“Despite the extreme climate, the interventions in the vineyard have had an effect. We have used processing techniques that can only be done manually and that allow us to guarantee exceptional quality even if at high costs.”

This is stated by Sandro Bottega, wine entrepreneur and head of the historic company Bottega SpA of Bibano (TV), one of the leaders in Italy for the production of Prosecco .

“In the Prosecco area, after persistent rains and lower than average temperatures in the months of May and June, the month of July was characterized by very high temperatures. At the moment – continues Sandro Bottega – the grapes are ripening well, even if the persistence of very hot temperatures could result in a slowdown in the ripening process. The harvest is expected to take place around September 10. It should be emphasized that in June we still enjoyed a strong temperature range between daytime and nighttime hours for a few days, which facilitated the development of aromatic substances. It follows that, also thanks to the high temperatures in July and our interventions in the vineyard, we should be looking at a vintage of exceptional quality”. “In the coming weeks, the only risk factor, now structural in every wine-growing area, is linked to storms or in any case to extreme weather conditions that in the Prosecco area as in other areas could cause a reduction in production. In our vineyards – adds Bottega – for years now we have reintroduced the classic “green manure” technique. It is a capillary grassing of different species, which contributes greatly to absorbing any excess water and developing biodiversity. The vine, to be able to give the best of itself, needs harmony and balance, in this case therefore it is necessary to intervene and prevent, preferably with natural methods, such as “green manure”». «The excessive heat of these last weeks, as far as we are concerned, has been partly tempered by the more developed foliage that has partially protected the bunches from direct sunlight developed by our agronomists with an ad hoc study to intervene on the plants and increase their leafy growth. We expect a high-level vintage not only in terms of quality, but also in terms of quantity. It would be very important for the entire Prosecco world to have a new vintage with adequate quantities both because the sparkling wine market requires it, and because 2023 was particularly poor», concludes Sandro Bottega.

Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato is pleased to present the partner of the Barbera D’Asti Wine Festival: the artistic collective Cracking Art, who will invade the city of Asti during the Festival with their sensational works.

For the first edition of the Barbera D’Asti Wine Festival , which will be held in the city of Asti from Friday 6 to Sunday 15 September 2024 , there will also be space for art with the wonderful outdoor installation by the Cracking Art collective. Spreading awareness on the subject of sustainability and biodiversity: the objective of the artistic collective is perfectly in line with themes that are very dear to the Barbera d’Asti and Monferrato Wines Consortium , the driving force behind the Festival. “ This contamination between the world of wine and other types of cultural realities is of great importance and significance for us – says Vitaliano Maccario , President of the Consortium – above all, because the philosophy of attention to recycling and the importance of biodiversity that underlies the works of art created by the collective is one of the most deeply rooted consortium values. With this project we intend to raise awareness of issues related to sustainability, promoting the interesting combination of art and wine, which, we are sure, will fascinate the general public ”. Small, medium and large sculptures including the iconic Chiocciola, surprising creatures in regenerated plastic, will invade the historic center of Asti: brightly colored animals make the heart of the city an open-air art gallery, a special museum without barriers where the protagonists are always nature and respect for it. Cracking Art works are also this: unexpected insertions of fantasy elements that populate the real world to reinterpret it and give different meanings. Each work fits into the context to give a message, to interpret the place or to give an unexpected vision of a known place. In fact, plastic is transformed and becomes a means of communication: from a simple material of common use and a substance potentially harmful to the environment, it is shaped becoming a decorative element and source of inspiration. The Cracking Art installations – a movement born in the 90s, known worldwide for its attention to the environment, for its strong ecological commitment and for the practice of regeneration that has made its creations iconic – fit into and confront the history and architecture of the places that host them and come to life with the empathic interactions that are established with the public. Each work, with the subject represented, is the bearer of a message that each visitor is called to interpret and spread.

Not only dairy products but also the Venetian PDO Festival, practical experiences for children, guided tastings, cooking shows and conferences. In addition to DOP, TSG, typical and traditional cheeses, small farm productions from all over the Peninsula will also be rewarded.

After the announcement of the merger, for the occasion, with the Venetian PDO Festival and the presence of an international showcase of dairy products, the dozens of activities that will be held in Caseus on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 October 2024 were also made known at Villa Contarini in Piazzola sul Brenta (PD) . In celebrating its twentieth anniversary, the event remains steadfast in its objectives: to underline the value of denomination cheeses and beyond and to develop knowledge and awareness in the choice of dairy products. In fact, the Caseus Veneti competition also reaches its twentieth edition, where hundreds of productions will compete in numerous categories but there will be space for small and very small transformations in the 6th National Farm Cheese Competition curated by ONAF. An event, Caseus, which aims to develop culture and promote the value of milk produced in Italy, in a historical moment in which denomination cheeses are often more appreciated abroad than in the land of production. In fact, there are many aspects that will also be explored in depth through conferences aimed at both producers and consumers. Attention also to the role of the affineur, with meetings dedicated to the “Contemporary Art of Cheese” coordinated by Maestro Alberto Marcomini.

Among the new features is also the possibility of becoming cheesemakers, for children who enroll in the course promoted by Veneto Agricoltura . Over the two days there will be no shortage of guided tastings, pairings, meetings with producers, wine-cheese masterclasses and training and discussion events. The calendar promises to be even richer than the last edition (there were more than 60 events in 2023, all sold out even before the opening of the event.)

Finally, thanks to the PDO Festival, the Caseus plot will also be intertwined with a rich journey dedicated to regional agri-food products with the PDO, PGI, TSG and QV (verified quality) brands. So not only cheeses but also wines, oils, sausages and horticultural products that will complete the food and wine experience. The numbers speak clearly for the Veneto Region, as much as 55% of the milk produced in Veneto is, in fact, transformed into DOP cheeses: Asiago (1,423,899 wheels produced), and then Grana Padano (812,407), Casatella Trevigiana (490,022 ), Montasio (349,700), Piave (336,589), Provolone Valpadana (324,675) and Monte Veronese (91,357), for a total of 3,828,649 denomination wheels produced in 2023. Broadening our gaze to denomination products in the entire Veneto Region boasts 18 protected designations of origin (PDO), 18 protected geographical indications (PGI) and 4 guaranteed traditional specialties (TSG), in addition to 14 controlled and guaranteed designations of origin (DOCG), 29 controlled designations of origin (DOC) and 10 typical geographical indications (IGT) in the wine sector. Numbers that will be represented throughout the exhibition which remains, as usual, free entry.

Italian style and local botanicals for the new products that accompany Casta, the first grappa created in 2017 for mixing.

EXCELLENCE EVEN IN THE APERITIF: BITTER, VERMOUTH AND GIN, THE CASTAGNER DISTILLERY LAUNCHES THE MIXOLOGY RANGE.

Castagner, the Italian signature of excellence for quality spirits, after having revolutionized the world of grappa, also faces the aperitif segment with two symbolic proposals of this Italian ritual: Bitter Castagner and Vermouth Castagner. The “Mixology project”, born in 2017 with Casta, the grappa created for mixing and joined in 2021 by Gin Vitae, is thus completed with two new products also made in house and with a strong connection with the grapes and the territory .

«We have created a complete line for the aperitif», explains the founder of the Treviso distillery, Roberto Castagner, who today runs the company together with his children Silvia, Giulia and Giovanni and his nephew Carlo. The renewed attention to the world of mixing responds to a market need first and foremost, but is also the result of careful work by Carlo Castagner who in recent years has meticulously and passionately followed the entire infusion process according to the rules of the herbal school and production of gin, bitters and vermouth and who today has become an expert also trained in these new product categories.

«We wanted to characterize these new creations – continues Roberto Castagner – with a strong bond with our DNA – the grape – and our territory: the Bitter, in fact, is infused with Treviso PGI radicchio; in Vermouth some botanicals are infused in Glera, the Prosecco vine, as a tribute to our Hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Gin Vitae, however, represents a tribute to our bond with grapes: it is, in fact, obtained from an exclusive recipe based on juniper, vine leaves and 9 other botanicals infused and then distilled in our stills.

Castagner’s choice to focus on the aperitif segment is not accidental, but is the result of an expansion project which from the focus on the end of the meal with grappas and bitters moves to an expanded vision with the protection of new strategic moments of consumption.

According to the latest data from the Federvini Observatory and TradeLab, in fact, the aperitif is one of the segments with the best prospects for future development. The Italian ritual par excellence is clearly growing with 14 million Italians consuming it outside the home, for a total turnover of 4.5 billion euros.

According to Castagner, therefore, it remains essential to continue to control the grappa market with products increasingly aimed at satisfying the needs of the modern consumer, but it is also important to know how to evolve by looking at new markets and new consumption opportunities.

Since 1996 the master distiller has been able to innovate grappa which from an iconic traditional product has become a modern distillate with an international profile, facing new changes with confidence and vision for the future. «Our 2024/2027 objective – concludes Roberto Castagner – is to transform our distillery, which historically has always been dedicated to the production of quality grappa, into a point of reference for the production of spirits and other traditional Italian spirit drinks such as bitters and vermouth. The lowest common denominator, for grappa as for our new creations, is the application of our quality standards: all our products have a strong link with the territory, they are made “to perfection”, in our plants, according to our style and our recipes. To face the new challenges facing the market we continuously invest in research and innovation in order to acquire new skills and reach the level of know-how established with grappa. We also want to transfer our identity style to other products, as we did with the Italian distillate par excellence, innovating it so that the consumer’s experience is consistent in terms of quality and message. We make our spirits with pride, believing in Italianness as an essential value of our style.”