HISTORICAL FAMILIES: THE 2024 PROGRAM OF ACTIVITIES CONTINUES IN SWITZERLAND AND GERMANY WITH MASTERCLASSES AND TASTINGS

As announced at Vinitaly, the program focusing on the German-speaking market for the autumn activities of Famiglie Storiche continues. The format that includes the Masterclass “Amarone Fine and Contemporary: exploring elegance in 2009 and 2019 vintages” and a walk around tasting, in fact, has been successfully exported to Switzerland and Germany . The two events, held on September 16 in Zurich and September 17 in Hamburg , saw the Famiglie Storiche association present itself to journalists and industry professionals, in collaboration with the magazines Vinum and Falstaff respectively. «Paying attention to Amarone means discovering a contemporary and refined wine, worthy of being considered a true “fine wine” - says president Pierangelo Tommasi - The German-speaking market is a very important reference. Switzerland is an important market for high-quality and collectible wines such as Amarone, thanks to its sophisticated winemaking culture and high purchasing power; Germany is a historically important market for Valpolicella wines, where Amarone remains known and appreciated for its unique history and contemporary style. The format, which includes the tasting of 13 Amarones , one for each historic family, to compare different expressions of the most famous wine of Valpolicella ten years apart, was warmly welcomed: both in Zurich , at the AMmeron Zürich Bellerive au Lac , and in Hamburg , at the Factory Hammerbrooklyn , in fact, the places for the masterclass were all sold out. Afterwards, the walk-around tastings involved buyers, operators in the sector and also the public in the final part of the events. Each winery offered three references of the denomination for tasting: in addition to Amarone, also Valpolicella, Valpolicella Ripasso and Recioto . The calendar does not end with the German trip, but also includes an important event on Monday 30 September with an incoming dedicated to the HoReCa world: restaurateurs and wine merchants from Lombardy will be guests at Villa Quaranta , on the hills of Valpolicella, and at the Antica Bottega del Vino in Verona. In this case, in collaboration with Nicola Frasson , a journalist for Gambero Rosso , the Amarone of 3 decades will be presented (the 1990s, early 2000s and the latest vintages). It will be a journey to discover how the style of Amarone has evolved over the years, remaining faithful to tradition, but always with an eye on contemporaneity. A truly intense month therefore for the association, also busy with the crucial phases of the 2024 harvest , characterized by high temperatures, with a particularly hot August that slowed down the phenological activity of the vine, causing a delay in the ripening of the grapes. However, with the arrival of the rains in September and the consequent drop in temperatures, the situation has stabilized with a good temperature range, which now favors optimal ripening of the grapes. "Overall, the year can be considered average, despite the yields being rather low. As for the grapes intended for the production of Amarone , it will be necessary to wait for the end of the drying process to express a definitive judgment. The wines will certainly reflect our territory and the climatic season. The work carried out in the countryside, as always, was fundamental for the vine to best express its potential" , concludes Pierangelo Tommasi . With these activities, Famiglie Storiche continues to promote the excellence of Amarone in strategic markets, strengthening the link between tradition and vision that characterizes its wines, with constant attention to the quality and authenticity of territorial roots.