Category: Wine Trade

Alto Adige Wine Summit 2025: Expanding Horizons and Strengthening Global Influence

The Consorzio Alto Adige Wines has successfully concluded the Alto Adige Wine Summit 2025, marking its most ambitious and internationally resonant edition to date. Held biennially, the summit serves as the preeminent platform for positioning Alto Adige as a dynamic contributor to the global wine dialogue, uniting international trade media, sommeliers, wine merchants, and hospitality professionals.

For the first time in its history, the summit extended its program by two additional days, reflecting its growing scope and influence. From September 4 to 8, a total of 82 delegates from thirteen countries immersed themselves in the cultural and viticultural fabric of Alto Adige. Participants engaged in exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences, in-depth tastings, and direct exchanges with local winegrowers and producers, thereby gaining a comprehensive understanding of the region’s unique terroirs and winemaking traditions.

The summit’s opening sessions introduced international wine journalists and opinion leaders to the region’s viticultural identity, while the expanded program specifically targeted sommeliers, wine merchants, and hospitality professionals. This deliberate broadening of audiences reflects Alto Adige’s strategic aim of deepening its global market presence and strengthening cross-sector partnerships.

A major highlight was the large-scale tasting hosted at NOI Techpark in Bolzano, which presented 365 wines from 100 producers. This unprecedented showcase provided delegates with a singular opportunity to appreciate the breadth, quality, and stylistic diversity of Alto Adige’s contemporary wine production.

The strong representation of U.S. media reinforced Alto Adige’s rising prominence in the American market, its most dynamic export destination.

With its expanded scope, the Alto Adige Wine Summit 2025 has further cemented its role as a global reference point for promoting wine culture, trade dialogue, and cross-cultural exchange, strengthening Alto Adige’s position within the evolving landscape of international wine.

Bulgaria Ushers in a New Era of Wine Tourism: Wine Routes, Sustainability + The UN Global Conference in Plovdiv

Bulgaria is uncorking a bold strategy to embrace wine tourism year-round, weaving together heritage, taste, and experience. Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh is championing wine not just as a drink, but as a strategic complement to the nation’s tourist heartbeat, whether that’s serene valleys, culture-rich cities, or hidden terroirs.

The ministry and the Bulgarian Wine Tourism Organization are plotting out immersive wine routes across celebrated regions like the Rose Valley and Thracian tills (one of Europe’s oldest wine-making territories).

They are also forging local alliances, linking up producers and municipalities, and pledging a national promotional fund to spotlight Bulgaria’s vintages on the global stage.

Bulgaria will also host the 9th UN Tourism Global Conference on Wine Tourism in Plovdiv on October 6–7, 2025. This forum, shaped by UN Tourism and Bulgaria’s Ministry of Tourism, aims to elevate wine tourism through sustainability, heritage, and innovation. Attendees from around 160 countries are expected to gather, offering a global stage for Bulgarian wine regions.

Radici del Sud 2025: Celebrating the Roots of Southern Italian Wine and Food

The twentieth edition of Radici del Sud recently concluded spectacularly, marking another milestone for this renowned annual celebration of Southern Italian wine and culinary excellence. Held from June 4–9, 2025, at the historic former Distillery Paolo Cassano in Gioia del Colle, Puglia, this unique gathering brought together wine producers, international buyers, critics, journalists, and passionate consumers to celebrate and promote the authentic flavours of the South.

A Rich History of Southern Italian Wine Promotion

Founded in 2005, Radici del Sud (literally “Roots of the South”) was created to highlight the often-underestimated viticulture of Southern Italy. What began as a showcase exclusively for Apulian wineries has significantly grown over the years to include wines from all Southern Italian regions: Puglia, Campania, Calabria, Basilicata, Sicily, Molise, Abruzzo, and Sardinia.

The event’s mission remains unchanged: to highlight the unique identity of these wines and support producers in reaching international markets. This is achieved through professional tastings, B2B meetings, and conferences that emphasize sustainability and indigenous grape varieties such as Primitivo, Negroamaro, Aglianico, Nero d’Avola, and Greco.

The 2025 Event Experience

This year’s edition offered participants a complete immersion into Southern Italian wine culture. Guided tours on June 5 and 6 introduced guests to historic sites, local cellars, and Mediterranean cuisine at top restaurants. On June 7 and 8, structured B2B meetings paired producers with industry professionals, with about 20 wine producers featured in each session. These intimate exchanges allowed winemakers to tell the story of their wines and present full portfolios.

The festivities concluded on June 9 with a grand tasting featuring more than 100 wine and olive oil producers from Southern Italy. Open to both enthusiasts and industry specialists, this showcase gave importers and visitors the opportunity to discover new products while exploring the beautiful city of Bari.

Wine Competition and Quality Recognition

A highlight of Radici del Sud is its prestigious wine competition, where an international panel conducts blind tastings of hundreds of wines. The judges assess both technical excellence and the ability to express terroir and tradition.

This year’s tasting revealed exceptional quality across categories: Puglian rosés stood out with their bright character, Calabrian whites showed impressive complexity, and Southern Italy’s signature bold reds reaffirmed their distinctive intensity and depth.

Beyond Wine: Celebrating Culinary Heritage

Radici del Sud also celebrates the culinary traditions of the South with cooking shows, tastings, and presentations by chefs and food artisans. This holistic approach reinforces the deep connection between land, wine, and cuisine.

Wine Tourism in Puglia

Puglia has become a top wine tourism destination, as underscored by the event. Most wineries now offer tasting rooms and visitor facilities, while many provide integrated experiences such as cooking classes, wellness programs, vineyard dinners, sunset tastings, and grape harvest participation. With accommodations available at many estates, wine lovers can fully immerse themselves in the local terroir.

A Platform for Southern Italian Excellence

Over two decades, Radici del Sud has become a vital platform for showcasing the hidden gems of Italy’s southern wine regions. In an industry often dominated by northern and central Italian wines, it gives voice to the South, where sun, soil, and centuries of tradition create wines of remarkable character.

The 20th edition once again demonstrated that Southern Italian wines deserve recognition on the global stage. By highlighting authentic, terroir-driven wines and supporting local producers, Radici del Sud strengthens Southern Italy’s reputation as a source of distinctive, high-quality wines rooted in cultural and geographical heritage.

Filippo Magnani

Welsh Wine Industry Thrives Amid Climate Shifts and Strategic Innovation

In the rolling hills of Wales, a quiet revolution is underway. Once considered too cold and damp for viticulture, the Welsh countryside is now home to a burgeoning wine industry that is defying expectations and thriving amid climate shifts and strategic innovation.

As global temperatures rise, regions previously unsuitable for grape cultivation are experiencing longer growing seasons and milder winters. Welsh vineyards are capitalizing on these changes, planting varieties that flourish in cooler climates and investing in technologies that enhance yield and quality.

Dr Kate Gannon has researched the impact of climate change on UK wine, said warming temperatures meant Wales had become “more suitable” for wine production, but warned of challenges ahead.

Local winemakers are embracing sustainable farming practices, from organic soil management to water conservation techniques, ensuring that growth does not come at the expense of environmental stewardship. These efforts are not only producing exceptional wines but also positioning Wales as a model for climate-resilient agriculture.

The Welsh wine sector remains small compared to its English neighbour and is made up of micro-producers, but it has been growing rapidly. The Food Standards Agency Wales said 59 vineyards across the country were registered with them at the end of July.

The rise of wine tourism in Wales is another testament to the industry’s success. Visitors are drawn to the scenic vineyards, tasting rooms, and the stories of passionate vintners who are redefining what it means to produce wine in the UK.

With award-winning reds and sparkling wines gaining recognition, the Welsh wine industry is proving that innovation and adaptability can turn climate challenges into opportunities. As the vines of change continue to grow, Wales stands poised to become a key player in the global wine landscape.

Historic Shake-Up: Château Lafleur Exits the Pomerol Appellation

Château Lafleur announced a few days ago that it is withdrawing from both the Pomerol AOC and wider Bordeaux designation from the 2025 vintage, with all six wines in the Société Civile du Château Lafleur group set to become Vins de France.

Here are some excerpts from the Guinaudeau family Letter:

“Climate is changing fast and hard, that much is clear. The vintages 2015, 2019, and above all 2022, were all strong evidence of that. 2025 goes a step further. We must think, readapt, act.”

“Our decision-making and the resulting practices are in fact evolving much faster than what is authorised in our Appellations of Origine system.”

“Consequently, while maintaining the utmost respect for our fellow producers and the appellations of Pomerol and Bordeaux, we have decided to cease adhering to the appellations of Pomerol and Bordeaux beginning with the 2025 vintage.”

“The six wines of Société Civile du Château Lafleur will be designated as Vin de France beginning with the 2025 vintage.”