ViniVeri 2022: meeting again after two difficult years

Cerea's tasting is the most interesting among the ones dedicated to natural wines.  This year, in addition to the "political" novelty of Vodopivec and Sangiorgi's manifesto, there were some wines not to be missed.

From April 8 to 10 was held in Cerea the 17th edition of ViniVeri after two years of interruption due to pandemic. More than 100 exhibitors and a great turnout of visitors and operators. 

In my opinion, Cerea has for years been the most interesting event for artisan wines held in Italy, especially at a time when fairs of this type have multiplied exponentially. Great organization, but most of all clarity of intentions about the perspectives of a sector which is surely in great development, but where there are some shady and ambiguous areas. 

It is not for nothing that ViniVeri's president Paolo Vodopivec and journalist Sandro Sangiorgi thought it was necessary to underline, without mincing their words, the problems that the issue of "natural wines" is raising. Comments were numerous and immediate. There will be further discussions and polemics, but it will be better if it will help to make things clearer.

For those who did not follow the matter or read the manifesto The form and the substance, lights and shadows, we refer to the editorial of last week by director Daniele Cernilli, at this link. 

Here is a small miscellany of the most interesting wines tasted. 

Paolo Vodopivec gives us a version of Solo MM18 that takes Vitovska to levels hardly imaginable for character and elegance. From the north to the extreme south a Passito di Pantelleria 2014 by Ferrandes as good and fascinating as difficult to find. Then two very different nebbiolos but with an unmistakable personality: Cascina delle Rose's 2019 Barbaresco Rio Sordo and Antoniotti's 2018 Bramaterra. We continue with Piceno's Chateau Rayas, Oasi degli Angeli's 2018 Kupra. 

Among the novelties of this year a small winery from Sardinia, Cantine di Neoneli, which presented a battery of very good wines, territorial and technically well made. From Abruzzo a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Quarantacinque Selezione 2017 by Massetti winery, as impressive as well as balanced. From Latium come two wonderful reds which by now represent a real security: Habemus 2020 from San Giovenale and Cesanese del Piglio Priore Vignali 2020 from Visciola.