THE FIRST PART OF THE FIRST EDITION OF THE BARBERA D'ASTI WINE FESTIVAL IS OVER: A WEEKEND FULL OF TALKS, MEETINGS, MUSIC FEATURING BARBERA AND MONFERRATO WINES

The first part of the rich program of the Barbera D'Asti Wine Festival, an event scheduled from September 6 to 15 in the heart of Monferrato, ended on Sunday.

The first three days of the Festival, organized under the artistic direction of Luciano Ferraro, deputy director of Corriere della Sera , Media Partner of the event , hosted leading personalities from the world of wine, art and business.

The first day of the Festival welcomed protagonists from the world of wine and beyond, such as comedian Neri Marcorè and entrepreneur Curtis Frasca, who spoke about his decision to move to Monferrato to become a wine producer, after a career as a record producer for stars like Madonna.

The first day ended with the talk entitled “What is the value of luxury”, moderated by the journalist Isidoro Trovato, which featured Andrea Barzagli , co-founder of the Le Casematte agricultural company, Danilo Guerrini , General manager of Borgo San Felice Resort and delegate of Relais & Château Italia, and Philippe de Lur Saluces , producer of Sauternes and owner of the Chateau de Fargues estate.

On Saturday, the talks at Palazzo del Michelerio saw the presence of prestigious guests such as Cristina Mercuri , wine educator and founder of Mercuri Wine Club, Francesca Poggio , Vice President of the Le Donne del Vino association, and Tinto Prudente , television and radio host.

The intervention of the writer Stefania Auci was highly anticipated by the public, who told the story of her best sellers and how a novel can promote a territory by narrating the stories of its protagonists: “ I am very happy to have participated in the first edition of the Barbera D'Asti Wine Festival in the wonderful setting of Palazzo Michelerio. I believe that writing and literature can tell the story of a territory by exalting its peculiarities, traditions, excellence and great stories that are the founding roots of our culture. ”

Saturday ended with the sarcastic humor of Diego Parassole , a comic actor who involved the audience in an exciting show through the combination of comedy and scientific content.

The third and final day of this first part of the Festival opened with a talk entitled “Harmonies of the Landscape: vines, architecture and humanity” by Corriere della Sera journalist Roberta Scorranese , which featured photographer Guido Harari , entrepreneur Alessio Planeta and architect Filippo Bricolo , who at the end of his speech declared: “ I believe that the cellar is increasingly becoming a different place, capable of transfiguring meaning into something visible. The space must tell the story of the wine by creating a sensory experience that envelops all the senses. ”

The audience participation was very warm at Giorgio Conte 's speech, who, during the talk with the journalist Roberta Scorranese, talked about his childhood in Asti and his relationship with the territory and music: " In my life good food, good music and good wine have played a very important role, I consider myself a gourmet and a person who knows how to recognize a good wine from a bad one. If I had to give a song title to this thought of mine it would be: Barbera... a lady to cultivate ".

The event ended with applause from a large audience that attended the show by comedian Leonardo Manera , known to the public for his characters brought to the screen during the show Zelig.

There was also space for music and art with concerts by artists much loved by the public such as Nicola Conte , NAIP and Alejandra Arzola who entertained the public over the three evenings in the fascinating courtyard of Palazzo Alfieri, embellished for the occasion by the giant works of CrackingArt .

Vitaliano Maccario , President of the Consortium , highlighted the historical importance of the event: " This first edition of the Barbera D'Asti Wine Festival represents an unmissable opportunity to exalt and celebrate Barbera, the emblem of our territorial identity. I thank the guests for having accepted the invitation to bring to the stage of Palazzo Michelerio themes related to the theme of wine but through a different perspective such as: communication, literature, architecture, music and comedy. I am certain that these events are crucial to publicizing a territory rich in traditions, history and excellence such as Monferrato. ".

Luciano Ferraro stated: “ The idea of the Barbera D'Asti Wine Festival is to bring together the story of wine with that of its territory through different artistic forms. Wine is a container of cultures, which is why it has been combined with music, literature, comedy, photography and architecture ”.

The event, curated by the Consorzio Barbera D'Asti e Vini Monferrato, continues from 9 to 15 September in the spaces of Palazzo Michelerio and Palazzo Alfieri with masterclasses held by important national and international speakers such as: Andrea Gori, Aldo Fiordelli, Marco Sabellico, Gianni Fabrizio, Costantino Gabardi, Riccardo Cotarella, Veronika Crecelius, Andrea Radic, Paolo Porfidio, Othmar Kiem, Jeffrey Porter who will explore the various aspects of Barbera every day.

In addition to the talks, local producers will be the protagonists of the tasting tables, offering participants the opportunity to taste and discover the richness of the territory through its wines. For more information on the program and tickets, visit the Consortium website or the Eventbrite page.