Hurrah for FIVI

FIVI stands for the Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers and is the Italian chapter of CEVI, the European Confederation of Independent Winegrowers. It currently counts some 700 members, compared to 6,000 in the French chapter, and represents one of the main, if not the main talking partner for the government in regard to legislation concerning the wine sector. The president of FIVI is Costantino Charrere and his executive team includes Ampelio Bucci, Walter Massa, Matilde Poggi de la Franghe and Saverio Petrilli, people who need no introduction for wine lovers. On December 1 and 2, FIVI held a very interesting convention at the Fiera di Piacenza the highlight of which was a tasting that was organized in a way I think should set the standard for all tastings in the future. Behind the tasting tables producers personally explained their wines and sold them at reasonable prices, thanks to cutting out the middleman. In other words, straight from the producers to the consumer.

The event was called Mercato del Vino (Wine Market) and it was a big success with the public, although much less so for the press and media seeing how, aside from yours truly, there were very few wine journalists, bloggers and alike present. There was Nereo Pederzolli from RAI Trento, Fabio Giavedoni of Slow Food, a representative of the local AIS (Italian Sommeliers' Association) and few others. It was a shame, obviously for those who was not there. It was a fantastic experience to have a sneak, or almost, preview tasting of wines from over 200 exhibitors, real winemakers, and hearing what they had to say was a wake-up call in many ways. This because FIVI appears to be not just 'another' association but the only credible association of winegrowers that is only concerned with the wine-making sector and one that has a clear vision in regard to laws and regulations. It is not concerned with interests that are too local and has a set of standards and rules that all members must respect. This clearly establishes them as members of the winegrowers' community and not those, with all due respect, of merchants, industrial bottlers or cooperatives, that have different interests and objectives. We hope FIVI's numbers will grow because they represent the real backbone of the wine world in Italy and could become a constructive, intelligent and non-sectarian 'calming force' with ethical and not just economic interests. It should not be forgotten that, along with olive growers, they are the 'guardians of the landscape', in the front line against soil erosion and for water conservation, who strive for quality and represent more than anyone else the particular characteristics of our different wine-growing areas. It is my hope that Charrere and his team succeed in increasing FIVI's membership and, with their smiling faces and boundless passion, become the proud and true ambassadors of our best wines to the world.