Prosecco DOC continues to attract the interest of foreign monopolies, with recent significant developments in Sweden and Quebec.
SWEDEN
Meeting with Systembolaget
On 20 September 2024, a meeting with three representatives of the Swedish monopoly Systembolaget AB, together with sustainability experts from the UK, was held at the headquarters of the Consorzio di tutela della DOC Prosecco. Among the participants were:
Marcus Dahlin – Purchasing Manager for Italian wines, Systembolaget
Linda Johansson – Sustainability expert, Systembolaget
Marie Hultin – Manager of the sparkling and red wine category, Systembolaget
Simon Mason – Head of wine sustainability, The Wine Society UK
Peter Stanbury – Research Manager, Sustainable Wine Roundtable UK
After a general presentation on the Prosecco DOC with an overview of exports to the Scandinavian country, the focus was on the numerous projects implemented by the Consortium in the field of sustainability, a key aspect for the Swedish monopoly. On the environmental level, one of the various projects was the development and certification of organisation and product carbon and water footprint calculators. As far as social commitment is concerned, one of the most appreciated projects was the one concerning social inclusion: proposed in collaboration with Veneto Lavoro and Caritas, it will consist of putting wine companies in contact with unemployed people in the denomination’s territory.
CANADA
SAQ Monopoly: promotion initiatives for Prosecco DOC
Over the past 12 months, sales of Prosecco DOC in Québec have performed well thanks to intense promotional activities – such as the Prosecco DOC Month in Alberta – conducted by the Consortium in collaboration with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada. New promotional activities dedicated to Prosecco DOC on the SAQ are therefore planned.
First of all, the opening of a new listing in October 2024 to increase the Prosecco DOC references available in the Quebec market, with particular interest in organic labels.
The focus on Veneto-Friuli bubbles continues in the Canadian autumn with the ‘Gres-à-Gres Promotion’, i.e. the organisation of in-store tastings in 20 shops selected by the SAQ Monopoly around the Montréal area. Real corners will be set up, manned by expert staff to help customers discover the identity of authentic Prosecco DOC in all its nuances.
The promotion campaign finally culminates with the organisation of the ‘Prosecco DOC Salon’: an event organised by the monopoly, in collaboration with CCIC, exclusively dedicated to Prosecco DOC bubbles. The event is scheduled to take place between February and March 2025, and will be attended by an audience highly selected by SAQ, who in addition to tasting listed and unlisted labels, will have the opportunity to purchase bottles of Prosecco DOC directly during the event.
Prosecco DOC concludes the summer in the Far East with ‘Prosecco Month’ in Vietnam and some interesting initiatives in Taiwan.
‘PROSECCO MONTH’ in VIETNAM
After the success of Prosecco Month in Alberta and Japan, it is Vietnam’s turn. From 15 August to 5 September 2024, Prosecco DOC landed in Ho Chi Minh, the country’s most populous city, to promote the famous Italian bubbly in the city’s restaurants and wine bars, taking advantage of the combination of two significant cultural events, the Italian Ferragosto (15th August to 5th September) and Vietnam’s National Day (2/09), to boost sales of Prosecco DOC.
Participating restaurants offered menus paired with Prosecco DOC, curated by trained sommeliers in cooperation with the Sai Gon Sommelier Association. The restaurants, assisted by sommeliers, promoted the sale of Prosecco DOC by the glass and in bottles to customers. The participating companies are Abbazia di San Gaudenzio, Bottega, Cantine Riunite & Civ., La Cantina Pizzolato, Mionetto, Montelvini, Pitars, Ruffino, San Simone and Villa Sandi.
BUBBLES IN TAIWAN
From 21 August to 3 September in 66 Carrefour Taiwan shops, a shelf promotion dedicated to Prosecco DOC kicked off. To boost the campaign, there were also in-store tastings in nine Carrefour Flagship Stores, conducted by qualified and adequately trained staff.
The companies taking part in this project are Brilla!, Santa Margherita, Tenuta Sant’Anna, Val D’Oca and Wild Nature Wines.
There was also no lack of training activities, such as the masterclass dedicated to Prosecco DOC for the students of the Taiwan Wine Academy in Taipei, home of the most important Sommelier school in Taiwan, held on 7 September. Finally, Prosecco DOC was the protagonist on 11 September of the event ‘Sparkling Symphony: A multisensory voyage through Prosecco DOC’s finest notes’. During the dinner organised at the refined Marco Polo Lounge restaurant in Taipei, the Prosecco DOC references were paired with live music, selected to enhance the organoleptic characteristics of the wines, in order to impress a strong emotional impact on the participants’ memories.
The wineries participating in these activities are: Anna Spinato Winery; Brilla!; Cantine Maschio; La Marca; Masottina; Pitars; Torresella; V8+; Val D’Oca.
Three event evenings, visits, tastings and multimedia talk shows with leading Italian authors
From the fruitful collaboration between two cultural realities of the territory, Contrappunti in Cantina, a cycle of events realized by CartaCarbone Festival and Prosecco DOC Consortium, is back again this year. CartaCarbone is the festival dedicated to the autobiographical genre; moreover, its main purpose is the dissemination and promotion of culture understood as the fruit of the social and economic welfare of the territory through free events with a strong cultural impact.
From the common intent of nourishing body and soul with products of excellence came the idea of Contrappunti in Cantina, three events whose protagonists are Prosecco Doc and the most interesting authors on the national scene. Egged on by exceptional co-rapporteurs, the writers on stage will give life to unpublished conversations between personal anecdotes, stories and exchanges with the audience. The evenings will include a visit to the winery accompanied by wine tasting and toasts, followed by a multimedia show with the authors, with attendees having the opportunity to meet the guests at the end of the evening for book signings.
Here are the events in detail:
Friday, September 13, 2024 – Paladin House
Opening the series on Friday, September 13, the magnificent estates of Casa Paladin in Annone Veneto (VE) with authors Matteo Bussola, Alessandro Rivali and Paola Tonussi, presented by Federica Augusta Rossi.
Matteo Bussola is an illustrator and cartoonist and one of Italy’s foremost writers; in his most recent book La neve in fondo al mare (Einaudi) he recounts a knot of our time: adolescent fragility. He writes a touching story, full of grace, about the betrayal involved in becoming oneself. And she shows us, with honesty and delicacy, what it feels like to be faced with the pain of a child, but also the light of parenthood, which even in the darkness continues to shine. For it is difficult to welcome the truth of those we love, especially if we have given birth to them. Love, as well, always brings with it a rebirth.
Alessandro Rivali with Il mio nome nel vento (Mondadori) weaves his family’s exceptional story between historical reality, literary invention and episodes handed down from generation to generation. A collage of impressions, portraits, and anecdotes that dot not only the family environment, in a volume of autofiction, but the scenario of the first decades of the twentieth century, between the civil war in Spain and the world war on the return to Italy. An intimate epic, seen through the eyes of a child, that recounts the universal experience of the exile.
Paola Tonussi will present the life of Rupert Brooke (Rupert Brooke. The Splendor of Shadows, Ares Editions), a name, a legend, this poet. Brilliant student and sportsman at Rugby, the scholar who concurred in the rediscovery of Donne and Webster. The dreamer who composed verse in the garden, barefoot on the grass, vegetarian ante litteram. This and much more is Brooke, who also, in the collective imagination, returns as the father of the war poets, marked by a dramatic end, the author of those “war sonnets” that captured the feeling of an unfortunate and cruelly deluded generation, the one almost totally overwhelmed by World War I.
Casa Paladin, at its headquarters in Annone Veneto, is home to five estates of the Veneto winery of the same name; a winery with windows wide open to various regions of our country: from Friuli to Veneto, from Lombardy to Tuscany.
Thursday, September 19, 2024 – Ville D’Arfanta (Serena Wines 1881)
Thursday, September 19, will also be the turn of Mario Tozzi, preceded by Rossella Pretto and Anna Lina Molteni, all interviewed by Valentina Berengo. Hosting the event will be Serena Wines 1881 in the beautiful setting of Tenuta Ville d’Arfanta in Tarzo (TV).
Mario Tozzi needs little introduction; he is one of Italy’s greatest science popularizers, known for developing projects on the communication of strong and often dramatic environmental issues, such as energy conservation, waste recycling, water conservation and the ecological situation of the planet. A RAI popularizer and anchor since 1996, he is an essayist and columnist for La Stampa.
Before Mario Tozzi we will also see engaged on stage the two writers Rossella Pretto with Karen Blixen. Courage, Love, Irony (Ares Editions) and Anna Lina Molteni with The Green Mirror. The books and mountains of Giovanna Zangrandi (Monte Rosa editions). Rossella Pretto questions, in this passionate “portrait” (an exquisitely literary rereading), the deepest inspiration of the great author of My Africa and Babette’s Luncheon, while Anna Lina Molteni will illustrate to the audience a journey through the words and places of the complex as well as extraordinary figure of the writer Giovanna Zangrandi. Partisan, ante litteram feminist, libertarian cantor of the Cadore mountains-and not only-the author of I Brusaz is an absolute-and too often neglected-reference for those who do not want to forget a heritage of stories and legends as precious to local as to national history.
Providing the backdrop for the evening, a complex of extraordinary impact, the evocative spaces of Serena Wines 1881’s Tenuta Ville D’Arfanta, among sloping vineyards and woods; Ville d’Arfanta becomes the stage for unique tastings and stays in the heart of the Veneto hills and will, once again, be the setting for Contrappunti in Cantina.
Monday, September 30, 2024 – Tenuta Polvaro
For the third appointment on Monday, September 30, Counterpoints in the Cellar will stop by Tenuta Polvaro in Annone Veneto (VE), with authors Domenico Iannacone, Serena Perozzo and Giancarlo Acerbi presented by Federica Augusta Rossi.
Domenico Iannacone is one of the best-known national investigative journalists; he has been a top correspondent for Ballarò and Presa diretta (Rai3), has hosted, for seven editions, the program I dieci comandamenti (The Ten Commandments), and since 2019 he has been on air with Che ci faccio qui, one of Rai3’s most popular in-depth programs. He has received many international awards and honors. His way of storytelling draws inspiration from the best Italian documentary tradition and is halfway between neorealist cinema and journalistic reporting of reality.
The evening continues with Serena Perozzo with Echoes beyond the Walls and Giancarlo Acerbi with The Flowered Dress; both present their works published by Piazza Editore.
The event will be hosted by Tenuta Polvaro, a splendid village of 17th-century origin in the Lison Pramaggiore area, an area of Eastern Veneto renowned since ancient times for its wine production.
Locations:
Cantina/Tenuta Polvaro – Via Polvaro, 35, 30020 Annone Veneto (VE)
Ville D’Arfanta Estate (Serena Wines 1881) – Località Parè, 27/28, 31020 Tarzo (TV)
Casa Paladin Winery – Via Postumia, 12, 30020 Annone Veneto (VE)
September is an unmissable month in Venice thanks to two of the most anticipated events of the year: the Historical Regatta and the International Film Festival. Prosecco DOC is always present on these occasions, to make them even more special with its freshness and elegance.
September 1, 2024 – Historical Regatta
The Regata Storica, held along the Grand Canal on the first Sunday of September, is the most important Venetian-style rowing sporting event. The special feature of the event is the historical re-enactment. In fact, the initial water parade and competitions take place on the colorful traditional boats. As usual, Prosecco DOC was the protagonist of the toast in the courtyard of Ca’ Foscari, where guests had the opportunity to taste the bubbles during one of the most evocative moments of Venetian tradition.
August 28 – September 6, 2024 – 81st International Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival, organized by the Venice Biennale, is the oldest film event in the world: the first edition dates back to 1932. Since 2016 Prosecco DOC has accompanied all the moments organized by the Veneto Region inside the Excelsior Hotel on the Venice Lido.
“Once again this year, 360 bottles of Prosecco DOC will be uncorked in the regional space,” said the president of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia. ”In all, that’s 2,500 goblets with which stars, industry insiders, and film delegations will toast before parading down the red carpet, projecting a product of excellence from our territories to the world.”
September in Venice would not be the same without Prosecco DOC, the city’s official bubbly, which continues to celebrate and enhance the excellence of the Veneto region in prestigious and traditional settings.
Prosecco DOC is back in South Korea with a new format, an exclusive pop-up store opening from July 5 to 11, 2024 at The Hyundai Seoul, the capital’s largest shopping mall.
Located in the heart of Yeoido Financial District, the Hyundai Seoul,opened in 2021, has already welcomed more than 100 million visitors, becoming a trendy place especially for millennials and Gen. Z, thanks to innovative stores and “Retail Therapy.” This concept allocates more than half of the area for recreation and rest space instead of retail stores, proposing the “usual” mall not only as a shopping place but also as an oasis for relaxation and entertainment.
Prosecco DOC pop-up store
Il pop-up store Prosecco DOC, situato proprio al centro della food-court, ha attirato in totale oltre 2.500 visitatori, che hanno avuto l’occasione di vivere un’esperienza visiva e sensoriale di alto livello. Lo store, suddiviso tra una zona destinata alla vendita e una dedicata alla degustazione del Prosecco DOC, era presidiato da personale esperto, appositamente formato e gestito dalla Camera di Commercio Italiana in Corea. Il giorno dell’inaugurazione sono stati inoltre invitati 16 influencer, con un seguito complessivo di oltre 1 milione di follower, che hanno promosso Prosecco DOC, come icona del saper vivere italiano.
10 wineries present: Carpenè Malvolti, La Gioiosa, Le Monde, Masottina, Paladin, Serena Wines 1881, Val d’Oca, Villa Sandi and Viticoltori Ponte.
A unique experience
Customers enjoyed a unique experience at the pop-up store in Seoul, an opportunity to share the tradition, craftsmanship and culture of Prosecco DOC with the world. These days celebrated Italian excellence across the board, offering visitors the chance to discover and taste the best of Prosecco DOC in an exclusive and refined environment.
Prosecco DOC in Casa Italia at the Paris 2024 Olympics
Casa Italia
For the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, CONI has chosen the Pré Catelan to host Casa Italia, the iconic pavilion where Pierre de Coubertin celebrated the birth of the Modern Olympic Games in 1894. Built in the vast Bois de Boulogne park, it will be the place that will welcome athletes, coaches and guests of Team Italy.
Ensemble
The theme chosen for Casa Italia is “Ensemble,” a concept that from Rio 2016 to the present expresses the importance of collaboration, community and sharing. “Ensemble” embodies not only the spirit of sport, but also the commitment to social and environmental sustainability: the project will use recyclable materials and reduce waste, continuing the sustainable approach begun with Tokyo 2020. In addition, Casa Italia becomes a stage for all Made in Italy, welcoming Italian excellence at 360 degrees in one of the most important showcases in the world.
Prosecco DOC at Casa Italia
Prosecco DOC will be the Official Supplier of Casa Italia: the bubbles will open the games with the inaugural dinner, where they will be served in the presence of President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, and then remain next to the medal-winning athletes, who will receive a Magnum of Prosecco DOC to officially celebrate their successes in Casa Italia.
The products of the companies – Abbazia di San Gaudenzio, Brilla! Ca’ di Rajo, Cantine Maschio, Casalforte, Italian Wine Brands, La Delizia, La Marca, Mionetto, Perlino, Pitars, Rocca del Forti, Ruggeri, Serena Wines 1881, Val D’Oca, Valdo, Villa Sandi, Viticoltori Ponte, Zardetto – will be available in the Prosecco DOC branded Lounge area, in the Casa Italia Restaurant with a menu designed by Michelin-starred chef Davide Oldani, and in the Bistro set up “Chalet Après Ski” style – a tribute to the upcoming Winter Olympics and Paralympics that Italy will host in just two years. During the Paralympics, an additional space entirely dedicated to the upcoming Winter Games will be set up to tell how the country is preparing for this important event. Casa Italia 2024, in fact, will also give place to the “passing of the baton” to Milan-Cortina 2026, of which the Prosecco DOC Consortium is Official Sparkling Wine.
Prosecco DOC and culture, the perfect combination for summer evenings
The Consortium for the Protection of Prosecco DOC enriches the summer initiatives in the territory of the Denomination with a rich program of winery experiences that combine wine, cinema and literature. Three main formats will transform wineries into places of cultural encounter and enological discovery: Pordenonelegge in Cantina, Cinema in Cantina and Contrappunti in Cantina.
Pordenonelegge in Cantina
This year, Pordenonelegge in Cantina features three evenings dedicated to mystery. Thanks to the collaboration between Fondazione Pordenonelegge.it and Consorzio Prosecco DOC, literature lovers will be able to meet mystery authors, accompanied by glasses of Prosecco DOC. The protagonists of these evenings will be three big names: Alessia Gazzola (19/07), Ilaria Tuti (26/07) and Maurizio de Giovanni (02/07), who will present their books in the evocative settings of the wineries, respectively, Piera 1899, San Simone and I Magredi.
Cinema in Cantina
Now in its seventh edition, Cinema in Cantina is a cinematic journey through the vineyards of the Prosecco DOC wineries, promoted by the Sole Luna Association – A bridge between cultures and the Prosecco DOC Consortium. Events include a guided tour of the winery, followed by tastings of Prosecco DOC labels, and culminate with the screening of feature films outdoors, surrounded by vineyards. As a preview, on July 15 at 9 p.m., the film “All the Beauty and Pain” by Laura Poitras will be screened at the Sant’Andrea Gardens in Treviso; the format will continue thereafter in Prosecco DOC wineries from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1.
Contrappunti in Cantina
Organized by the CartaCarbone Festival together with the Consortium, Contrappunti in Cantina is a project born from the common intent to nourish body and soul with products of excellence, with the aim of creating a unique dialogue between the worlds of wine and literature. Every Friday in September, participants will have the opportunity to visit wineries, taste wines, attend multimedia shows and meet authors in person.
These events enrich the tourist offer of the area, promoting the oenological and cultural heritage of the Denomination. Thanks to these initiatives, the Consortium transforms wineries into cultural spaces where bubbles accompany literature, cinema and conviviality, offering moments of encounter and discovery.
Meetings for the protection of Geographical Indications at the EUIPO headquarters.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante, which deals with trademarks, designs and models of the European Union, has recently organised two meetings, in which the Consortium took part, that will increase the debate on the protection of GIs.
OriGIn and EUIPO, an international collaboration for the protection of GIs
From 10 to 11 June, the EUIPO hosted a bilateral meeting with oriGIn (International Geographical Indications Network Organisation), a body representing the most important Consortia at international level. During this event, there was a discussion on various crucial topics for the Consortia such as the EUIPO guidelines for registering trademarks; the impact of the new European Wine Regulation on GIs; international cooperation projects and information and protection tools for GIs.
Workshop on the protection of Geographical Indications
For years, the Consortium has been part of the OPSON project, an initiative developed by Europol as part of the fight against food counterfeiting. An important workshop was held in Alicante on the 17th and 18th, bringing together public and private sector representatives from the food and wine sector. Participants included the EUIPO, the European Commission and Europol, the Ministries of Agriculture and Economy of various countries, customs officials and law enforcement agencies; along with private sector representatives such as the Consortium of Prosecco DOC, Grana Padano, Comité Champagne and Scotch Whiskey Association.
Targets and New Protection Tools
The workshop provided an opportunity to enhance the synergy between the public and private sectors to take stock of the recent reform of GI regulations and improve supervision and control activities.
In this context, the Consortium held a training seminar aimed at the various authorities that, at an international level, deal with agri-food safety, providing the tools to recognise authentic Prosecco DOC and explaining the most common cases of infringement affecting the Denomination.
Among the various presentations, EUIPO announced the implementation of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Portal (IPEP), which will enable authorities to recognise original products from counterfeit goods and to contact rights holders and take action.
These meetings are a milestone towards better protection and awareness of Geographical Indications. By strengthening cooperation between all the actors involved, it will be possible to increase the valorisation of authentic products such as Prosecco DOC, obtained thanks to the daily work of the supply chains in full compliance with the production specifications.
Prosecco DOC and Granda Padano at Regent’s Park from 12 to 16 June 2024
Summer for Prosecco DOC is anything but a holiday! The Consorzio di Tutela has in fact planned several initiatives to celebrate the beloved bubbles around the world, including Prosecco Month in Canada and Japan, Prosecco Week in China, the United States and the United Kingdom, and Prosecco Summer Vibes in Germany, offering various activities ranging from tastings to conferences, from meetings to parties.
Among the proposals at the beginning of summer, Taste of London stands out in particular, the most important stage of the Taste Festivals, an international format of food and wine events involving 19 cities around the world. Right now, from 12 to 16 June 2024, Regent’s Park is hosting this exhibition, an unmissable occasion for lovers of good food and wine, bringing together some of the world’s best chefs and sommeliers.
Once again this year Prosecco DOC, through Next Generation Pro, and Grana Padano DOP are presenting themselves together at the summer event with the aim of offering their visitors a special moment under the banner of the Italian way of life.
The programme
The programme is rich and varied: it includes tastings, shows and moments of entertainment, guaranteeing an enjoyable and engaging experience for all participants.
Neil Phillips – The Wine Tipster, wine expert, presenter and journalist – is the presenter of the Tasting Sessions, during which it is possible to taste the two flagship products of Made in Italy in their various expressions; while Danilo Cortellini – renowned Italian chef, Head Chef of the Italian Embassy in London – proposes a series of show-cooking events delighting the audience with his innovative recipes based on Grana Padano DOP and Prosecco DOC.
Special guests include Angelo Coassin, known as CookingWithBello, and Francesco Mattana of OurCookingJourney.
In addition, the Taste of London programme includes a number of events dedicated to buyers and sommeliers. These meetings offer an in-depth product experience, allowing industry professionals to discover and appreciate the gastronomic excellence present at the festival.
Tasting Prosecco DOC and Prosecco DOC Rosé from the companies:
Borgo delle Rose, Fantinel, Perlino, Ponte 1948, Torresella, Tosti1820, Villa Sandi.
Taste of London 2024 is a not-to-be-missed event, where anyone can immerse themselves in the different culinary cultures of the world: Prosecco DOC and Grana Padano DOP bring visitors to discover the Italian tradition, offering the quality and emotions that characterise the tables of the Bel Paese every day.
