The Association of Natural Wine Producers celebrates the milestone achieved with the awareness of the importance of raising awareness and training the generations of tomorrow.

The 20th edition of VinNatur Tasting is preparing to return to the scene from 5 to 7 April, welcoming enthusiasts and industry professionals to the Margraf showroom in Gambellara (Vicenza).

The event, organized by the VinNatur Association, will see the participation of 200 producers : at the tasting stands they will tell their stories and offer their wines for tasting, which from this year can also be purchased using the trolleys available at the entrance to move around more easily. During the three days it will be possible to address hot topics of the debate on natural wine during the in-depth masterclasses , but there will also be time to relax thanks to the live concert of the Ruggero Robin Trio scheduled for Saturday afternoon and the food area renewed in its location and enriched in its proposal.

New this year will be the participation of ScuolaLibera , an association promoting Steinerian pedagogy: Fabio Chilese , a chef in school catering and beyond, with the volunteers of the school in Lonigo (Vicenza) will offer hot dishes prepared with organic and biodynamic raw materials in a culinary experience that values ​​respect for nature and the quality of the ingredients. “Being a producer of natural wine is not just a job , it is also a mission. We are firmly convinced that we need to pay more and more attention to this Earth that has been entrusted to us – underlines Angiolino Maule , President of VinNatur –. As producers of natural wine in our work we try to respect the environment that surrounds us, but the most important commitment is certainly that of training future generations , aware that we are only passing guests who must try to preserve the available resources for those who come after. Involving ScuolaLibera in the event seemed to us the most concrete and immediate way to do so”.

Among the gastronomic proposals there will be other selected excellences from different regions of Italy: cured meats, cheeses and meats among the stands of La Casara and Fattoria Valli Unite, traditional Bolognese dishes at the Stappo e Sposto food truck, but also the Rete Ostricoltori Italiani and the craft beers of Birrificio Agricolo Sorio, Birrificio Morgana and Birre della Terra. At the end of the meal, coffee from Torrefazione Giamaica and Passion Cocoa with its chocolate creations. The food sector will be located in an external tensile structure in the rear area , a more welcoming environment for visitors and exhibitors.

As for the in-depth proposals, the tasting on Saturday 5 April at 2:00 pm – entitled How long can a natural wine last? and led by the wine writer and advisor of VinNatur Gianpaolo Giacobbo – will have as guest of honor Sandro Sangiorgi , journalist, writer and popularizer of wine and gastronomy. The second appointment, which will be held on Sunday 6 April at the same time, will be Microbiological alterations of wines by the agronomist Giacomo Buscioni of Food Micro Team. On Monday 7 April at 2:00 pm, the wine consultant Dominic Wurth will finally lead Pure Riesling – Winemaking styles and climate impact . This year too, the press and importers will have the opportunity to access the tasting room , where they can find the labels starring in the event in peace and talk with the producers in a private setting.

Tickets for the masterclasses and the event are on sale online on the dedicated website but can also be purchased on site at the entrance to the event. The proceeds from the event will support the research projects of the VinNatur Association and the organization of seminars dedicated to the training of members. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the non-profit organization Progetto Alépé , which has been involved since 1986 in medical and social assistance for the inhabitants of Alépé, in the Ivory Coast.

VinNatur Tasting in brief
When : Saturday 5, Sunday 6 and Monday 7 April 2025
Where : Margraf Showroom | Via Torri di Confine – Gambellara (Vicenza)
Opening hours to the public : 10am to 6pm
Entrance : 30.00 euros per day (50.00 euros for two days) including a glass for tastings, a map of the producers and an event catalogue. Tickets can be purchased on site, at the entrance to the event (in cash, credit card or debit card) or online on Eventbrite. Minors do not pay for the entrance and cannot do tastings, small pets are allowed
Useful information for those arriving by train:
– A free shuttle bus service will be available to and from the San Bonifacio train station
– On your return we recommend going to the entrance of the event 30 minutes before the train leaves
Useful information for those arriving by car:
At the Montebello Vicentino toll booth exit (A4 Milan-Venice motorway), turn immediately right towards Verona. The Margraf showroom is on the right after 1.2 km along the SR11. Large parking lot in front and easily accessible
Website: www.vinnatur.org/evento/tasting-2025/

MONFORTE D’ALBA – Moda Venue, Palazzo Martinengo Via Cavour, 10 Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April 2025 A tasting weekend in the Langa of Barolo!

The 2025 edition of “I Grandi Terroir del Barolo”, an event conceived by Go Wine and now in its sixteenth edition, will take place on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April.

The event will be held in Monforte d’Alba, in the elegant Sala Grifoni of Palazzo Martinengo, Ristorante Moda Venue, in the historic center of one of the reference municipalities for the production of Barolo.

The event aims to tell the story of a great wine like Barolo through its territory, the different geographical mentions (cru) and the meeting with its producers, highlighting the differences and riches of the various sites of the denomination.

A theme that has contributed to exalting the greatness of Barolo and that finds in this event an important opportunity for further study. A niche event, for attentive and commented tastings, with the stories of the winemakers present to explain the land and their work.

The program includes tasting tables in the direct presence of the wineries, exclusive Masterclasses and a new Master on Barolo (scheduled for Saturday 12 April only): a renewed and very welcome event formula, which will allow in one weekend to deepen “in the field” the knowledge of the new vintage of one of the greatest wines in the world, Barolo.

But there won’t just be new vintages: a selection of great Italian wines linked to historic vineyards and particular terroirs will accompany the dialogues with Barolo.

The Consortium for the Protection of Valtellina Wines is a special guest at the event

The Consorzio di Tutela dei Vini di Valtellina will be present at the event to tell about terroir and wines, with a special focus on its sub-zones that characterize a unique territory.

They like to call it the “Nebbiolo of the Alps”, it represents a territory with a great wine culture, it shares the presence of Nebbiolo with the Langhe

Its landscape is unique, with the many dry stone walls that can be seen along the valley and which make it the largest terraced wine-growing area in Italy.

As the Consortium likes to define it … “wine in Valtellina is the result of the continuous dialogue between the Alps, the energy of the sun, the breeze of Lake Como and the agricultural activity among the terraces”.

The Masterclasses

For those who want to enjoy more in-depth tasting sessions, there are the Masterclasses of the Great Terroirs of Barolo: these are guided tastings conducted for Go Wine by the journalist Gianni Fabrizio, curator of the Gambero Rosso guide to Italian Wines.

The list of the featured wineries (still being updated):

ANNA MARIA ABBONA – Farigliano

BOASSO – Serralunga d’Alba SILVANO BOLMIDA – Monforte d’Alba BRICCO MAIOLICA – Diano d’Alba CASCINA CHICCO – Canale DOSIO – La Morra

FORTEMASSO – Monforte d’Alba L”ASTEMIA – Barolo MANZONE GIAN PAOLO – Serralunga d’Alba MARCHESI DI BAROLO – Barolo

MONCHIERO F.LLI – Castiglione Falletto PIAZZO COMM. ARMANDO – Alba

EINAUDI FARMS – Dogliani

REVA – Monforte d’Alba

SAN BIAGIO – La Morra SORDO GIOVANNI Agricultural Company – Castiglione Falletto

The Master on Barolo

To enrich the program of the event, a Master on Barolo is scheduled for Saturday 12 April: an exclusive day, in which it will be possible to deepen the knowledge of this wine in the field through lessons, tours in the production area and tastings.

“LA PRIMAVERA DEL CASTELLINALDO” IN ITS SECOND EDITION, TASTINGS AND MASTERCLASSES DEDICATED TO CASTELLINALDO BARBERA D’ALBA DOC

The Castellinaldo Winemakers Association inaugurates the summer season by presenting the 2nd edition of “ La Primavera del Castellinaldo” , an event dedicated to Castellinaldo Barbera d’Alba DOC, the flagship of Barbera d’Alba DOC, with more than 40 wines on tap and 21 producers involved.

The two-day event will be held on Sunday 30 and Monday 31 March at Palazzo Re Rebaudengo in Piazza Roma 1 in Guarene (Cuneo), including tastings, meetings with producers, visits to the castle and food and wine discoveries.

The initiative, divided into two days, one for enthusiasts and the other reserved for professionals, celebrates the wine identity of a territory that stands out for the quality and typicality of its wines: visitors will have the opportunity to taste different interpretations of this very particular sub-zone, told directly by the producers.

These are the producers involved:

Allerino Giovanni, Baudevin Farm by Marco Volantino, Cerrato Fabio Farm, Cravanzola SSA Farm, Ferrero Michele Farm, Fratelli Masucco Farm, Margherita SS Farm, Teo Costa Selection Farm, Vecchio Farm, Vielmin Farm, Bric Cenciurio, Cantina del Nebbiolo SCA, Cascina Chicco SSA, Cascina del Pozzo, Cascina Goregn, Cascina Torniero, La Granera, Marchisio Family Organic Estate, Marchisio Tonino, Marsaglia, Morra Stefanino.

PROGRAM – THE SPRING OF CASTELLINALDO 2025

The program opens on Sunday 30 March, a day dedicated to the public of enthusiasts, at 10:00, with a   walk around tasting with associated producers: over 40 wines in free pouring of Castellinaldo Barbera d’Alba. Food guest: Nocciola Piemonte.

At 2:30 pm, guests are scheduled to visit the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Art Park: an immersive experience on the San Licerio hill with the Foundation’s cultural art mediators (duration: 1 hour; maximum 25 participants, accreditation on site).

At 4pm , in the Ex Granaio Hall , a tasting dedicated to Castellinaldo Barbera d’Alba will take place, led by Giancarlo Montaldo : the tasting of some wines will be an opportunity to discover their history, details on the sub-zone, the production reality, the vintages and the organoleptic characteristics.

Monday 31 March , starting at 11:00 ,   the tasting table for professional operators and journalists reopens. At 3:00 pm , in the Ex Granaio Hall , a masterclass will be held dedicated to the preview of the 2023 vintage and to Castellinaldo produced outside Castellinaldo: Giancarlo Montaldo will lead the tasting by telling the story, details on the Sub-zone, production reality, and organoleptic characteristics of Castellinaldo Barbera d’Alba ; the in-depth study will also examine Castellinaldo Barbera d’Alba produced outside the municipality of Castellinaldo d’Alba, namely in the towns of Guarene, Castagnito, Vezza d’Alba, Magliano Alfieri, Canele and Priocca.

At 5.30 pm , in the Salone Ex Granaio, the vertical masterclass of Castellinaldo Barbera d’Alba will take place, through the tasting of wines between the 2016 and 2023 vintages.

Giancarlo Montaldo , technical-scientific consultant of the event and expert journalist who has followed the birth of the sub-zone since the beginning, comments: “ Within the context of the Primavera del Castellinaldo, the Masterclasses have a dual purpose: on the one hand, to inform enthusiasts, journalists and operators about the reality of Castellinaldo Barbera d’Alba; on the other, to create consumer loyalty for a wine that can represent an element of qualitative and economic growth of a territory, the Eastern Roero, long underestimated by the winemaking reality of Langa and Roero ”.

Tastings, masterclasses and all visits are free; masterclasses can welcome the public until all seats are taken, with online accreditation: https://eventi.vinaiolidelcastellinaldo.com/

abstract of the academic research “Resilience and preparation for the next global wine consumption cycle. Masi: An original case study” presented today in Milan, with the participation of the authors of the study, Prof. Jean-Marie Cardebat (Prof. of the University of Bordeaux) and Prof. Davide Gaeta (University of Verona), and Federico Girotto, CEO of Masi Agricola, a case history identified in the research.

“RESILIENCE AND PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT GLOBAL WINE CONSUMPTION CYCLE. MASI – A CASE STUDY”.

The presentation of the academic research “Resilience and preparation for the next global wine consumption cycle. Masi: An original case study ”, edited by Jean-Marie Cardebat , Professor of Economics at the University of Bordeaux, Director of the ECOr Research Department, Affiliated Professor at the INSEEC Grande École and Director of the Wines & Spirits Chair in Paris, and Davide Gaeta , Professor and lecturer in economics of the wine business and agri-food markets and competitiveness – Department of Management – University of Verona, was held today in Milan.

Two universities in comparison with the business world presented the results of the study born from an international vision of wine and completed with the Masi case history through the intervention of Federico Girotto , CEO of Masi Agricola SpA and President and CEO of Canevel Spumanti SpA.

Preceded by a careful analysis of the national and international context of the wine markets and of the possible evolutions of demand trends , the academic study examined the strategic tools necessary to adapt to the next economic cycles of the wine sector, finding, as far as Italy is concerned, in Masi Agricola an interesting example of resilience and ability to compete within situations that can prove critical in the absence of organization, structure and diversification.

The research carried out by the two Universities analyzed, in the first part , the possible causes of the decline in demand and the threat factors that the markets of the different types of wine can experience in this economic cycle; in a second part , the key factors of resilience in the adaptation models of the wine market are reported. Finally, in the third part of the study, the case of a market leading brand was analyzed: Masi. A brand that was identified for: the ease of access to information – Masi is the only Italian wine company listed on the stock exchange -; for its structured organization; and for the presence of factors that allowed the company to strengthen itself in a challenging market context through the model of economic resilience and Porter’s competitive advantages.

STATEMENTS ON THE SIDELINES OF THE PRESENTATION:

Jean-Marie Cardebat, Professor of Economics at the University of Bordeaux, Director of the ECOr Research Department, Affiliated Professor at the INSEEC Grande École and Director of the Wines & Spirits Chair in Paris stated : “The cyclical nature of the economy has always influenced global wine consumption and the current picture is no exception. While the current economic and geopolitical context has led to a contraction, the very nature of economic cycles suggests that, by keeping inflation under control, 2026 could mark the turning point with the start of a recovery phase in 2027 for new sustained growth in the wine sector . This recovery will not be a simple repetition of the past: the sociology of consumption has changed, and the next cycle will see new trends and consumers. Premiumisation remains a key trend, with a growing shift in demand towards the search for quality and high-value segments. In this scenario, it is essential to invest in advance in what could form the basis of the new growth cycle, strengthening brands and enhancing consumer experiences such as wine tourism, a sector that has seen significant growth in the last fifteen years, with estimates of over 50 billion dollars for 2025. Emerging markets could also redefine global balances, with increasing interest in red wines. It is important for the wine sector to be able to identify signals and anticipate trends in order to adopt far-sighted strategies”.

Davide Gaeta, Professor and Lecturer in Economics of the Wine Business and Agri-food Markets and Competitiveness – Department of Management, University of Verona continued: “ The evolution of economic cycles has determined the need to remodel the organization of corporate business. Our research has identified some key resilience factors that can allow wine companies to consolidate their growth and support the evolution of international markets such as: a structured organizational model and solid governance, which allows growth and continued innovation; transparent management of information; and targeted strategies for the acquisition and diversification of the product portfolio. Another crucial element is the ability to adapt to changes in demand through a flexible approach, both in the supply of grapes and in the breadth of the product range. The segmentation of distribution, a thoughtful and diversified presence on international markets also allow risks to be mitigated and development opportunities to be seized. There are also other elements that contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of companies, such as attention to corporate identity, strategic marketing and innovation oriented towards sustainability. We therefore researched all these factors by analyzing a case of a market leading brand such as Masi, and noted how the company has been able to move in a challenging context. The company has been able to combine tradition and innovation, enhance its territorial roots, adopt an advanced monitoring system to guarantee efficient management of production and distribution, and implement a far-sighted growth strategy. It therefore emerged that Masi represents a model of resilience capable of transforming challenges into sustainable growth opportunities”.

Federico Girotto, CEO of Masi Agricola and President and CEO of Canevel Spumanti, stated: “We greatly appreciated the research and are proud to have been part of it: on the one hand, it can represent a contribution to operators in the wine sector to understand and gain awareness of the real problems of the sector and its reference markets, closing the space for omissions, pessimism and above all the illusion that everything can go back to how it was before. On the other hand, the study clearly outlines the characteristics needed to effectively address the inevitable evolutionary path of the company ecosystem, the necessity of which runs in parallel with changes in the sector. At Masi we try to increase resilience in various ways, but above all by strengthening the strategic processes of identification, analysis and mitigation of risks, never diverting attention from our North Star: the brand. Over the years, the Masi group has activated various strategic levers that have allowed us to respond in advance to the evolution of economic cycles, transforming challenges into opportunities. In an overall view, in these ten years since listing, we have worked on sustainability – with the Masi Green Governance project – on omnichannel communication and distribution, and on strengthening the Masi Wine Experience, which this year will launch Monteleone21, our visitor center in Valpolicella that responds to the new demand of the wine tourism sector. Finally, we have invested in product innovation, such as with Fresco di Masi, the line of organic wines that expresses our vision of authenticity, relevance and attention to the consumer, and in expanding the portfolio. An example of this is the recent landing in Oltrepò Pavese with the acquisition of the Casa Re estate and the launch of the Moxxé del Re Metodo Classico sparkling wine, where we hope to replicate what was achieved in Valdobbiadene with Canevel Spumanti, a brand that has continued to grow, also in terms of exports.