Soave celebrates fifty years since the founding of the denomination in 1968, but many more if we consider its recognition as the first typical fine Italian wine in 1931 or if we look even further back to the first mapping of Soave, the Kreigskarte, under the Austo-Hungarian Empire in 1805. During this edition of Vinitaly, Soave will focus on the future of the denomination, which today, guarantees the livelihood of nearly 3,000 small businesses.

The highlights of Soave at Vinitaly

– The protection and promotion of the historic and heroic vineyards in the Soave Classico

– The introduction of the official Cru system

– Sustainable advanced model of biodiversity

– New bottling regulations

– Pioneering research and tools for digital marketing

– Market readiness and internationalization

– The Soave Enoteca returns by popular demand in a new position. Visitors can taste

through the 2017 vintage and a selection of the previous two vintages on their own or

with the assistance of a sommelier.

This quite small territory, compared to its larger neighbors in the Veneto, is characterized by small farms, historic vineyards and steep slopes. The same Soave hills have been recently acknowledged as the first Italian rural historic landscape. The denomination, despite an increasingly competitive international market over the past decades, has held on to both hectares and market share. Our celebration of this milestone at Vinitaly will be a look ahead to the next fifty years of Soave.

The recently approved specification of additional geographical units (u.g.a.), an equivalent to the French cru system, gives producers new tools to promote the unique characteristics of their wines and maintain a competitive advantage.

New regulations for bottling in the area will give further protection to the production within Soave by ensuring traceability and compliance. The acknowledgement of historical vineyards and the almost entirely manual “heroic” viticulture on the steep slopes of Soave is a first step toward safeguarding the livelihood of the many small farms and wineries, and the beauty of the historic landscape. An equally important goal, is the further development of our unique model of vineyard management, which aims to protect and further improve biodiversity, to limit erosion and to contrast the effects of climate change.

Here are the other topics that will be discussed during Vinitaly 2018

Sunday, April 15th

The wines of 2017 and the projects of 2018 in the 50 years of the denomination.

At 11:30 am the Consortium director, Aldo Lorenzoni, will open with a wine conference. Each topic will cover significant issues and will be paired  with an iconic Soave wine.

– Historical vineyards

– Introduction to the Soave Cru (UGA)

– Sustainability models

– Innovative research (No Rolling Stones, Ithaca)

From 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm – Target market: Buyer – Producer meetings focused on Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia and China. Organised by the Consortium of Soave, in collaboration with Verona Fiere and Ice.

Monday, April 16th

Soave to conquer the markets

The whole day of the monday is dedicated to the internationalization with a series of meetings dedicated to the Russian and Chinese market. In the afternoon the Soave will meet students from the Burgundy School of Business, interested in the activity of the Consortium and its role in the promotion of the territory. In fact, Soave exports the majority of its production, especially in historic markets such as Germany or the United States, but it is making its way also in Japan, where it is constantly growing and in Russia, where after a period of uncertainty, has returned to shelves and restaurants. Preparing producers through updates and training is key to keeping pace with international markets maintaining leadership in the Italian white wine market.

Tuesday 17 April

Emotions, wine and the impact of digital

Throughout the day, the staff of Sgaravato Consultancy will be available to demonstrate the link between territory and the digital world in wine marketing. A wine able to evoke a sense of place may also positively impact the price customers are willing to pay. Sgaravato’s team has developed analytical models through their neuro-scientific and behavioural psychology research and will highlight the relevant aspects of a digital approach to the world of wine.

For the entire duration of Vinitaly the Enoteca Soave will be active, a unique way to taste the 2017 vintage and the best expressions of Soave 2016 and 2015. At the Enoteca, a sommelier will be available to orient visitors who are new to Soave and to explain the new cru system.