Wine Tasting - Wine Tours in Italy

Italian Scientists are close to completing the first map of the genetic identity of a vine variety.
Researchers from San Michele all’Adige Institute, in Trentino Alto-Adige, together with Myriad Genetics in the US, have decoded the of Pinot Noir vine.

The discovery, if confirmed, could have major implications on vine growing by allowing the development of vines better adapted to difficult climatic conditions.

Project director Riccardo Velasco explained:

“Now that we have the wine genome in hand, exploration can proceed scientifically and rapidly.” (Source)

This is the first time the genome for a fruiting plant has been determined and San Michele all’Adige institute intends to make the genome freely available to the international scientific community.

Wine Tour Cup, Golf Tournament for amateurs taking place in Italy, will kick off on Sunday March 26, in Verona.

Main feature of this sport event, is the pairing with the wine.
Wine is the sponsor of the tournament and most part of greens where the competitions will take place are located alongside the main wine roads of Italy.

Wine Tour Cup was designed to promote the wine tourism in Italy, by drawing, among the 6,5 millions of European players, those who are wine and Italy enthusiasts.

The tournament gives both players and theirs families more than an option to spend week-end and week-long, in the finest countryside areas of Italy such as Piedmont, Veneto, and Tuscany.
Wine Tour Cup will end in November.

The wine travel industry turn over in 2005 in Italy was 2,5 billion euro, a figure that is expected to grow in the next years.

According to a study by ACNielsen, wines with fun labels, such as those depicting animals, have an positive impact on sales.
This wine marketers’ trend is known as the “critter label”; 18 percent of new table wine brands with sustained consumer sales introduced in the past three years, featured a “critter” on the label.

Danny Brager, vice president of ACNielsen’s Beverage Alcohol team, says:
“The sales generated by new brands featuring a critter outperform other new table wines by more than two to one.”
He explains:
“there is a segment of consumers who don’t want to have to take wine too seriously. Not only are they willing to have fun with wine, they may just feel ‘good’ about an animal label presentation.” (Source)

From this research emerges the difference among consumers from US and from countries with an ancient tradition of wine-drinking, such as Italy or France. There is no doubt that similar wine marketing strategies would fail in societies where the wine is so strongly linked to history, culture, and local traditions.

On Thursday, March 23, in Roma will be held tasting sessions of Prosecco di Valdobbiane.

The wine is from Cantina Produttori di Valdobbiadene and will be paired with a sampling of goose dishes.

The event, entitled “Oca Val d’Oca”, is sponsored by Slowfood and will be hosted from three enoteche in Roma: Bulzoni - viale Parioli 34, Costantini - piazza Cavour 16, and Buccone - via Di Ripetta 19.
Schedule: 4PM - 8PM

For more details visit Slow Food Roma

The smaller Italian region, Aosta Valley (Valle d’Aosta), will host an international conference series on Mountain viticulture, on March 17 and 18.

The event, entitled “Primo Congresso Internazionale sulla Viticoltura di Montagna e in Forte Pendenza” will treat issues relating to the viticulture on mountain slopes.

Mountain viticulture as practiced today in Italy, plays a crucial role for tourism and for what concerns wildlife and environmental protection issues in mountain areas; furthermore, mountain wine makers are able to produce high quality wines.

In this 2 days conference series, many aspects of mountain viticulture will be covered, with wine makers and experts coming from all over the world who will have also a chance to know better Aosta Valley, this alpine Italian region, where vineyards can grow at altitude up to 1,200 mt.

CERVIM (Centro di Ricerche, Studi, Salvaguardia, Coordinamento e Valorizzazione per la Viticoltura Montana) is sponsoring the event.