Vinitaly
{{Short description|International wine competition held annually in Italy}}
File:Vinitaly 2011 press meeting.jpg
Vinitaly is an international wine competition and exposition that is held annually in April in Verona city, region of Veneto, in northeast Italy. The event is exclusively for wine professionals featuring an average of 3000 wines from several dozen countries.Fodor Travel Fodor's Italy 2014 pg 622 Random House LLC, Oct 1, 2013 {{ISBN|0770432328}} First held in 1967, VinItaly has been called the "most important convention of domestic and international wines"Rick Steves "[https://books.google.com/books?id=0aF5kMsBcDIC&dq=VinItaly&pg=PA194 Rick Steve's Italy 2013]" pg 194, Avalon Travel, Jan 8, 2013 and the "largest wine show in the world".Marc Vetri, David Joachim "[https://books.google.com/books?id=JccF30nq8QwC&dq=VinItaly&pg=PA142 Rustic Italian Food]" pg 142, Random House LLC, Nov 1, 2011C. Michael Hall, Liz Sharples "[https://books.google.com/books?id=YdsTuxwo3sAC&dq=VinItaly&pg=PA13 Food and Wine Festivals and Events Around the World]" pg 13, Routledge, Jun 14, 2012
For producers in the Italian wine industry, attendance and the reception that their wines receive is considered a barometer for measuring the health and success of the market, particularly for emerging Italian wine regions. The event is also used as an opportunity by wineries to release new wines and wine styles or announce partnerships with universities, organic and biodynamic wine organizations or even other wineries.Bill Nesto & Frances Di Savino The World of Sicilian Wine pgs 41, 62, 123, University of California Press, Feb 9, 2013, {{ISBN|9780520955073}} Along with Vinexpo, which is held every other year in the French wine region of Bordeaux, VinItaly is considered one of the premier international wine events.Thom Elkjer and Tony Aspler Adventures in Wine: True Stories of Vineyards and Vintages Around the World pg 100, Travelers' Tales, 2002, {{ISBN|9781885211804}}Alice Feiring "The Battle for Wine and Love: or How I Saved the World from Parkerization" pgs 140-141, Mariner Books (May 5, 2009) {{ISBN|0156033267}}
Wine competition
File:Civiltà del Bere a Vinitaly, 12 bianchi immortali.jpg
The wine competition aspect of VinItaly involves a sensory judgement of wines grouped within their own category—dry wine, sweet wine, still wine, sparkling wine, fortified wine, etc. The wines are judged by five member panels which usually includes two Italian judges, two members of the international wine press and an additional, non-Italian judge. After calculating the average of the scores received by the five judges, with the highest and lowest scores tossed, wines are awarded medals (in descending order of prestige) of Grand Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze.M. L. Balinski, Rida Laraki "[https://books.google.com/books?id=sSXxXBxuorIC&dq=VinItaly&pg=PA152 Majority Judgment: Measuring, Ranking, and Electing]" pg 152, MIT Press, 2010
Industry awards
File:Vinitaly, vista dei padiglioni dall'alto.jpg
File:Vinitaly 2011 inside exhibition hall.jpg
In addition to awards giving to individual wines, the VinItaly expo also host the award presentation for several industry awards in the field of wine journalism. These awards include Best Foreign Magazine which has been won by such wine publications as Wine Enthusiast Magazine (2010) and Decanter (2012),Claudia Ricci "[http://www.winemag.com/Web-2012/Monica-Larner-Named-Best-International-Journalist/ Monica Larner Named Best International Journalist]" Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Web 2012. Accessed: December 19th, 2013 Best Young Journalist won by wine writers such as Monica Larner (2008 and 2010)Editors "[http://www.winemag.com/April-2010/Wine-Enthusiast-Magazine-Wins-Best-Magazine-at-Grandi-Cru-Vinitaly-Awards/ Wine Enthusiast Magazine Wins Best Magazine at Grandi Cru Vinitaly Awards]", Wine Enthusiast Magazine, April 2010. Accessed: December 19th, 2013 and Matt Skinner (2012), Best Italian Journalist won by Ian D'Agata and Best International Journalist, also won by Larner (2012).
Since 1996, VinItaly has also given out a top International Vinitaly Award to wineries and individuals who have contributed to spreading wine culture international. Previous winners of this award have included:Wine News "[http://www.winenews.it/index.php?c=detail&id=15835&dc=15 CRISTINA MARIANI, JEANNIE CHO LEE, AND LIDIA BASTIANICH RECEIVE THE 2009 INTERNATIONAL VINITALY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION, THE DISPERSION OF THE WINE CULTURE IN ASIA, AND THE PROMOTION OF THE ITALIAN WINE AND FOOD CULTURE IN THE U.S.]", April 8th, 2009. Accessed: December 19th, 2013
- Marvin Shanken, founder of Wine Spectator (1996)
- Nicolò Incisa of Rocchetta, owner of the Super Tuscan wine Sassicaia (1996)
- Corinne Mentzelopoulos, owner of the First Growth Bordeaux wine estate Château Margaux (1997)
- Robert Mondavi, California wine producer (1998)
- Pablo Alvarez, owner of the Spanish winery Vega-Sicilia (1999)
- Aldo Conterno, Piedmont wine producer (2000)
- Penfolds, Australian winery (2000),
- Trapiche-Peñaflor, Argentinian winery (2001)
- Gianni Zonin, Italian producer of Prosecco (2003
- Kendall Jackson, California wine producer (2003)
- Mastroberardino, Campanian wine producer (2004)
- Segura Viudas, Spanish Cava producer (2004)
- Alexander Payne, film director of ''Sideways (2005)
- Hugh Johnson, Master of wine and wine writer (2008)
- Jeannie Cho Lee, first Asian Master of wine and wine writer (2010)
- Lidia Bastianich, Italian chef and wine writer (2010)
- Castello Banfi, Tuscan wine producer (2010)
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.vinitaly.com/EN VinItaly] - Official Site (in English)
{{Economy of Italy}}