Vivite a satisfying debut

The titol refers to the extraordinary success of the Vi.Vite event organized in Milan by the Alleanza delle Cooperative del vino (Alliance of wine cooperatives).  

Last November 25 and 26, Milan’s Museum of Science, on via Olona, hosted the first edition of Vivite, an event organized by the Alliance of Wine Cooperatives which turned out to be quite a success with the public. Aside from the four seminars I conducted, which fortunately were attended in full, there were dozens of guided theme wine tastings, informal discussions and general wine and food tastings. Everything took place in a relaxed atmosphere that was not excessively technical and certainly not self-promotional.

Evidence of the event’s success was the high number of young people under 30 who attended and not only had fun but also learned about wine and even partied well into the night, thanks to the music that was provided. Wine was discussed in a different way with an attempt to explain it using understandable technical language and offering simple, scientific facts.

Judging by the reactions in the social media, Vivite was a success, a great start for an event that will be repeated next year. Over 150 cooperatives from all over Italy offered their best wines, some of which were truly surprising and many had an excellent quality/price ratio. Two of them stood out for me because of how well they were made, how easy they were to drink and how affordable they were. Both were reds, both were from 2016 and both were made without using wood.

The first was Colli Perugini Secondoatto from Cantina Sasso dei Lupi in Marciano and is a blend of mostly Sangiovese with a small addition of Merlot. Drinking it I realized I could drink it by the bucket because of how pleasing, immediate and fragrant it was. This is a simple wine that anyone can understand.

The second wine was Chianti Montespertoli from Cantina dei Colli Fiorentini, a 100% Sangiovese with aroma so typical of the varietal that it could be used as a textbook.

At the winery it can be purchased for around five euros, obviously more retail, which is not much at all.