Lombardy at Vinitaly Special Edition. Lombardy wine restarts with exports and quality production: in the first six months of 2021, +11.7% of sales abroad. Research and new technologies in the vineyard: the forced pause in 2020 has become an opportunity to adopt innovative and more sustainable tools
From today's Press Conference, Monday 11 October 2021 -Palazzo Regione Lombardia - Milan, 11 October 2021 - Lombardy's wine is back on the march: it is doing so by focusing on international markets on the one hand, and on the other on the recovery of domestic consumption, the result of the progressive reopening of public establishments and hospitality, driven by the increase in sales in large-scale distribution and the increasingly widespread desire for wine tourism among Italian and foreign travellers.
In the first six months of 2021, the demand for Lombardy wines abroad increased by 11.7%, a marked recovery compared to last year (ISTAT data). Domestic purchases have also shown a growth that is destined to consolidate with the passing of the months and that is rewarding quality production characterised by a strong link with the territory, of which Lombardy can boast one of the widest offers not only on the Italian scene but also internationally.
It is in this scenario, characterized by the desire to further enhance - in Italy and abroad - the peculiarities of a production that is the result of a unique territory in terms of variety, climate and terroir, that Lombard wines will present themselves at Vinitaly Special Edition, scheduled in Verona October 17-19. The event represents an opportunity to once again present themselves to buyers, trade operators and journalists and to present with the consolidated formula of the Lombardy collective - which brings together institutions, consortia and producers - what the best can offer a territory that boasts as many as 90 percent of Quality Denomination wines, thanks to 5 DOCG, 21 Doc and 15 IGT.
Wine is the product that best represents a territory and can therefore be the symbol of economic recovery in sectors such as agriculture, tourism and trade fairs.said the Councillor for Agriculture, Food and Green Systems of the Province of Trento. Regione Lombardia Fabio Rolfi: Lombardy can boast a heritage of more than 90 cultivated grape varieties and a quality of wine that is increasingly known and appreciated worldwide. The challenge for the future is to explore new markets by telling the outside world about the indissoluble bond between wine and the territories of Lombardy, increasingly sustainable production techniques and the agricultural work behind a label. There is an increasing desire for Italy in the world and Vinitaly will be an exceptional opportunity for our producers who intend to consolidate the domestic market and make themselves known abroad.
Over the last year and a half, Italians have decisively opted for local tourism, which has proved to be a much appreciated choice that has also enabled Lombardy's wines to be rediscovered, comments Gian Domenico Auricchio, President of Unioncamere Lombardia. Particularly sought after were family-run businesses, those that promote indigenous grape varieties and quality denominations most representative of the link between wine and territory.
Wine tourism and new technologies in the vineyard
The forced pause in 2020 was put to good use by Lombardy 's extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit and companies to carry out research and adopt new tools to further increase quality levels. The more than 3,000 companies in the wine sector, a quarter of which are women-led, have enhanced biodiversity - by adopting production methods that reduce environmental impact - to adopt advanced tools to improve the quality of production, reduce the carbon footprint and optimise the use of resources, starting with water.
Thanks to the experiences of the last decade, Lombardy today represents a unique laboratory for agriculture 4.0 and the experimentation of new technologies applied to cultivation, with the aim of maintaining and increasing quality while respecting the environment. These experiences are often the result of collaboration between institutions, the business world, universities and research bodies active in the region, and wine-growing is one of the areas in which these synergies find their greatest expression. There are numerous examples: satellite analysis of grape quality and vintages, intelligent sensors in the vineyard to monitor sugars, acidity and grape ripening, drones to monitor plots of land, precision irrigation and even the analysis of individual clods of earth.
New: Master Classes on Lombardy's wines
organised by Ascovilo
It is no coincidence that at Vinitaly Special Edition, in the exhibition area financed and implemented under a programme agreement by Regione Lombardia and Unioncamere Lombardia, an ad hoc tasting area will be set up to host nine Master Classes organised by Ascovilo, the association of Lombardy Wine Consortia, to highlight the special features of individual products. This novelty, which will mark the three days of the event, will see experts of the calibre of Paolo Massobrio and Marco Gatti, journalists and food and wine critics, Marco Sabellico, editor of Gambero Rosso's Vini d'Italia guide, and Alberto Lupini, director of Italia a Tavola, conducting in-depth meetings.
We immediately found the right synergy with the Councillor for Agriculture of Regione Lombardia, explains Giovanna Prandini, President of Ascovilo, to support important projects such as this edition of Vinitaly which, although special, is the most important trade fair for our sector. We must start from here to face the new challenge of reconquering the market after Covid. Our main ambassadors, restaurateurs and wine shops, together with producers, have been through a difficult time and only in the unity of action can we find the key to a restart that is not just a rebound, but sincere and proactive so that in Lombardy, as in other regions, 0 km wine is the protagonist of the wine lists and the Lombard HoReCa offer.
Wine and milk, from which excellent dairy products such as Grana Padano, our project partner in measure 1144, derive, are the pillars of Lombardy's agro-food chain and for this reason we want them to be the protagonists not only at Vinitaly but also at other events, continues the President of Ascovilo, the project protagonist together with Consorzio Tutela Grana Padano. For this reason, at Vinitaly we organised nine joint tasting events with focus on territory and theme to explore all possible combinations, from the most classic and traditional to the most extreme, to surprise and stimulate the imagination of our restaurateurs. The success of the #iobevolombardo call for tender was extraordinary and we must start from there to offer restaurateurs training and commercial development projects in 2022 that enhance our excellence.
The consortia and the Verona programme
The consortia present at Vinitaly Special Edition are: Consorzio Tutela Lugana DOC, Consorzio di Tutela Moscato di Scanzo, Consorzio Tutela Vini Oltrepò Pavese, Consorzio Vini Mantovani, Consorzio Volontario Vino DOC San Colombano, Consorzio Vini IGT Terre Lariane, Consorzio Tutela Valcalepio, Consorzio di Tutela Vini di Valtellina, Consorzio Valtènesi, Consorzio Montenetto, Consorzio Valcamonica IGT, Consorzio Garda DOC.
Sunday 17 October | 11:30 - Bianco rosso rosè the colours of Lombardy's sparkling wines - With Marco Gatti
Discover the nuances of Lombardy's sparkling wines: golden hues, delicate pink notes and vermillion tones. A tasting that will touch on various Lombard territories.
14:30 - A white...Lombardy! -With Marco Gatti | Native and international varieties: a journey to understand the universe of white wines together.
16:30 - The geology of the Lombardy vineyard - With Paolo Massobrio
Wines from the different soils of Lombardy: mountains, hills, plains, rivers and lakes.
Monday, October 18 | 11:30 a.m. - Taste and discover Oltrepò Pavese - With Marco Sabellico. A journey into the multifaceted typicality dell’Oltrepò Pavese. A tasting of 6 types, to promote the Denominations of a territory DiVino since forever: an appointment that will put in the glasses theOltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG also in Rosé version, the Riesling, the Bonarda, the Pinot nero in red and the Sangue di Giuda, for a journey through the hills beyond the Po.
2:30 pm - A red...Lombard! -With Marco Gatti | Discovering the grapes and soils that originate different shades of red.
16:30 - Taste and discover Garda - With Marco Sabellico | The Garda appellations Colli mantovani, Garda, Lugana, San Martino, Valtènesi are told through their wines.
Tuesday, October 19 | 11:30 a.m. - Small Denominations, Great Wines - With Alberto Lupini | Lombardy, land of great wines and small, virtuous production niches, authentic pearls to be treasured.
2:30 pm - Taste and discover Valtellina - With Marco Sabellico | The Nebbiolo of the Alps: territory and climate change. A great mountain red wine, unique but universal, complex but not complicated. Fruit of several elements, in a northern territory crossed by a Mediterranean climate.
16:30 - Not all Lombards are in a hurry: red wines in aging - With Paolo Massobrio | The value of time explained in a tasting in which the great Lombard reds exalt their ability to cope with the passage of years.
Tastings paired with Grana Padano 12, 18 and 24 months.
For reservations: mailto segreteria@ascovilo.it
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