A thousand professionals participated in Lovely Wines, organized by AGB Selezione at Palazzo Brancaccio: an opportunity for discussion and growth, with more than 200 labels for tasting.

The first Roman edition of Lovely Wines, the open day with portfolio tasting of AGB Selezione, recorded a significant participation with a thousand professionals of the sector present at Palazzo Brancaccio.

On Monday, September 23 , in this 19th-century setting immersed in the greenery of the gardens on Colle Oppio, over 200 labels were put up for tasting , allowing participants to discover wines from the most renowned Italian and European wine regions. The large turnout highlighted the strong interest in the new products and collaborations presented by the group.

” The wine sector is going through a difficult period, influenced not only by the difficult global economic situation, but also by significant changes in consumer habits. For the first time, a traditional sector like ours is having to deal with new trends, ” said Massimo Ferrari, sole director of AGB Selezione . ” The market is proving to be increasingly demanding and competitive, favoring fresh, dynamic wines with reasonable alcohol content. Despite this, I remain confident that high-quality wines, capable of telling a story, will acquire ever greater appeal. In this transition phase, an ever-increasing level of professionalism is required ,” he concluded.

Lovely Wines was much more than a simple exhibition of labels: a real journey to discover the excellence of wine not only from Italy, but also from abroad, with a focus on French, German and Spanish wines, which constitute an important part of the AGB Selezione portfolio . One of the central elements was the introduction of new companies in the catalogue. Among these were Fabio Motta in Bolgheri, of which Agricole Gussalli Beretta recently acquired a majority share, and among the international new entries Domaine Pierre Thibert , a producer from Burgundy, and two renowned Champagne Houses: Villa Bon Accueil and Penet-Chardonnet Grand Cru .

This breadth of offering, which goes beyond national borders, demonstrates AGB’s commitment to meeting the needs of an increasingly demanding market that is also interested in internationalization. Lovely Wines represented a unique opportunity for direct comparison between producers and professionals , as well as an ideal moment to consolidate relationships and discuss future trends in the wine market.

During the event, guests also had the opportunity to learn more about the six Italian wineries owned by the group : Lo Sparviere (Franciacorta), Castello di Radda (Chianti Classico), Orlandi Contucci Ponno (Colline Teramane), Fortemasso (Barolo), Steinhaus (Bassa Atesina) and, starting in 2024, Fabio Motta (Bolgheri). AGB Selezione distributes wines produced by 49 companies , for a total of over 300 labels. In addition to those owned, it distributes 18 Italian and 25 foreign ones . This variety allows the group to position itself as a point of reference in the wine scene, representing and promoting not only Italian excellence, but also some of the best European labels.

What do Val di Cembra, Langhe and Etna have in common? Without a doubt their winemaking vocation, developed in territories as evocative as they are challenging. They will be at the centre of the opening event that will kick off the Trentino event: an opportunity to bring together the experiences and vision of producers, experts and professionals.Dolo-Vini-Miti, a conference on wine landscapes inaugurates the event dedicated to vertical wines | 11-20 October, Val di Cembra-Val di Fiemme.

Friday 11 October at 18.00 at the Teatro di Verla di Giovo

The second edition of Dolo-Vini-Miti is approaching, the vertical wine festival that from 11 to 20 October will host, between Val di Cembra and Val di Fiemme, over 20 events to celebrate vertical wines and get to know territories of great charm and history. The event will open with a conference entitled “ The landscapes of Wine: Val di Cembra, Langhe and Etna – Stories of wine lands compared between Unesco and PRIS ”: a highly anticipated event for the theme and the authoritativeness of the speakers, scheduled for 11 October at the Verla di Giovo theater, starting at 6 pm.

The work will be kicked off by Damiano Zanotelli, President of the VIVACE Committee (acronym for Viticoltura Valle di Cembra), PRIS (Rural Landscapes of Historical Interest) and GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems) representative, who will take stock of the activities and state of the art of the association founded in March 2023 in Arezzo to give voice and strength to agriculture as an expression of the cultural roots linked to the territory and the work of man.

Bruno Bertero, General Director of the Langhe Monferrato Roero Tourism Board and Director of the Association for the Heritage of the Vineyard Landscapes of that famous area of Piedmont , has the task of analyzing the relationships with UNESCO and tracing a brief analysis of the distinctive traits that characterize the Langhe, including strengths, weaknesses, crises and opportunities.

Aldo Vajra , owner of the winery of the same name in the Langhe, famous for Barolo and more, will focus on the production world that characterizes the famous territory in the province of Cuneo, offering an overview of the trend of visits to the wineries, sales and customer profiling.

Rosario Pilati, Vice President of the Strada del Vino e dei Sapori del Trentino, as well as representative of Cembra Cantina di Montagna, will address the topic of the historical evolution of the territory, from the rise of porphyry to the work of valorization and promotion of the tourist aspect, illustrating the data on hospitality in the cellar and the 5-year investment projects at company and territorial level.

Maurizio Lunetta, Director of the Etna Doc Consortium , will focus on the factors that have decreed the success of the viticulture developed on the slopes of the Sicilian volcano.

Last but not least, Fabio Piccoli, professional journalist and Director of Winemeridian , expert in economics and marketing of the wine sector, who will offer companies three marketing tips to develop contemporary wine culture.

The debate, moderated by Cristina Mercuri , DipWSET, wine educator and presenter, founder Mercuri Wine Club, is aimed not only at professionals, who will be able to gather various stimuli for reflection, but also at anyone interested in exploring themes that revolve around the world of wine and landscape. Access is free and no reservation is required.

“Il Fondatore”, Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG Riserva 2021 tribute to the founder of Montalbera Enrico Riccardo Morando, and to the assignment of the 5 Grappoli Bibenda. A great reconfirmation after receiving the award in the 2024 edition for the Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG Riserva “Limpronta” 2020.

A new milestone for Montalbera which sees the assignment of the prestigious “ 5 Grappoli Bibenda ” recognition to the Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG Riserva 2021 “Il Fondatore” . After receiving the award in the 2024 edition for the Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG Riserva “Limpronta” 2020, Montalbera confirms its excellence in the 2025 edition.

“ I am honored to receive this award from the Bibenda Guide, directed by the “ dean of wine” Franco Ricci, for Il Ruchè Riserva Il Fondatore. This recognition arouses a particular emotion in me due to the strong bond with my grandfather, head of the family and founder of Montalbera. Il Fondatore not only represents a powerful and sumptuous expression of Ruchè, but also a tribute to the visionary history and rich winemaking heritage of Montalbera and this important award gives it further value. The tribute to Enrico Riccardo Morando , to our history and to our roots. Proud to have had the confirmation, after the assignment of the 5 Grappoli in the 2024 edition to Limpronta 2020, of this important recognition that I welcome with infinite satisfaction and great emotion ” says Franco Morando, CEO and General Manager of Montalbera.

Franco Morando was one of the proponents of the reform of the Ruchè disciplinary statute in 2013, which discussed the “novelty of the mention Riserva”. Montalbera was one of the first companies to experiment with the refinement of the Ruchè grape variety in wood , first with “LIMPRONTA” and then with “IL FONDATORE” adding the indication RISERVA to the wine label.

The Fondatore is refined in French oak barrels , second or third passage, for approximately 10-12 months and presents a powerful and characteristic flavour on the palate, with great persistence.

Ruby red in color with garnet reflections, “Il Fondatore” brings with it an intense aroma, with aromatic hints and hints of berries, which sinuously fade into oriental spices and black pepper . Fresh and silky, with a full consistency and pure expression of the native Monferrato grape. The production amounts to 9,500 bottles of 0.75 l and 95 Magnums of 1.5 l, numbers that present a further tribute to Enrico Riccardo Morando, who passed away at the venerable age of 95.

The Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG Riserva 2021 “Il Fondatore” was awarded 110 cum laude also by the world-class wine expert Wine Killer Luca Gardini , the assignment of the “Gold Medal” Winehunter Award 2024 led by Helmuth Koecher and the Corona Vinibuoni di Italia 2025, listed among the TOP 300, the best wines selected by the national curators of the Guide. The international rise for Montalbera also continues, with “Il Fondatore” being the object of numerous awards such as the 90 points of James Suckling , one of the most famous American wine critics, and 96 points from Forbes by Tom Mullen.

For the first time, ONAV is hosting Gérard Liger – Belair, professor of physics at the University of Reims, considered the world’s greatest expert on bubbles and the only one specializing in those of Champagne.

Who is Gérard LIGER-BELAIR After studying basic physics at the University of Paris, he was appointed Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Reims in 2007.

The effervescence of a bubble of Champagne or sparkling wine is not only an aesthetic or sonic pleasure, but also a scientific marvel that embodies the extraordinary complexity of fluid mechanics in a few centiliters of wine. It will be discussed on October 26 in Asti, from 10:00 to 16:30 at the headquarters of ONAV Nazionale (Piazza Santa Maria Nuova, 5) on the occasion of “A World of Bubbles ”, a one-of-a-kind seminar, which for the first time in Italy will host the physicist Gérard Liger – Belair, researcher at the University of Reims, the capital of Champagne. It will be a real journey into physics, chemistry and oenology to discover how bubbles are formed, what role they play in the organoleptic characteristics of a wine and what influences them; a rigorous approach to a theme considered by most to be purely hedonistic, very dear to ONAV, which since its foundation has promoted knowledge of wine through solid scientific bases.

The meeting will allow us to understand the movement of bubbles and the mechanisms they induce during tasting, discovering the stages that mark their existence, from formation to disappearance. We will understand whether the type of cork in the stopper influences their formation, whether they have an effect on the flavor of the drink, how aromas spread in the air and much more. With his team of researchers, Gérard Liger-Belair has been studying for over twenty years the physical and chemical processes that cause the formation, rising in the glass and bursting of bubbles in champagne and sparkling wines.

The course features three modules : “The Odyssey of a Champagne Bubble”, “Effervescence in Champagne: A Centuries-Old Story” and “The Crucial Role of Crown Corks in Secondary Sparkling Wine”, and will alternate theoretical lessons with tastings of three Champagnes: Bulles de craie Brut SA, Clos Cazals 2013, Clos Cazals 2003, all from the Champagne Cazals cellar.

In addition to the lecture by Professor Liger – Belair, there will be contributions by Daniela Guiducci, co-translator into Italian of the latest volume by Professor Liger-Belair, and Virginie Thollin, a Champagne oenologist.