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Valpolicella Consorzio to make Wine Paris debut in centenary year
2025 marks 100 years of Valpolicella’s Consorzio, and it is celebrating with a global tour that begins in Paris.
A birthday can be difficult to celebrate in the wine world. Often, a style or region’s origins are lost to the mists of time, dating back centuries or even millennia. An administrative action might thus become the starting point, and so mark the subsequent anniversaries and celebrations. Such is the case in Valpolicella. The Consorzio Vini Valpolicella, founded in 1925, celebrates a special anniversary this year and so, starting at Wine Paris, is taking its wines to the global stage.
That, in itself, is a significant milestone. The trade fair is one of the world’s largest; its organisers expect 50,000 visitors this year. Yet this is the first time the Consorzio will be in attendance. The delegation will promote 36 wineries at the show, the first international opportunity to showcase its wines in the centenary year.
Ahead of that, however, Amarone Opera Prima (February 1-2, 2025) in Verona will launch the festivities in the wines’ homeland. The event, which takes place annually, will present the 2020 vintage of Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG.
With the centenary as an excuse, the Consorzio then intends to visit each of its major markets in 2024. Yet it is not purely an excuse to celebrate. Indeed, several strands of its story, both ancient and contemporary, are due to be promoted to the world’s drinkers.
A heritage worth communicating
Naturally, the region’s story is a starting point for any discussion. Valpolicella has a long distinguished heritage which is still visible in generations of expertise.
The name is old, dating back to the 12th Century. The winemaking heritage is even more ancient, with documents showing it stretches at least as far back as the 6th Century. Furthermore Rhaetic wines, which were made around Verona in Roman times, are referenced as a favourite of the poet Virgil (1st century B.C.) by Pliny the Elder.
Yet the wines are not without contemporary fans. Ernest Hemingway was an admirer, with the protagonist of his novel Across the River and Into the Trees deeming Valpolicella “as friendly as the house of your brother, if you and your brother are good friends.”
That mixture of ancient heritage and modern appeal is perhaps one reason the Consorzio is pushing for UNESCO recognition. It has completed an initial dossier, the first step towards registering the technique of laying Valpolicella grapes to rest as intangible cultural heritage.
The Consorzio is adding further prestige to the region through its Valpolicella Education Program (VEP). With three progressive levels of study, it builds expertise on the region and its wines. There are now 61 qualified Valpolicella wine specialists operating in 24 countries, building a network to promote Valpolicella all around the world.
Turning to the future
The Consorzio is also looking forwards. As a representative of more than 2,400 companies, including 80% of the region’s producers, it has a particular duty to a sustainable future. That, in Valpolicella, encompasses both environmental and economic sustainability.
Valpolicella has, as part of its commitment, joined the National Integrated Production Quality System (SQNPI).
Currently, nearly half of its 8,600 hectares of vineyards are farmed sustainably (i.e. bearing a sustainable, organic or biodynamic certification). In 2023 alone, the coverage rose by 16%.
The Consorzio is therefore helping promote a greener wine industry, but also a resilient one. Although the younger generations’ lack of interest in wine is fertile ground for headlines, Valpolicella is, in fact, finding that younger winemakers are leading the way.
In the last 10 years, the number of under-40s leading Valpolicella’s wine businesses has almost doubled. Supporting the next generation of industry leaders has therefore become an important concern for the Consorzio. To do so, it has established the first ‘young group’ (‘Gruppo giovani’) of any Italian wine consortium.
In fact, some of those young up-and-comers of Valpolicella will be joining the Consorzio at Wine Paris. Its packed centenary year shows that Valpolicella is turning decisively to the future – watch this space for where those next generations will take it.
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