanges between the UK and the European Union),

-trade regulations and standards for products, services, labour, health and more.

It is obvious that the future will bring about great complexity, uncertainty and challenges, probably resulting in higher inefficiencies and higher costs, especially for UK consumers.

Sterling has been weakening against the Euro in the lead-up to the vote and it seems probable that it would continue to fall now that the “Leave” vote won; this would result in price rises across the board as the cost of replacement stock would immediately rise.  There are several UK wine market specialists who rely on the relevance and weight of their market to predict a less pessimistic way forward. But is it pure hope?  Some wine merchants claim it is unlikely that European wine-producing countries would impose additional tariffs, given the significance of the UK market.  Will Hargrove, Chief of Fine Wine at Corney & Barrow, said he had no real short-term fears because things will have to continue.  He also affirmed that in the longer term the UK has the favourable position of being a strong market for almost all European wine producers.  True, one can hope that everyone will desire as little disruption as possible, given the reciprocal importance of trade, but there is absolutely no guarantee of this.  EU bureaucrats have shown in the past relatively little knowledge and care for common viticulture and wine commerce (subsidies to agriculture, then subsidies to wine distillation, then vine-growing quota schemes and constraints, and so on).  Thus, one has the right to be optimistic, but also the responsibility to prepare for the worse.

For instance, let us see what the impact on Bordeaux wines could be, looking ahead to the Bordeaux 2015 en primeur campaign.  An exact figure on what percentage of en primeur sales is represented by the UK is hard to discern.  However, most experts and professionals indicate such UK market share to be around 20% (conservatively), with the lion’s share accounted for by the “big boys”.  The latest market figures from Bordeaux négociants indicate that the 2013 vintage (the one currently on sale, just as the 2015 en primeurs have been tasted) is being offered at either at or below release price in 90% of cases.  The highest upsurge, with 74%, is Petit Mouton, and the worst fall with 7% is Pagodes Cos d’Estournel.  Even the better quality 2012 vintage has 55% of Châteaux being available either at or under release price, and just 45% recording an increase since en primeur.  Source: Eleanor Wine (February 2016).  It has been pretty much common sense that Bordeaux 2015 exit prices (excluding Brexit effects) will be higher than the last few years.  The UK has never been part of the Euro zone, but Pound Sterling has fallen against the Euro in recent weeks amid uncertainty surrounding the Brexit referendum.  Exchange rates will affect post-Brexit en primeur campaigns making it more expensive to buy Bordeaux wines.

Away from exchange-rate effects, Brexit will be subject of extensive negotiations on a range of issues, meaning it is impossible to clearly define the long-term effect for UK wine consumers.  Nevertheless, until a new trade deal is fixed between the UK and EU, the ground would see European wine likely to become more expensive to UK consumers owing also to the introduction of trade tariffs after the UK will leave the EU.  For instance, as things now are, a 32% tariff would be imposed on imports of EU wine in the UK (a costly toll).  The reason is that the UK has negotiated as part of the EU at the World Trade Organisation (WTO); consequently it is probable that it would inherit the EU’s tariff regime at the time of leaving.  Such WTO tariff for wine is 32%.  Again, optimists hope on the fact that the UK market is so important to Spanish, French and Italian wine producers that one expects at least a significant reduction, if not a deletion, of the WTO’s 32% tariff.

Finally, let us consider that Brexit will also mean the end of EU subsidies to UK wine production industry, the end of favourable export of UK wine within EU borders (think of fizz, for instance), the end of easily available European labour within the UK wine industry as a whole.  A list of post-Brexit regulatory consequences could be very long.

In conclusion, following Brexit, what will happen in present and future is dim and uncertain.  Initially, at least, wines from the EU will be more expensive for UK wine drinkers and this will have an impact not only in the UK, but also on the European wine market as a whole.

The 50th edition of Vinitaly, one of the world’s most important wine and spirits exhibitions, was held in Verona from April 10^th to 13^th 2016.  The way to this relevant anniversary was led last year by Vinitaly’s operative management of the Wine Pavilion at Milan’s Expo and by constant international promotion of the event.  This year’ trade fair took place within 100,000 net square meters of exhibition space (a new record); the largest in the world, hosting more than 4,100 exhibitors from more than 30 countries.

Veronafiere (Vinitaly’s organising body) recently summed-up facts and figures regarding this year’s fair, stating it has been a clear success.  In general, professional attendance has been on the rise, totalling 130,000 visitors from approximately 140 countries, of which 28,000 have been international top buyers (up 23% compared to 2015).  In detail, audience statistics within top international buyers by country recorded growth for United States (+25%), Germany (+11%), United Kingdom (+18%), France (+29%), Canada (+30%), China (+130%), Japan (+21%), Northern Europe (+8%), Netherlands (+24%) and Russia (+18%).

There were also positive returns on the home front, with operators from Central and Southern Italy up on average by 15%.  The four days of the wine exhibition not only hosted B2B meetings but also more than 300 specific events including conferences, seminars and training courses.  Traditional exclusive tastings reached a climax with the one organised by Vinitaly International Academy in honour of Giacomo Tachis, one of Italy’s greatest wine-makers, who recently died.

At the same time, Vinitaly’s twin event “Vinitaly and the City”, aimed to involve and satisfy non-professional wine-lovers outside the exhibition’s walls in Verona, was also successful in attracting almost 30,000 participants.  “Vinitaly and the City” was lively and offered tastings, shows and cultural events in the beautiful setting of Verona’s historical city squares.  “The goal was to provide a clear signal to exhibitors and visitors, to ensure that the 50th Vinitaly would project the show into the next fifty years” said Maurizio Danese, President of Veronafiere.  He further declared: “We created a format that fully satisfied expectations, both for wine business specialists within the exhibition centre itself and through the wine festival in downtown Verona, with an extremely popular edition of Vinitaly and the City, and this is a source of pride and commitment to improve even further next year.  This edition was also an opportunity to celebrate the history of an event that has promoted Italian wine and its culture around the world for 50 years”.

On the side of business politics, Vinitaly number 50 was the first edition to be officially inaugurated by an Italian head of state.  President Mattarella highlighted the role of Vinitaly as a “vehicle for, and symbol of, Italian wine quality, renowned throughout the world”.  Vinitaly 2016 was also visited by Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, who discussed developments in wine online sales alongside Mr. Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba (a Chinese e-commerce world-leader).  The latter, speaking in Verona, launched the idea of having a “Wine Day” in China on September 9^th.

As usual, Vinitaly was combined with Sol&Agrifood, (a relevant agricultural and food trade fair, in which premium olive oil is the star) and Enolitech, an exhibition promoting accessories and technologies for winemaking and olive oil production.  See respectively, www.solagrifood.com and www.enolitech.it.

Vinitaly’s 51st edition will take place on 9-12 April 2017.  For further information, visit www.vinitaly.it.

Last week, on March 15th, ProWein 2016 ended in Düsseldorf, Germany. ProWein is a great wine happening, managed with typical German effectiveness, self-proclaiming to be “The World’s No.1 International Trade Fair for Wine and Spirits”.
ProWein opened its activities in 1994 with 321 exhibitors and approximately 1,500 visitors. In 2015, it had grown to 6,000 exhibitors from 50 countries and roughly 52,000 visitors. Of these, 84% were foreign exhibitors and 46% were foreign visitors. From March 13th-15th 2016 more exhibitors and visitors from throughout the world came to the Düsseldorf fair. Fresh figures for this year account for over 55,000 trade visitors (about 6% more than last year) and 6,200 exhibitors. The largest exhibitor nations this year included Italy (1,500), France (1,300), Germany (1,000), Spain (550), Austria (320), Portugal (300) and Overseas (600). Added to this were some 420 exhibitors from 30 countries with their special spirits. Exhibitors from a total of 59 nations attended the event. This year visitors travelled from 126 different countries. Hence ProWein is constantly growing. As many as half the visitors now come to Düsseldorf from abroad. Essentially, almost the entire wine world joins the event, making it one of the most relevant locations where global wine business is set and developed.
The highest rise in visitors from outside Europe was from Overseas, mainly from Asia. Overall, there seems to be a trend where ProWein is primarily attracting decision-makers with great purchasing responsibility: over 70% of visitors came from top or middle management. The success of the trade fair was also highly rated: one in two visitors confirmed that they found new suppliers and two-thirds were able to go home with useful information on trends and innovations. Just fewer than 96% stated they had entirely reached the goals of their trade fair visit. “Figures clearly show that ProWein is the world’s most important business platform for the entire sector. This is where the trade fair budgets are spent. And also for the major, prizewinning wine estates, ProWein has now become the absolute must-attending event,” proudly boasts Hans Werner Reinhard, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf (the city’s tradeshow organising body), summing up the success of ProWein 2016.
The high-level event programme at ProWein is extensive and diverse. Either organised centrally or by the exhibitors at their stands, it offers 3 days full of inspiration and innovation, such as: numerous tasting areas, surprising taste experiences at the Fizzz Lounge, sparkling classics at the Champagne Lounge, best-practice presentation at the special show “same but different”, special show “Packaging & Design”, top-class discussions and culinary events. Moreover, there is an appendix to the diurnal activity: with “ProWein goes City” a day’s bustle can continue into the evening: At one of the selected gastronomic partners of ProWein in Düsseldorf with their special events.
Immediately following ProWein in Düsseldorf is the premiere of ProWine Asia from 12 to 15 April 2016 in Singapore. Now in its fourth edition ProWine China in Shanghai will run from 7 to 9 November 2016. The next ProWein in Düsseldorf will be held from 19 to 21 March 2017. Dates for ProWein 2018 have already been set in Düsseldorf: from 18 to 20 March 2018. All information on ProWein can be found online at http://www.ProWein.de