The annual report: thumbs up for 2021, a brilliant 2022 coming
Now all the region's DOC Consortiums are being represented inside the network, which is ever growing and aiming at reaching new goals. 2022 will be a challenging year, as Duino Aurisina – Devin Nabrežina was chosen as Città Italiana del Vino 2022 – Italian City of Wine of The Year. In 2021 it lost to Barolo (land of the namesake famous red wine in Piedmont) for just one point, and is now relishing its victory which will be prompting a string of events throughout the following months, not only in the town itself but in the regional area as a whole: a golden opportunity to put Friuli Venezia Giulia on the national and global wine tourism map. The opening ceremony will kick off on March 12th at Duino Castle, unveiling all the programme.
Beside that, new projects are on the way, with increasing focuses on sustainability and education by involving schools, winemakers and consortiums. Tiziano Venturini, Friuli Venezia Giulia district coordinator for Città del Vino (and also a member of the national association's board) and his second-in-command Maurizio D'Osualdo shared more news for the 2022 programme: the first step being the enhancement of summer events (such as the widely appreciated “Calici di Stelle”), the Friulian section will work on a new project of tourist-friendly grape harvest, and for the nomination of Gorizia and Gradisca d’Isonzo as eligible hosts of the 2024 Città del Vino's National Wine Contest.
2021 was a good year, despite the pandemic still hovering on the organization of live events. Città del Vino FVG successfully launched the Erasmus project “Wine Me” for European students directly involving winemakers, and the “Agro Tech Specialist Classes” along with Udine's high school “Malignani”, plus a sustainability project with Udine University. Events like “Calici di Stelle”, “Un calice a teatro” (A Glass at The Theatre), “Festival Vini e Gusti in Musica” (Festival Wines and Flavours in Music) managed to put together more than 200 local winemakers.
Floriano Zambon, Città del Vino ex national president (who just left last November, making way for the new one, Angelo Radica) was also in attendance at the assembly, as well as Francesco Marangon, newly assigned Città del Vino Ambassador and teacher at Udine University, and Rodolfo Rizzi, Assoenologi FVG president.
The national network Città del Vino started in 1987 in Siena (Tuscany), with only 39 mayors. It's now made of 500 members all over Italy, from North to South: cities, provinces, regions, parks and institutions from territories strongly and historically linked to winemaking. Its main goal is to help developing a sustainable and more effective wine tourism, by enhancing the associates' key strengths: local wines and products, local wineries, tourist accomodations and historical, architectural and natural routes.
Currently the regional section Città del Vino FVG counts 33 members, representing an overall 150,000 inhabitants. 29 of them are towns all around Friuli Venezia Giulia: Aquileia, Bertiolo, Buttrio, Camino al Tagliamento, Capriva del Friuli, Casarsa della Delizia, Chiopris Viscone, Cividale del Friuli, Cormons, Corno di Rosazzo, Dolegna dl Collio, Duino Aurisina – Devin Nabrežina, Gorizia, Gradisca D’Isonzo, Latisana, Manzano, Mariano del Friuli, Moraro, Nimis, Palazzolo dello Stella, Pocenia, Povoletto, Premariacco, Prepotto, San Giorgio della Richinvelda, Sequals, Sesto al Reghena, Trivignano Udinese, Torreano. Plus four Prolocos: Casarsa della Delizia, Buri Buttrio, Mitreo Duino Aurisina and Risorgive Medio Friuli Bertiolo.
All photos taken from Città del Vino Friuli Venezia Giulia's official Facebook page