Wine Idea's wine news for December 17, 2024!

1. The Year of Barbera: An Excellent Wine Under 20 Euros

Barbera is one of the most iconic wines of Piedmont and this year it seems to shine with its own light. There are various labels of great quality, even at affordable prices. According to Gambero Rosso, it is possible to choose an excellent Barbera for less than 20 euros, making it a perfect gift idea or a bottle to enjoy during the holidays without spending a fortune.

2. Highway Code: Wine in Barolo Restaurants

With the new, more severe rules on drinking and driving, there is fear of a drop in wine consumption in Barolo restaurants. The traditional five-glass tastings risk scaring customers, not all of whom are willing to pay for a private transport service. A situation that is alarming the food and wine sector of the Langhe, in the middle of the Christmas season and in an area where wine is the absolute protagonist of the tourist experience.

3. The value of agricultural land: a profitable investment

Farmland can be worth a lot of money, depending on its intended use and the quality of the soil. Not all land is the same: some are ideal for high-quality crops, others are less productive. From today, new evaluation criteria will influence prices, making investment choices more strategic. Those who intend to buy land will have to carefully evaluate the agronomic potential and geographical location.

4. The perfect Venetian wines for the holidays according to sommeliers

From sparkling wines to crisp whites, full-bodied reds to dessert wines, Veneto offers a wide range of wine choices ideal for Christmas and New Year's Eve. Sommeliers suggest labels from Valpolicella to Soave, from Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore to the reds of the Euganean Hills. The rich regional winemaking tradition guarantees a wide choice for toasting or for a quality wine gift.

5. The wine market: bubbles on the rise, but Gen Z ignores them

The Italian wine sector is declining, especially among young people, who consider wine unattractive, some even say “cringe”. Despite this, bubbles, especially Prosecco, keep the market lively with double-digit growth. According to Giampietro Comolli, founder of the Ovse-CevesUni Observatory, bubbles are the key to interpreting the present and future of Italian wine, but a cultural revival is needed to win back the new generations.

6. Masciarelli: new look for Rosato and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo

Masciarelli Tenute Agricole, a historic winery in Abruzzo, renews the image of its Rosato IGT and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo DOC wines. The bottles abandon traditional labels for a silkscreen print inspired by the region's uncontaminated nature, a tribute to biodiversity and sustainability, fundamental principles for the company led by Marina Cvetic.

7. Sparkling wines and evolving markets

The Italian Wine Observatory confirms: while still wines are suffering, sparkling wines are growing and driving exports. The billion bottles are approaching, with increasing turnover for sparkling wine producers and difficulties for producers of still wines. The key to success? The accessibility, freshness and captivating image of bubbles, capable of conquering consumers in Italy and abroad.

8. Alcohol Dealers: Antinori Opens a Glimmer of Hope

After the interest of Minister Lollobrigida, Piero Antinori, one of the most famous Italian producers, does not condemn dealcoholized wines a priori. According to Antinori, there could be a market space for wines with low or zero alcohol content, as long as they are of quality, thus offering an alternative to consumers who are more attentive to health or driving regulations.

9. Health and wine: masterclass in Santa Teresa Riva

In Santa Teresa Riva, the event “Salus per vinum” celebrated the wine culture and the protection of wine production. A thematic masterclass curated by AIS Taormina and Sicily, with the support of experts and sommeliers, illustrated the link between wine and health, highlighting how responsible consumption can be part of a balanced lifestyle.

10. Sicily in Sweet: triumph of wines and pastries in Taormina

“Sicilia in Dolce” ended in Taormina, an event dedicated to sweet wines, passito wines and Sicilian pastry specialties. Between masterclasses and tasting tables, over 50 wineries and 30 pastry shops offered a sensory journey into the island's food and wine excellence. A success that confirms the tourist and cultural potential of wine in Sicily.

11. The cultural importance of wine in Italy

No other drink is as closely linked to history, territory and conviviality as wine in Italy. Wine is not just a consumer product, but a ritual and a social and cultural value that spans generations. The wine industry, with its 40 Docg and 479 Doc, represents a heritage to be protected and promoted, an identity to draw from to look to the future with confidence.

12. The “Village Wine” in Monferrato

Between the two annual stages of Golosaria, “Il Vino del Villaggio” took place: a project conceived by Donato Lanati and Enosis together with Paolo Massobrio, which brought together 21 selected wineries from Monferrato, on a journey through local wine excellence. An opportunity to discover the oenological richness of the territory, celebrate local communities and prepare for the next “Gran Monferrato Capitale del Vino 2024”.

13th Conference “The Art of Wine” at Kruia Castle

“L'Arte del Vino” (The Art of Wine) was held at Kruja Castle, an oenological conference that brought together producers, experts and institutions to discuss the role of wine as an ambassador of the territory. The initiative, promoted by city councilor Mauro Bloise, was attended by the extraordinary commissioner of Arsac, Fulvia Caligiuri, and representatives of local administrations.

14. The challenge of viticulture in Palestine

In the West Bank, a small producer like Sari Khoury of Philokalia is betting on ancient native vines, trying to recover the prehistory of modern viticulture. Despite the difficult geopolitical context, Khoury shows that wine can be a means of culture, identity and resilience for a territory in continuous transformation.

15. Slow Wine Coalition: the Friends meeting

At the meeting with the Friends of the Slow Wine Coalition, we talked about projects, challenges, and changes in the sector, with an eye to the future and sustainability. A frank dialogue on the current crises, the decline of some markets, and the need to avoid losing productive hectares in the most suitable territories, addressing the complex situation with new tools.

16. Cantine di Verona: balance sheet down to 62.5 million

Cantine di Verona closes the 2023-24 financial year with a turnover of 62.5 million euros, down 6% on 2022-23, also due to lower grape deliveries due to adverse weather conditions. Despite the decline, the wine shops have increased volumes. The company is now aiming for innovative strategies to improve business practices and increase competitiveness.

17. Bagnoregio acquires the former Cantina Didattica

After years of waiting, the Municipality of Bagnoregio has acquired the former Cantina Didattica from the Provincial Administration with the aim of redeveloping it. The structure, located in a landscape area of great value, will be used for purposes of public interest, strengthening the tourist and cultural offering of the territory.

18. Wines from Cantina di Venosa: Aglianico del Vulture at the top

Cantina di Venosa celebrates a year full of awards for its Aglianico del Vulture, such as Gesualdo da Venosa. National and international awards certify the quality of Lucanian wines and strengthen their image in markets that are increasingly attentive to the value of typicality.

19. Cantina Produttori di Valdobbiadene relaunches with Rive Signature

In the heart of the Prosecco Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene denomination, Cantina Produttori di Valdobbiadene celebrates Val d'Oca with a new line, Rive Signature, an expression of individual “Rive” (cru) that maximize the hilly territory and the strength of the Glera grapes.

20. Industria Felix Award to Cantina Tollo

Cantina Tollo receives the High Balance Sheet Honor – Industria Felix Award, entering the ten most competitive Italian companies in the wine sector. An acknowledgement of the economic-financial solidity and the ability to preside over the markets with winning strategies, investing in quality and sustainability.

21. Architecture and Wine: Templum Award

On December 19, 2024, in the Sala della Protomoteca in Campidoglio, the Templum Award will be assigned to the best Italian architectural projects. An initiative that aims to enhance style, creativity and construction tradition, with a special focus on innovation and the agricultural-enological context.

22. Vinacria - Ortigia Wine Fest: working for the second edition

The first edition of Vinacria - Ortigia Wine Fest in Syracuse has ended, an event rich in content and discussion between producers, experts and enthusiasts. The organizers are already working on the second edition, with the aim of enhancing the Sicilian food and wine heritage, "beautiful, good and fair".

23. Lands of Tuscany: 140 wineries in Lido di Camaiore

The XVII edition of Terre di Toscana, scheduled for March 23-24, 2025 at the Hotel Una Esperienze Versilia Lido (Lucca), will host 140 winemakers. An unmissable event to discover the regional wine map, between historic denominations and new emerging territories, meetings with producers and tastings for enthusiasts and professionals.

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