The wine news for Tuesday 2 July 2024:

Good morning, wine lovers!

Record edition of Liguria da bere: 15 thousand tastings in three days. The XVII edition of 'Liguria da Bere' in La Spezia recorded a record of 15 thousand tastings between 28 and 30 June 2024. Thanks to the Slesh system, waiting in line was reduced. The event, with over 60 stands and 200 labels, was a success, partly thanks to the festive atmosphere of the athletics championships hosted in La Spezia.

Mueller Thurgau, a major gold medal for the first time. At the 21st edition of the exhibition/competition dedicated to Mueller Thurgau, 12 of the 18 total medals went to Cembran wines. An absolute winner is an MT with 10 years of bottle aging, demonstrating the quality of the viticulture of the porphyry valley along the Avisio.

"For winemakers, explanting is not the solution." Matilde Poggi says no to the measure that divides European viticulture. Matilde Poggi, president of Cevi, will participate in the EU Commission in September to discuss the eradication of the plants and the next CAP. Poggi will represent small independent producers, defending the plurality of points of view and the winemaking identity of the area.

At the Barbera Sei Castelli winery you can find “The Soul of wine”. The “The Soul of Wine” exhibition inaugurated in Castelnuovo Calcea, with Barbera vine strains transformed into works of art by Ezio Ferraris. The project, in the renovated headquarters of the Barbera Sei Castelli winery, is testimony to the success of the winemaking cooperation.

Cantina in Festa: an experience of taste and music among the vineyards. On the Bolognese Hills, the Agrivar agricultural company of Palazzo di Varignana organizes special evenings among vineyards, excellent gastronomy and music. Don't miss the next events at La Cantina via Ca' Masino in Castel San Pietro Terme.

The 8 Italian restaurants with the best cellars according to «Wine Spectator». In the «Wine Spectator» 2024 ranking, numerous Italian restaurants were awarded for their excellent wine lists. There are three categories: Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence and Grand Award, with the latter reserved for cellars with at least 1000 labels.

“Pordenonelegge in the cellar” with Alessia Gazzola, Maurizio di Giovanni and Ilaria Tuti. From 19 July to 2 August, "Pordenonelegge in the cellar" returns with meetings between detective novels and conviviality. The writers Maurizio di Giovanni, Ilaria Tuti and Alessia Gazzola participate, hosted by three wineries in the Pordenone area.

This is how the vine is, take on the Endrizzi winery: passion, tradition and land. The docufilm “Così è la vite” by Katia Bernardi tells the story of the Endrici family and the Endrizzi winery. The film explores the generational change and celebrates the 140 years of history of the winery, founded in 1885 by brothers Angelo and Francesco Endrici.

Saturday 6 July in Arpino “Le Cantine d'estate”. The VII edition of "Le Cantine d'Estate" will be held in Arpino on 6 July 2024. The event offers an evening of tastes, flavours, music, markets and good wine, organized by the Arco Asd District Association with the collaboration of the Municipality of Arpino and the Pro Loco.

To (re)discover the producers of Ronchi Varesini. Ronchi Varesini wine production was reborn at the end of the 1990s. Marco Visconti, president of the Varesini Winemakers Association, celebrates the success of this winemaking tradition with 9 producers gathered at Cascina Ronchetto in Morazzone.

Wine suffers from competition from other drinks. But away from home, a must for Italians, continues. Bruna Boroni of TradeLab states that wine maintains an important role in out-of-home consumption, especially among young people. Bubbles and “no and low alcohol” wines are growing, representing an opportunity to be seized.

Street Wine Garda, “made in Veneto” wine is the protagonist. Street Wine Garda offers a weekend of tastings of local wines and gastronomic specialties. With 15 euros you can buy 8 tokens to spend at the stands to taste wines from the hilly Gardesana and Mantovani areas.

What if the wine of the summer was Lambrusco? Here are the 10 you need to try. Lambrusco, ideal for summer, was the protagonist of the World Lambrusco Day in Matera. Giacomo Savorini, director of the Lambrusco Protection Consortium, promotes this fresh and versatile wine, born from the merger of various protection consortia.

MGA and UGA: what future for Italian wine. After having talked about the MGA (Additional Geographical Mentions) of Barolo, today we delve into the Italian situation of this "small silent revolution". MGAs represent a challenge for the Italian wine sector, offering new opportunities to distinguish local productions and improve the perceived quality of wines.

Italy's organic wine challenges Eastern Europe: strategic partnership between MDM Wine Group and CaesarNet. The wine sector faces challenges related to pollution, drought and climate change. However, new sustainable production technologies are emerging. MDM Wine Group has partnered with CaesarNet to address these challenges, signaling a trend towards more sustainable and technologically advanced viticulture.

Italy triumphs at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2024: six Italian wines among the best in the world. Italy obtained six “Best in Show” labels at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2024, confirming its excellence in the global wine scene. Among the winners, the Barolo Bricco San Pietro from the Broccardo company stands out, an authentic expression of the Monforte d'Alba terroir.

Wine exists thanks to dinosaurs: a new study proves it. A study published in Nature Plants revealed fossil vine seeds dating back 60-19 million years, found in Colombia, Panama and Peru. These seeds offer new perspectives on the spread of the vine family after the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Harvard University: here's how big data can help the world of wine. During the conference "Wine to Mind: Decanting Wine's Future with Data Science & AI" at Harvard University, the usefulness of big data in wine analysis was discussed. Xiao-li Meng, a Harvard professor, highlighted how data analysis can help understand the complex variables that influence wine production.

Prosecco locomotive of Italian wine. Also thanks to a promotion that never stops. Prosecco continues to drive Italian exports, reaching 1.6 billion euros in 2023 and 368 million euros in the first quarter of 2024. The incessant promotion in the USA, Asia and Europe, led by the consortia of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Docg and Prosecco Doc, is a key factor in this success.

Vernaccia “rebel queen” of Tuscan wines: our tastings of the 2023, 2022 and 2021 vintages. The city of San Gimignano hosted the second edition of the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Fest, where the 2023, 2022 and 2021 vintages were presented. The event offered visitors the opportunity to explore the area and learn more about Vernaccia, a symbol of Tuscan identity and culture.

The Garda DOC Consortium at Street Wine Garda. From 6 to 8 July, Street Wine Garda will see the participation of the Garda DOC Consortium. Piano, violins and DJ sets will accompany the tastings of varietal wines and sparkling wines from the Denomination on the Regina Adelaide lakefront.

Sixty years of Ruchè. The Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG celebrates sixty years thanks to the rediscovery of the parish priest Don Giacomo Cauda. The Vigna del Parroco wine, coming from the only Cru of the denomination, continues to represent an oenological pearl of Monferrato.

The “Notes of Grappa” resonate in Santa Messere. “Notes of Grappa, Jazz and Cocktails in Santa Messere” combines live music and tastings of Trentino grappa. The event, supported by the Trentino Grappa Protection Institute and Slow Food, offers a sensorial journey between traditional distillation and the creativity of mixology.

Müller Thurgau, a great gold medal for the first time. The 21st edition of the Müller Thurgau International Wine Competition awarded twelve labels from Trentino, two from South Tyrol and four from Germany. The competition saw high quality production with scores between 85.7 and 90.7.

Thanks for listening, we remind you that today's wine press review was offered by the WINE-IDEA Team.

See you tomorrow!