Bye bye Vinitaly

Many people criticise Vinitaly, preferring alternative events that take place on the same days of the fair in Verona. For this reason, when summing up the four days of the event, a total of 36 hours, it is necessary to make a premise: which other fairs manage to group over 4 thousand exhibitors in the world of oenology? After all, if in 48 edition Vinitaly has reached such incredible numbers, it means the strength of this festival are indeed its numbers. And critics should be asked only to respect the many, very many serious producers who have taken part, once again, in the event in Verona.

Those who believe Vinitaly is simply a popular feast in which professionals, journalists, enthusiasts and simple “hard drinkers” mix together, are mistaken. There are excesses, it is impossible to deny it (we’re not blind) and there are mistakes, even on behalf of the event organisers – this can happen. But most of all there are good wines produced by serious producers who use the Venetian pavilions as a great global display.

The numbers: over 4 days, 155,000 people arrived in Verona, with a 6% increase versus last year. The truth: the average quality of the wines is growing, because importers and distributors certainly do not let inviting girls in mini-skirts or psychedelic stands trick them.

We have previously written about our tastings. We would like to add some trivia, such as the Prosecco 0.5 of La Pria: they wanted to produce a non-prosecco, presenting a sparkling wine with typical Prosecco aromas but with a dryness that is hard to compare. Another peculiar wine is Taersìa, by winery Duca Carlo Guarini: it is the first vintage to be on sale and it’s based on Negramaro, yet vinified as a white wine, rich in freshness and sapidity and which, for this reason, can only grow.

Finally, Castel Juval’s white wines from Alto Adige remain a certainty: this winery honestly never makes a mistake: their rieslings are impressive. However, in this case, perhaps we’re not discovering anything new. But there are also some things that are no good. For instance, the closure, every now and then, of the Palaexpo, the area hosting Lombardy, during the “hot” days of Sunday and Monday. Of course there have been security reasons because of the overcrowding, we do not question this, however producers waiting for importers and sellers who, perhaps, were stopped at the entrance, were certainly not pleased.

Once again, but this is no news, the guys in shorts who were “collected” in pitiful conditions, along the corridors leading to the exit were a failure. The question is: how did they get inside? Can one believe that they have spent 50 euros (50 euros is hardly a small sum) to access the fair?

Finally, the final trash. There are people who enter the fair during its last hours and empty out the left overs left in the stands, in a sort of improvised demijohns, divided according to colour: red wines on one side, white ones on the other. But even young people who finish off the last content of the bottles, drinking from the bottle itself, regardless of the fact it’s Barolo or vinegar. Again: how did they get inside?

See you in 2015: we will start earlier, on March 22nd. Following this approach, we’ll end up celebrating Christmas in Verona. Perhaps with a pandoro.