Let’s start again!
The Slow Wine Fair, closing its third edition just last week, was once again an opportunity for us to meet with other producers and the many wine professionals present.
It was an opportunity to meet again and again, to share experiences and stimuli for an increasingly attentive and sustainable wine world.
Around 1,000 exhibitors from all regions and 27 countries, including Germany, Croatia, Austria, France, Australia, Mexico, Japan and South Africa and others, were present in the halls of BolognaFiere. Visitors were able to explore Italian and international wine-growing traditions, discover new flavours and deepen their knowledge of the world of wine, with an eye always turned to the future and to increasingly sustainable agriculture. The thousand exhibitors are winegrowers and vignerons who adhere to the Manifesto of Good, Clean and Fair Wine and are part of the Slow Wine Coalition, the international network promoting a sustainable production system, the defence of the landscape and the social, cultural and economic growth of the countryside.
Also present at the Slow Wine Fair for the first time were a number of regional agencies (including Agenzia Laore Sardegna) for the promotion and valorization of the wines of our territory. In the area dedicated to Sardinia, in addition to the companies present at the event, other regional products, including numerous Slow Food Presidia, are the protagonists. Not only wine, therefore, but also oil, cured meats, breads and cheeses along with other regional gastronomic specialities.
One of the most significant aspects of the Slow Wine Fair 2024 was the emphasis on sustainability, which was also clearly outlined during the masterclasses and conferences.
Indeed, wine, thanks to its deep territorial and cultural roots, its history and presence in many countries, can be an important testimonial of this new agriculture, and the data on the growth of hectares planted with organic vines prove it: certified organic in Italy is 19% of the area planted with vines, with an overall growth of 145% in the last decade.
We at Cantina Berritta, winemakers since three generations, also made the decision to convert all our vineyards to the organic model without hesitation, to carefully preserve what we have received as a gift from nature: a pact with future generations and a constant commitment to those who choose our wines. Our winery is located in the heart of the Cannonau Classico area, specifically in the Oddoene valley in Dorgali. In an outstanding and beautiful natural setting, we cultivate our vines using traditional methods, respectful of this particularly suitable place, where soil and microclimate give our products elegance and typicality.
We therefore had the opportunity to explore new and innovative approaches to wine production, meet producers who are experimenting with indigenous or new grape varieties, innovative winemaking techniques and more conscious approaches to wine marketing. This helped us to better understand emerging trends in the industry and explore new opportunities for our business.
The winegrowers present at the Slow Wine Fair are witnesses to a possible alternative model, of work that respects the soil and the vocation of the land: “These winemakers have long made a precise choice,” says Giancarlo Gariglio, coordinator of the Slow Wine Coalition and editor of the Slow Wine guide, “which goes in the direction of drastically reducing or completely eliminating synthetic chemicals. Furthermore, they use environmental resources in a conscious and sustainable manner, they are the mirror of the terroir they come from, whose biodiversity they preserve, and they are engines of social growth of the respective communities they belong to’.
We would therefore like to thank the organisers of the Slow Wine Fair 2024 for creating an inspiring and meaningful event, for the space to share a common passion for wine, sustainability and innovation in the Italian wine sector.
We are grateful and look forward to meeting you again at the next edition of the Slow Wine Fair.