In 2024: 38 international events, 120 inspections, 4 training courses and incoming and promotional activities.

Novella Pastorelli “Primitivo di Manduria will continue to be the protagonist of a story that intertwines territory, tradition and innovation. A narrative that the Consortium is proud to share with the entire world”.

2024 was a year full of milestones for the Consorzio di Tutela del Primitivo di Manduria, which confirms its role as a protagonist in the promotion of one of the symbolic wines of the Apulian territory. A path made of promotion, protection and innovation, with an eye always turned to the future and the challenges of a constantly evolving market.

Primitivo di Manduria has traveled far this year, making itself appreciated as always in Italy and abroad. No less than 38 international events have seen the Consortium as a protagonist in strategic markets such as Germany, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Poland. Each event has been an opportunity to tell the uniqueness of the Dop Manduria by bringing it to the attention of an increasingly large and passionate public.

“Among the most significant moments – explains Novella Pastorelli, president of the Consortium for the Protection of Primitivo di Manduria – was the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the DOC, which took place during the 56th edition of Vinitaly through masterclasses and conferences. Moments that not only consolidated the prestige of the denomination but also reaffirmed the value of Primitivo di Manduria as a national cultural heritage. Another important stage was that of Venice, a city that is a symbol of art and luxury, where, in the historic location of the Casino, we had the honor of presenting our wine in a highly prestigious international context. To complete this visibility strategy, advertising on national television networks and in the airports of Brindisi, Bari and Milan Malpensa, which further strengthened the image of the Dop Manduria as an ambassador of Made in Italy”.

Not just international events. This year, the Consortium hosted eight internationally renowned journalists from countries such as Korea, the USA, Singapore and Canada. Thanks to the collaboration with Gambero Rosso International, the guests explored the territory, visited the member wineries and discovered the beautiful landscapes. An initiative that helped strengthen the bond between territory and wine, telling a story of excellence that goes beyond the bottle.

The surveillance and protection of Primitivo di Manduria are one of the main priorities of the Consortium, which has invested considerable resources to guarantee the quality and authenticity of the wine, while protecting the brand and its denomination. The Consortium has implemented a proactive and widespread approach through the training of internal staff, preparing them to take on the role of surveillance agents.

Thanks to this strategy, 120 samplings were carried out on an international and online scale, demonstrating the commitment to continuous and widespread surveillance. This year, the inspectors were present in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Poland and Italy, monitoring the market positioning of Primitivo di Manduria bottles and online channels to prevent fraud and protect the quality of the product.

“The protection and supervision of the Primitivo di Manduria brand are a fundamental aspect of our activity – states Pastorelli – that the Consortium has always approached with great seriousness and determination. Over the years, we have undertaken numerous opposition actions against the improper use or unauthorized imitations of our brand in various international markets. In the past, we have taken legal action in Turkey, Germany, Vietnam, Chile, China and Italy to protect the authenticity and prestige of our denomination. We await the official outcome but our commitment continues with determination. Defending the brand is essential to protect companies and safeguard the end consumer”.

2024 also saw a significant focus on training . Courses were organized for members on fundamental topics such as bottle labeling according to the new EU Regulation, phytosanitary defense and the different species of leafhoppers. At the beginning of 2025, a special focus will be dedicated to Neuro Selling and Neuro Marketing with Professor Vincenzo Russo, Professor of Consumer Psychology and Neuromarketing at the Free University of Languages and Communication IULM in Milan, who will guide participants on a journey through consumer psychology and innovative sales techniques.

“The future of the Consorzio di Tutela del Primitivo di Manduria is already in full swing,” Novella Pastorelli enthusiastically states. “In the first months of 2025, we will be present at prestigious international food and wine events, such as Wine Paris 2025, Food Expo Greece in Athens and ProWein in Düsseldorf. These will be perfect opportunities to let the world know about the uniqueness of our wine, which embodies all the strength and history of our territory.”

Looking to the future, Pastorelli underlines an ambitious goal: “The vinification of Primitivo di Manduria DOC Rosato represents an important challenge that aims to diversify and enrich our offer, keeping the values of tradition intact”.

“This year’s balance sheet – he concludes – is not only a celebration of the goals achieved, but above all a springboard towards new horizons and new challenges. Primitivo di Manduria will continue to be the beating heart of a story that intertwines territory, tradition and innovation. It is a narrative that we are proud to share with the world”.

455 hectares of vineyards, 14 new associated producers bringing the group to 85 and an expected growth in sales of over 10%.

SAVE THE DATE : March 10, 2025 The First of the Alta Langa in Turin.

2024 was a year of growth for the Alta Langa Consortium, which strengthened its role in the Italian sparkling wine scene. A rich agenda of events and collaborations consolidated the positioning of the Alta Langa as a symbol of quality, innovation and tradition.

The most important moments of 2024

• January : The Consortium opened the year with a tasting bench at Grandi Langhe in Turin, an ideal opportunity to consolidate relationships with professionals and operators in the sector.
• February : The volume “Alta Langa: the story of a denomination” was presented to members, an in-depth study dedicated to the history and characteristics of the classic method Alta Langa DOCG.
• March : The sixth edition of La Prima dell’Alta Langa, at the Teatro Regio in Turin, saw an extraordinary participation of Horeca operators and the press. During the event, the oenologist Donato Lanati led two masterclasses on long refinements.
• April : During the Milan Design Week, Alta Langa was the protagonist alongside Italdesign for the launch of the “Asso di Picche” prototype, an example of how Piedmontese savoir faire can combine design and taste.
• Spring : The Consortium toasted at important events such as Vinum Alba and the twentieth anniversary of the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo.
• June : Alta Langa Roma, the great tasting event at Palazzo Brancaccio, was the highlight of the month, bringing the denomination to Rome with 30 producers. Among the June events, also Rose and Rosé in Bossolasco, which celebrated the territory through a refined meeting between nature and tradition. At the end of the month, the Consortium received the Ancalau “Lavoro & Ambiente” Award in Bosia, recognition for its commitment to the progress of the territory. Technical training meetings in the oenological and viticultural fields for the Consortium members have begun.
• September : Alta Langa DOCG participated in Abruzzo in Bolla and Terra Madre, where a dedicated corner allowed people to discover the high-quality Piedmontese bubbles. The two annual stages of “Alta Langa DOCG: Soul of a Territory”, the format created by the Consortium for the Horeca world, took place in Bologna and Florence. Furthermore, the Consortium toasted the New Year of the Alba White Truffle on the night of September 30, for the start of the hunting season in Piedmont.
• October, November and December : Alta Langa DOCG accompanied prestigious events such as the inauguration of the Opera and Ballet Season of the Teatro Regio in Turin, the Alba International White Truffle Fair and Buonissima Torino. Among the novelties of the year, the launch of the distinctive “Alta Langa Frappeuse”, created in exclusive collaboration with Italdesign.

A positive balance and a look to the future

2024 closes with significant results: 455 hectares of vineyards, 14 new associated producers that bring the group to 85 and an expected growth in sales of over 10%. A year that combined innovation and valorization of traditions, confirming the role of Alta Langa DOCG as a symbol of sparkling wine excellence at a national level.

The First of Alta Langa 2025

The date chosen for the annual event of the Alta Langa Consortium is Monday, March 10, 2025, in Turin . It will be the seventh edition of the great tasting of all the cuvées on the market of the Consortium members. In January, registrations for the Horeca public and for journalists will open on the institutional website.

“ The goals achieved this year – underlines the president Mariacristina Castelletta – are the result of a shared commitment: producers, partners and an ever-increasing number of supporters and enthusiasts who accompany us in taking the Alta Langa DOCG further and further, without ever losing sight of our values and our identity ”.

THE ALTA LANGA CONSORTIUM

The Alta Langa Consortium was founded in 2001, after many years of in-depth, methodical and documented research and studies on the area’s vocation. It brings together passionate and far-sighted winemakers and producers who, driven by great Piedmontese pride, founded and grew this young denomination but with deep roots that sink into history and the territory. The great challenge that unites everyone is to produce a necessarily important wine, which will not be ready for six years after the vineyards are planted.

To date, the Consortium has more than 80 sparkling wine producers and 90 associated winemakers.

Since 2022, the president of the Consortium is Mariacristina Castelletta , the vice-president is Giovanni Carlo Bussi .

The Consortium boasts a long-standing partnership with the International Alba White Truffle Fair , of which it is the Main Sponsor and the Alta Langa DOCG Official Sparkling Wine , and with the Slow Food world, in particular with the Wine Bank and the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo ;   The Consortium is also a technical partner of the Teatro Regio in Turin .

ALTA LANGA DOCG

Alta Langa DOCG has the honour of representing the first classic method in Italy, born in Piedmont in the mid-1800s .

The denomination obtained the DOC in 2002 and the maximum qualitative recognition of the DOCG in 2011, today it has a production of over three million bottles.

Alta Langa Docg is made with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, pure or mixed in variable percentages; it can be white or rosé, brut or pas dosé and has very long aging times on the yeasts, as required by the strict regulations: at least 30 months. The distinctive feature of Alta Langa is that it is an exclusively vintage sparkling wine, that is, the fruit of a single harvest: each bottle always has the year of the grape harvest on the label, inextricably linked to the particular characteristics of that specific harvest. It is produced in a hilly area (over 250 meters above sea level) that encompasses the provinces of Asti, Cuneo and Alessandria: a land that looks at the snow-capped peaks of the Alps and breathes the sea and that collects the legacy preserved by our ancestors, kept intact for a long time without undergoing radical transformations, as instead happened in the lower hills. The Alta Langa is a precious territory, to be supported, where biodiversity is safeguarded. A literary land, an extraordinary land of resistance – of wars and cultures -, which has faced changes and supported them without losing its baggage of memories and its strong identity.

Alta Langa obtained the DOC in 2002 and the DOCG in 2011

The Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato Consortium is preparing to conclude an extraordinary 2024, animated by a busy calendar of events that has brought the Monferrato wine excellences to Italy and the world.

An intense and milestone-rich year comes to a close for the Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato Consortium , which in 2024 brought the winemaking excellence of Monferrato to new levels of visibility and appreciation, both in Italy and abroad. With a calendar of events that combined promotion, culture and tasting, the Consortium consolidated the role of Barbera d’Asti and its denominations as a symbol of quality and authenticity. The flagship of its activities was the first edition of the Barbera D’Asti Wine Festival , held in Asti in September, which involved wine enthusiasts, industry professionals and personalities from the world of culture and art. Famous personalities from the world of literature, wine and music such as the writer Stefania Auci, journalists and critics such as: Jeff Porter, Aldo Fiordelli, Veronika Crecelius, Othmar Kiem and the singer-songwriter Giorgio Conte told their stories and their vision of the world of wine with a particular focus on Barbera and the territories of Monferrato.

“ This first edition of the Barbera D’Asti Wine Festival represented an unmissable opportunity to exalt and give the right importance to Barbera, the emblem of our territorial identity ,” declared Vitaliano Maccario, president of the Consortium . “ We will certainly propose this event again next year, which aims to make this grape variety increasingly famous and to become a point of reference for experts and wine lovers eager to taste the best Barberas. ”

2024 saw the Consortium as a protagonist not only at a national level, but in some of the most important markets in the world, through participation in top-level events, including the Barbera Fish Festival in Oslo, which, in March, celebrated the tenth anniversary of a historic union between Barbera and cod with walk-around tastings and two masterclasses. In the same period, Holland and Belgium hosted, with great success, Monferrato Identity , during which hundreds of operators and enthusiasts were able to discover the excellence of the territory. Not only Europe but also the United States and Canada saw Barbera and the wines of Monferrato as protagonists of a rich calendar of targeted tastings that attracted buyers, restaurateurs and wine lovers, consolidating their presence on the American markets.

“ The response from international markets has been exceptional, ” added Vitaliano Maccario, “ We have demonstrated that our wines are perfect ambassadors of Monferrato, thanks to their quality and their unique history. ” There were also many activities to discover the territory aimed at the Italian and foreign press, among which stand out: Falstaff, Jeff Porter and Stevie Kim. Illustrious names and magazines who were able to experience and discover the Monferrato territory and its wines. Great attention was also paid to the fairs in Italy, Salone del Vino in Turin, Vinitaly in Verona and Vinoforum in Rome, which saw a strong turnout at the Consortium stand, confirming the ever-growing interest of operators and the public in Monferrato wines. Not only big events but also the promotion of Barbera and the territory took place throughout the year through glamorous moments dedicated to wine lovers such as the Milan Wine Week and Golosaria . “ 2024 represented a fundamental stage for Barbera d’Asti and the wines of Monferrato, consolidating the role of the Consortium .” concluded Vitaliano Maccario “ The results achieved have opened up new opportunities on international markets and strengthened dialogue with the public, laying the foundations for an even more promising future .”

Frescobaldi continues its digital expansion journey, as the Tuscan company transforms its wine labels into an interactive experience.

Frescobaldi presents the new Augmented Reality experience based on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

The strong bond with its roots motivates Frescobaldi to always look further ahead, aiming to tell in a revolutionary way its wonderful estates and a 700-year long history of winemaking heritage with continuous investments in cutting-edge digital realities.

Innovation and tradition meet in Frescobaldi’s new Augmented Reality project, developed in collaboration with AQuest , Creative Production & Technology Company, a partner of Ogilvy. With this project, Frescobaldi has chosen to let the labels of its wines speak for the first time, offering an interactive and immersive experience. Thanks to artificial intelligence, the system is able to recognize the labels and activate a real digital gate . This will allow consumers to embark on a journey to discover the Frescobaldi estates and its unique wines, delving into the production process and the history that characterizes each bottle.

By simply scanning a QR Code on the back label of the bottle, consumers will be able to explore the Tuscan landscapes, discover the history of the Estates and learn more about the characteristics of each wine, including information on climate, winemaking, maturation and organoleptic notes. Fabrizio Dosi, CEO of the Frescobaldi Group , says: “This project opens up new scenarios for the integration between Artificial Intelligence and winemaking tradition, two worlds that have never been so close, giving our consumers memorable experiences”.

“In addition to representing a powerful business tool for the sales team,” continues Dosi , “the project also has an important educational value , allowing our consumers to gain a thorough understanding of the history and peculiarities of Frescobaldi wines.”

Frescobaldi’s AR project , which began in 2019, is constantly evolving. Starting with 360° videos accessible with VR viewers and arriving today with a complete Augmented Reality experience, accessible directly from mobile devices. As a demonstration of its versatility, this tool has been used in multiple contexts, from commercial presentations and international fairs, to exclusive events and corporate training. As Van Hong Doan, E-Commerce & Digital Manager of Frescobaldi , adds: “Using advanced algorithms and machine learning models, Artificial Intelligence has made it possible to digitize over 50 labels, making each bottle a gateway to a unique immersive experience.”

MARQUIS FRESCOBALDI

The Group, owned by the Frescobaldi family, boasts seven centuries of history and 1,500 hectares of vineyards. The mission of Marchesi Frescobaldi is to understand and promote unique terroirs, ensuring

that become an integral part of the spirit of Tuscany. The family’s thousand-year history constitutes a unique and irreplaceable treasure of knowledge and traditions. Frescobaldi embodies the very essence of Tuscany, its extraordinary aptitude for viticulture and the fascinating variety of its growing areas.

The nine Marchesi Frescobaldi estates are: Castello Pomino (Pomino), Castello Nipozzano (Nipozzano), Tenuta Perano (Gaiole in Chianti), Tenuta Castiglioni (Montespertoli), Tenuta CastelGiocondo (Montalcino), Tenuta Ammiraglia (Magliano in Tuscany), Remole (Sieci), Tenuta Calimaia (Montepulciano) and Gorgona . Located in areas of Tuscany particularly suited to the production of fine wines (DOC, DOCG and IGT), the estates differ in terrain, environment and history. To these should be added the Bolgheri Ornellaia and Masseto estates, Tenuta Luce in Montalcino, Domaine Roy & Fils in Oregon and Attems in Collio.