PRESS RELEASE – Bologna, 30 November 2016 – The Enologica fair – the annual food and wine show in Bologna – has just closed its doors following a triumphant coronation of Pignoletto as the king of white wines in Emilia Romagna. From Modena to Bologna, Pignoletto increasingly appears on wine lists and featured strongly in nominations for the prestigious award Premio Carta Canta, which recognizes the best of traditional regional wines. To think that until recently this wine had been neglected, if not ignored. Rather than its success being the result of critical acclaim, credit is due to the market for rediscovering and carrying Pignoletto to new heights.
Encouraged by growing demand, wine producers of Pignoletto in Emilia Romagna set about increasing the plantings of ‘Grechetto Gentile’ – the grape from which the wine is produced – on the plain between Modena and Forlì as well as on the slopes of the Bologna Hills. A focus on improving quality has borne fruit in boosting sales, which according to official statistics show double-digit annual growth in recent years. Wine professionals and critics have not been slow to recognize the quality and character of this wine with the Touring Club Book of Good Wines 2017 awarding Pignoletto one of the three crowns bestowed on the region’s white wines. In addition, the respected Italian Sommeliers’ Association wine guide, Vitae 2017, includes only five wines from Emilia Romagna of which two are Pignoletto. The litmus paper test of the buzz surrounding Pignoletto is evident from the number of wine producers leading its renaissance, of which many are young entrepreneurs who believe in its quality and characteristics.
During the three days of the fair dedicated to wines of Emilia Romagna, this year’s edition – the nineteenth of the show – celebrated Pignoletto like never before with a series of press tours, workshops and evening functions. Top chefs Aurora Mazzucchelli and Alberto Bettini delighted visitors with a selection of traditional dishes partnered by this multi-faceted wine.
Pignoletto is a story of collaboration between small and large producers, as well as public and private organizations, which have come together to form the producer group Pignoletto Emilia Romagna Consortium. A key aim of the Consortium is to promote and protect the DOC designation of its wines and works alongside the Bologna Hills Consortium (Consorzio dei Colli Bolognesi) on matters concerning DOCG status of regional wines. The two organizations join forces in collaborating with regional government bodies and the European Commission to develop and implement policies designed to protect this wine and its area of production. A strategy that has produced pleasing results with respect to: regulatory, production and promotional activities. “This forward-thinking approach to denomination was launched a few years ago”, said Francesco Cavazza Isolani – president of both consortiums, “and has made a real impact with consumers and, at the same time, focused producers on a more precise positioning of their wines.” Thanks to numerous factors contributing to the renewed popularity of this wine producers, across the region, are working to raise quality levels, volumes and the image of Pignoletto. It is not by chance that Antonio Paolini has described it as “a wine with a future: the Italian white wine with the best prospects for growth.”
For further information: Jessica Busoli, Press office Consorzio Pignoletto Emilia-Romagna c/o fruitecom, Phone: +39 059 7863883, jessica.busoli@fruitecom.it
