Perhaps it is because spring is in the air or because some of us have managed to get home and see family and friends, but, we Italians are feeling energized by this Phase 2.
However, although the worst is over, it is not yet time to put everything behind us.
It is the reason we decided to pen this article RECALLING everything that has been going on (only) in the wine world over the past two months.
We are not going to focus on misfortunes and fiascos but on the awesome events and projects that would not have seen the light of day if they had not been invented in the dark.
Yes, because Phase 2 is not the end of this ordeal, but we believe that with healthy optimism we can get on top of it.
All in all, the swallow’s song is inviting us to make a go of it.
Here are the events that really caught our eye:
WINE BLOG ROLL RECOUNTS THE VINEYARDS OF ITALY
Followers and friends of Francesco Saverio Russo, a famous Italian blogger, and author behind Wine Blog Roll know that he is passionate about vines and the agronomic side of wine.
This is the reason he decided to make winemakers and the vineyards the unrivaled champions of his #CondividiLaTuaVigna (ShareYourVineyard) project.
By totally opening up his extremely busy social network channels, he has given a voice to many winemakers to talk about what they feel deeply about, at least regarding wine: the activities carried out in the vineyard, the vegetative state of the vines, or information on the seasonal evolution of grape varieties grown.
A great option for meeting and exchanging views with wine aficionados and winemakers, seeing that no visits to vineyards are on the cards and big wine tasting events have been canceled.
DIVINEA: WELCOME TO SMART TASTING!
A small start-up with a brilliant idea!
Divinea is a wine tour portal in Italy, which allows people to book wine tasting sessions, visits to vineyards and wine, and food excursions at the best Italian wineries.
It is certainly not the first business concept that springs to mind in a quarantine and lockdown period. But they did not panic. Quite the contrary.
They created an incredible virtual wine tasting format that bet everything on being digital. This is how Smart Tasting came about.
It consists of a package/wine tasting meaning that people may receive three selected bottles at home, with the option of linking up with the winemaker that will steer them through a real wine tasting session for one hour.
An original and smart way to stay close to our favorite vineyards and a great chance to discover new ones.
CANTINA SOCIAL: STICK CLOSE TO WINEMAKERS, REMAINING AT THE WINERY
The magnificent three behind Cantina Social, Adriano Amoretti, Matteo Franco, and John Murnane are simply awesome. But we already knew that.
However, lately, they have proved they are both great professionals and great guys.
Under the hashtag #iorestoincantina (#StayAtTheWinery), they launched an event that involved numerous vineyards and has generated sales revenue totaling € 75,000.00 of which € 8,500.00 given in charity to national and regional organizations.
The vineyards taking part in the project made a selection of representative wines available at a lower price compared to the winery one and also paid for shipping, donating at least 10% of sales to a hospital in their region or directly to the Italian Civil Protection Agency.
A simple and, for this reason, a successful idea that was a winner for all participants: winemakers and #Winelovers, alike.
The genuine spirit of sharing underlying the action of Cantina Social was, in our opinion, the coolest part of the project. Because – as the three Wine Influencers often highlight – the many winemakers they have got to meet over the years have become real friends.
VINHOOD AND DIGITAL EVENTS
And, on a final note, we would like to tell you about our events.
Due to this exceptional period, we have created new digital event formats.
So, that is how Digital WineShow and Vinhood Academy were launched.
The first format is a digital version of our classic Wineshows, created specifically to be equally engaging, with nothing to envy to the person-to-person ones.
Participants, after having purchased the same bottle, meet up on Zoom where, thanks to a presenter and a sommelier, they are guided through wine tasting games in a compelling quiz.
Blind tasting, challenges, loads of laughs, and the chance to meet new people are the event’s strengths.
By contrast, the VINHOOD Academy is the first digital course for approaching the wine world, which is both fun and educational.
Following a simple and original approach, thanks to our #Caratteri (#Characters), we aim to provide tools and notions for selecting a wine and knowing how to accompany it following your personal taste inclinations.
It has been designed for wine lovers that want to understand more about this product by learning what is behind a label, as well as better appreciating the wine they are drinking.
Both formats will be integrated into their respective “physical” versions as soon as this will be possible.
But this digital version means we can achieve something awesome: connect people all over Italy, at the same time, thanks to wine and, why not, all over the globe, too. We intend to keep these events in our calendar also in the future.
A fun chance to catch up with faraway friends and to make new ones.
The next updates will be published shortly, so keep on following us to find out more.
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