“The Virtuous Circle of Beauty” is the theme chosen by the Masi Foundation to celebrate personalities who have been able to put man and his values at the centre of progress.

The 5 winners of the 43rd edition of the Masi Prize signed the historic barrel of Amarone today in the Masi cellars in the heart of Valpolicella , in the presence of Isabella Bossi Fedrigotti, Sandro Boscaini and Marco Vigevani – respectively President, Vice President and Secretary of the Masi Foundation – the authorities and the press. Signing for the Masi Civiltà Veneta Prize: Riccardo Illy , entrepreneur from Trieste, the sculptor from Vicenza Arcangelo Sassolino and the environmental activist and writer Sara Segantin , originally from the province of Trento; for the International Masi Civiltà del Vino Prize : Donatella Cinelli Colombini, the Tuscan producer pioneer in promoting cultural wine movements, and finally for the Grosso D’Oro Veneziano : the Opera Don Calabria ‘multinational of good’ born in Verona, now active on 5 continents, in the presence of Brother Gedovar Nazzari – General Treasurer.

On the occasion of the signing, the protagonists expressed what it means for them to receive the prestigious recognition in this edition in the name of ” The Virtuous Circle of Beauty “. All five have in fact demonstrated in their work how the research and creation of Beauty keep man at the center, with his values, needs and aspirations, even in the face of cold technological progress:

Riccardo Illy (Premio Masi Civiltà Veneta) : “ I thank the Foundation for this recognition, which honors me and which I feel is particularly significant, since the values it expresses are part of my education and business vision. The search for the “good” and the “beautiful” has always inspired my business activity; the Polo del Gusto and Incantalia represent a point of arrival and the result of an exciting journey into the business system of our country, full of innovative ideas, tenacious families, special inventions, unique products. Veneto, and the entire North East, has certainly been a fundamental chapter of this journey; it is a territory that I know well, especially with regard to entrepreneurial capacity and creativity, and where I have had the opportunity to discover and admire so many splendid companies, dedicated, often for many generations, to the search for the good and the beautiful. Thank you, therefore, for having welcomed our project of excellence as a new piece of this beautiful tradition ”.

Arcangelo Sassolino (Masi Civiltà Veneta Award) : “ Receiving the Civiltà Veneta Award as part of the prestigious Masi Award is a source of honor and satisfaction for me. This recognition, so closely linked to my homeland, fills me with pride and confirms how important it is to maintain a continuous dialogue between culture, tradition, innovation and business. My Venetian roots are a fundamental part of my artistic research, I chose to keep my studio in the Vicenza area precisely to be able to take advantage of the extraordinary excellence of our territory. I firmly believe that art and business can collaborate to generate new visions and create expressive languages capable of speaking to the present and the future”.

Sara Segantin (Masi Civiltà Veneta Award) : “ I am grateful to receive this award and I hope that my presence can accompany a concrete and measurable path towards a regenerative model of creating culture and economy, here and in the rest of the country. Today’s epochal challenges require us to walk together, going beyond prejudices and overcoming contradictions with responsibility, transparency and effectiveness. Full availability for a path that leads us to real productive and therefore cultural innovation, based on a constructive and respectful relationship between us and the world around us. Let’s build it in fact, it will be true beauty ”.

Donatella Cinelli Colombini ( International Masi Civiltà del Vino Award) : “ Thanks to the Masi Foundation and its Jury who chose me and to the Boscaini family for this award, which fills me with emotion and pride. I am deeply honored and touched to receive the Masi Civiltà del Vino Award, an award that celebrates my commitment to wine tourism and to women in wine. In this year in which the Masi Award is dedicated to “Beauty”, it is essential to reflect on how the harmony and integrity of wine-growing districts are essential for the image of wine and for the development of tourism. This reflection inspires another equally important one: the need to preserve this beauty from overtourism, so that it can generate opportunities for economic development and environmental protection, both for the present and for the future” .

Brother Gedovar Nazzari – General Treasurer Opera Don Calabria ( Grosso D’Oro Veneziano) : “We are honored to receive this prestigious award from the Masi Foundation, an award in which we recognize motivations and ideals that are in deep harmony with the spirit of our Founder San Giovanni Calabria. We learned with pleasure that the theme of this year’s edition focuses on beauty, harmony and humanism. These are values to which Don Calabria attributed great importance and even today we try to put them at the center of our social, educational, health and pastoral activities present in all 5 continents. “We do the good we can and that little we try to do well” our founder loved to repeat to his collaborators. And again, he said: “All our children shine with the beauty of God”. With these words he referred to orphans, the poor, the sick, the least fortunate”.

President Isabella Bossi Fedrigotti applauds the winners, reiterating that: “’ The Virtuous Circle of Beauty’ is not just a theme, but a call to action. Every signature on this historic barrel of Amarone is a commitment to preserve and promote the values that make our territory and our culture special. It is our duty to continue to cultivate this beauty, in all its forms ”.

On November 11, Palazzo Valentini will host the final of the Competition dedicated to the best professional wine merchants in Italy and a round table on the theme of the future of the wine sector.

The finalists of the Best Professional Winemaker of Italy 2024 Competition will meet for the final on November 11 at Palazzo Valentini, in the heart of Rome. The Competition, organized by AEPI (Associazione Enotecari Professionisti Italiani), aims to enhance the figure of the Professional Winemaker , a constantly growing role that is attracting more and more young people, as demonstrated by the finalists, most of whom are Under 30. This initiative not only celebrates excellence in the sector, but also aims to encourage winemakers to continually improve , stimulating them to get involved, deepen their knowledge and develop critical thinking.

The six finalists of the Competition are: Daniele Liurni (Rome), Diletta Landozzi (Siena), Mattia Manganaro (Brescia), for the Bottle Shop category, and Silvia Angelozzi (Alba Adriatica, TE), Lorenzo Longhi (Milan) and Nicola Prestini (Brescia) for the Wine Shop with Glass of Wine category.

During the test, the finalists will have to deal with complex topics, which require analytical skills, reasoning ability and a solid technical preparation , functional to be able to answer questions both in Italian and in English, which combine listening skills, imagination, adaptability, empathy and sometimes knowledge of the psychology of the customer.

There are two categories of participation: the first is dedicated to wine merchants who work in shops with take-away sales, and the second is reserved for those who work in public establishments that also serve wine, such as wine bars, wine shops and taverns, where it is possible to taste and buy wines and spirits.

Finally, special prizes will be awarded: Best Winemaker Under 30 , sponsored by the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium, Best Italian Winemaker Abroad , under the aegis of the Consorzio Tutela Vini Friuli Colli Orientali.

The announcement and award ceremony for the winners will begin at 6:15 p.m., preceded at 5:00 p.m. by the round table “The role of the professional winemaker: today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow”, moderated by Carlo Hausmann. During the meeting , the challenges and future opportunities of the wine sector will be discussed , addressing topics such as alcohol-free wine, natural wines, overproduction and new consumer trends. The Consortium for the Protection of DOC Cirò and Melissa Wines, the Consortium for the Protection of Chianti Classico Wines, the Consortium for the Protection of Colli Orientali and Ramandolo Friuli, the Institute for the Protection of Grappa del Trentino and the Consortium for the Protection of Wines del Trentino will be present.

Who is the Professional Winemaker?

The Enotecario is establishing itself as a complex and multifunctional figure, not limited to the simple sale of wine. In addition to advising on the choice of purchasing wines, it organizes courses for approaching wine, manages private tastings and offers personalized advice for the management of cellars.

Furthermore, the Enotecario is able to estimate the value of fine bottles, operating in a market monitored by the LivEx index which highlights the solidity of the sector even in times of crisis.

Last but not least, the Enotecario is an active communicator, collaborating with magazines, influencing social media and participating in juries of wine competitions, thus contributing to spreading the culture of wine.

A project wanted by the National Association Le Donne del Vino, supported by the Department of Agriculture of the Puglia Region and created by La Content to tell the stories and experiences of women who, through their professionalism, their charisma and networking, have determined the emancipation of an entire sector

“Donne, vino e segreti” is born, a podcast to inspire, emancipate and bring awareness to the role and professionalism of women in the world of the Italian wine industry.

The project, strongly supported by the National Association Le Donne del Vino (1200 members who work in the wine sector), was created by the agency specialized in storytelling, digital strategy and content creation La Content and supported by the Department of Agriculture of the Puglia Region with the aim of promoting gender equality, sustainable economic growth and the reduction of inequalities. The first 2 episodes of “Donne, vino e segreti” are available from today, on Spotify and all the main music streaming platforms. Here is the link to listen to them:

But the road to bridging the gender gap in this sector, still strongly characterized by male figures, is long. This is precisely the goal of the podcast “Donne, vino e segreti”: to share, through five episodes, stories and testimonies of extraordinary women who have in common not only a passion for the world of wine, but also having had to face challenges to emerge and assert themselves, confronting gender barriers and prejudices. In this podcast, revealing the “secrets” becomes an act of courage that contributes to creating representation, to building a space in which to identify and to give the right visibility to open the doors to the future and in particular to the new generations. Each of these women has not only contributed to the growth and innovation of this sector, but has also maintained a deep connection with tradition and the land, innovating or preserving. Giving shape and voice to this journey, supported by La Content, is Giulia Blasi , author of the podcast, writer and activist known for her commitment to female empowerment and for her books that address issues of gender and social justice. The backdrop to these stories is Italy and its history, its wine culture and the world of wine entrepreneurship, explored by the narrative voices of Laura Donadoni , journalist and wine educator, expert in wines and wine culture, and of Le Donne del Vino .

“With the podcast ‘Donne, vino e segreti’ – says the national president of Le Donne del Vino Daniela Mastroberardino – we want to give voice to the extraordinary stories of women who, with commitment and passion, have transformed the world of wine in Italy. This project is an opportunity to tell the stories of determination and success of our female entrepreneurs, to show how much we can achieve together when we believe in the power of networking and sharing. We have chosen the podcast as a new form of communication to also speak to the new generations”. “After the tragic death of Marisa Leo – adds Marianna Cardone, national vice president of Donne del Vino and member of the Puglia delegation – we all felt the urgency to do something concrete for the women who work in our sector, but not only. One day I called Laura Donadoni. We were both deeply saddened, but from that conversation the spark was born: the right way to talk about emancipation and freedom and to address women by giving them strength through the stories of those who have overcome difficulties, could be a podcast. Thanks to the support of the regional councilor for Agriculture of the Puglia Region Donato Pentassuglia, that intuition is now a reality. The podcast remains, just as the voice of our women remains. They are authentic stories, sometimes uncomfortable, but those who listen must think: I can do it too!”

“With this podcast we give voice to women’s work, from the field to the cellar and beyond. We try to make them understand, through their own voice, the emotions, the joys and also the fears of this profession – underlines Donato Pentassuglia, Councilor for Agriculture of the Puglia Region – which is a combination of dedication, rootedness in one’s own territory, ability to bring new ideas to the management of old or new companies. In Puglia, 173 female-run companies participated in the 2023 call for proposals dedicated to vineyard renovation. They are not simply wives or daughters or granddaughters of long-time entrepreneurs in our land. They are tireless professionals, who love this work and who are often called upon to make complex choices. Telling their story through the innovative tool of the podcast will serve to reach many listeners in an engaging way, on the various platforms included in the project”.

In Italy, a third of entrepreneurs are women and women who lead agricultural businesses with vineyards and/or cellars are 28% [1] contributing to the growth of a sector that today is worth a total of 45 billion.

The longevity of Gewürztraminer Spätlese allows for a year of maturation to reach its expressive peak. Its primacy as an Italian white wine in the secondary market has been confirmed.

To reach the highest qualitative peaks, time and preparation are necessary. Hence the choice of Cantina Tramin to postpone the presentation of Epokale 2017 to 2025 , extending the refinement inside the Ridanna Monteneve mine by one year.

The long period spent in the darkness of the tunnels, at a constant temperature and humidity, is crucial in the evolution of the Gewürztraminer Spätlese, which since the 2016 vintage has returned to a style in line with its origins, more concentrated and intense.

“The 2017 vintage was characterized by the small quantity of grapes harvested in late October, slightly later than previous harvests – explains Willi Stürz , oenologist at Cantina Tramin –. With the slight over-ripening of the grapes we obtained a wine of immense substance and body, which enchants with its aromatic breadth. It is the result of a long refinement , further prolonged , because after many years of studies, tastings and reflections we have understood how the uniqueness of Epokale also lies in the time needed to reach a rare harmony, given by the ideal integration between concentration and freshness, power and elegance”.

The ratio between the residual sugar of approximately 66 g/l and the acidity of over 5 g/l is decisive in defining an aging potential of over twenty years , which together with the peculiarity of the refinement, the extremely limited number of examples and the selected distribution make Epokale a wine sought after by collectors of fine wines.

In 2023, Epokale established itself as the Italian white wine with the highest and most constant percentage growth in price – reaching 110% – and therefore in value , in the secondary market* , i.e. the place where already circulating securities are traded. To date, in a market that in the last year has been marked by a decrease in consumption and a growth in inflation, Cantina Tramin has recorded a stable position within international auctions.

“I believe this is a very positive factor, especially if we consider that some types of products, both Italian and foreign, despite the growth in prices at source, have undergone a correction by the end public once they were placed on the markets – explains Mattia Garon , Wine Expert at Catawiki – . Epokale maintains its primacy as an Italian white wine that manages to place itself alongside of the great names of Italian and international winemaking . Confirmation of this is provided by both the economic results that show stability but also by the research itself by the public. In particular the debut vintage 2009”.

Important results also for the 2015 and 2016 vintages, which on eWibe – the first live market dedicated to the buying and selling of fine wines – in the last 12 months have recorded a growth of 7.78% and 8.33% respectively.