12th edition of Vino VIP Cortina

The two-day event organized by Civiltà del Bere is always interesting with its documentaries, emphasis on territory, international focus and, naturally, wine tastings.

The 12th edition of the Vino VIP was staged July 14 ad 15 at the Grand Hotel Savoia in Cortina. Civiltà del Bere organized the first event 24 years ago and every two years it has been repeated, with the sponsorship of the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, with the same enthusiasm.

Documentaries and market research

Many topics were tackled and the addresses were authoritative and rich in content. This included the documentary produced by the Inter-professional Fund for Agricultural Training (Foragri), Wine: the Eternal Quest for Excellence, which interviewed a variety of people in the wine world including Alessandro Torcoli, the director of Civiltà del Bere who contributed his face, voice and professionalism to the movie short. Luca Castagnetti gave an address on the study carried out by Centro Studi Management Divino entitled “The Variables of Success” that involved the 54 estates that participated in the walk-around tasting and concluded that successful estates were those that, among other things, create value over time, enhance the value of a territory and develop new talents.

Talk show

There was a lively discussion during the talk show “Between Desires and the Market”, coordinated by Davide Gaeta from Foragri (who was my professor and I continue to call his prof) and Andrea Torcoli, involving protagonists of interesting winemaking realities. Among these was that of Angela Velenosi who focused on a theme that has been central in many round tables and about which Vini Velenosi can be considered emblematic… territory! This is a theme that is gaining more attention and, in my modest opinion, knowing more about it and recognizing its value is a duty of all citizens.

The value of a territory can be found in its traditions, its history, its people, its agriculture, economy, past, present and future. Wine as a cultural asset thus becomes increasingly fascinating and profound, a key to understanding and rediscovery.

Khail Prize 2019

Every edition awards a prize to someone who has stood out in the world of wine and this year the Khail Prize 2019 was given to Piero Mastroberardino for his “tireless dedication to promoting quality Italian wine around the world. His dedication is wonderful indeed and many should follow his example.

Tasting delle Aquile

The two days of stimulating conversations was capped with a prize in itself… the celebrated Tasting delle Aquile (Eagle Tasting) held at 2,000m above sea level! The Faloria refuge was perfectly decked out for the walk-around wine tasting with a tasting itinerary which (allow me to be a bit polemic) many organizers of similar events “at sea level” should learn from. A total of 54 wineries participated, all with more than just one wine, and there was a rich buffet with products offered by one of the main sponsors of the event, La Cooperativa di Cortina (which is almost an institution).

Being in Faloria, aside from the altitude and temperature, is always an experience. It is an only the brave peak, practically a metaphor of life that reminds us that… what goes up must come down, and so remember to always drink responsibly.

One last thing: there was a very interesting side event during these two days: a tasting of the wines of André Tchelistcheff, but this will be the subject of another article.