January 2023 was a month of balance for the world of wine. In Italy, then, it has been characterized by heated discussions on wine and health, while the future is causing concern, with layoffs and the difficulty of attacking the younger target audience. Here are the 8 wine news of the month selected by Sommelier Wine Box.
What will we remember January 2023 for in the world of wine? Here is the wine news you absolutely must know.
1. WINE AND HEALTH
The news of the month, in Italy, was undoubtedly the discussion on the effects of wine consumption on human health.
It all started, between the 13th and 14th of the month, from the controversial Assoenologi symposium called "Wine and health between nutrition and well-being". Assoenologi has stood out in recent months for a direct attack on the European institutions with the aim of countering the proposal to include information on the risk of contracting cancer in wine bottles, with arguments ranging from the lack of distinction between use and abuse to other more reckless such as the hypothesis that a deliberate attack on Italian agri-food is underway - at European level.
Antonella Viola (immunologist and Full Professor of General Pathology at the University of Padua) gave an interview to Corriere del Veneto which sparked a powerful outcry in the world of wine. In particular, Viola gave her support to Ireland's choice, approved by the European Commission, to equate alcohol and cigarettes and to include health warnings on alcohol labels.
He later wrote about it in La Stampa .
There was no shortage of responses in defense of moderate consumption from colleagues, including Matteo Bassetti (Full Professor of the University of Genoa and Director of the Infectious Diseases Clinic at the Policlinico San Martino Hospital, GE).
You can read about it here or here .
2. GOODBYE
Currado and Elena Vietti leave Vietti, their family winery, the historical name of Barolo since the late nineteenth century.
The company was acquired in 2016 by the Krause group, again under the direction of Luca and Elena, a fact that guaranteed the global diffusion of the brand, bringing the winery to the top of international criticism. With the beginning of 2023 their entrepreneurial path split from that of Kyle Krause.
Among others, Wine News writes about it, as does the international press .
3. EVENTS
On January 25th a symposium on the state of the American wine industry was held in Sacramento (California) which did not leave much optimism about the future. The causes are rising interest rates, rising costs, a budding recession and declining consumer confidence, as well as fears among California growers that they won't be able to have a normal harvest this year.
Between January 27th and 29th, an event called ZinEX was held in San Francisco entirely dedicated to the Zinfandel grape. Jancis Robinson took the opportunity to retrace the history of the vine after discovering that it is the same variety as Primitivo, as well as Tribidrag, Pribidrag and Crljenak.
The last weekend of January saw Venice host a three-day event at the Scuola della Misericordia. This is the Wine Red Carpet programme, in which ethics, identity and innovation in the sector were discussed, with training sessions, insights and talks.
4. CALIFORNIA
California's largest winery lays off 355 employees. This is E. & J. Gallo and the news must be placed in the context of the recent mass layoffs in the Bay Area.
Napa Valley wines will be more expensive in 2023. In fact, according to Silicon Valley Bank's newly released State of the U.S. Wine Industry Report, 71% of Napa Valley wineries said they plan to raise the prices of their wines. bottles.
Read more about that report here .
To Kalon Winery, an important Californian company, has obtained organic certification . And this is important news for the local panorama.
5. BURGUNDY
We wrote about the crisis, and the protests, of the Bordeaux vignerons in December 2022. Last January, the analysis of a report was also released which states that 70% of Bordeaux winemakers earn less than the French minimum wage. Bad indicator for the region.
6. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
January was the time for taking stock of the past year and for strategic analysis for the future, and among the most important challenges that the world of wine has to face is the lack of relevance for the very young.
Read more about it here and here .
7. FINE WINES
Although Champagne producers do not see an entirely rosy future, some 2021 results recorded by LiveTrade , a financial platform, were presented by Matthew O'Connell. Speaking to the beverage sector O'Connell offered encouraging data for Fine Wines, including Bordeaux and Burgundy: the market could be heading towards a consolidation phase but also towards real momentum. We'll see.
8. MOURNING
Luciano Sandrone, one of the greatest Barolo producers ever, has died. Many people write about it, including Daniele Cernilli , according to whom "Luciano Sandrone's wines reflected his mild character, the kind and smiling man he was, the person who did not want to teach anything, but only to make wines that gave account of their origin, with a clean and precise technique.”
But the memories were numerous and also from abroad. For example, you can also read about it here or here .
