From November 8 to 12, the Merano WineFestival, the most glamorous event in the food and wine sector, returns. This year, it challenges all players in the wine industry with “Quo Vadis?”, a thematic discussion on the future of viticulture in the face of challenges related to sustainability, innovation, and international expansion. New to the 33rd edition are the WineHunter Star awards, reserved for 7 prominent figures who have illuminated the world of wine, and the exclusive “Intrecci di Vite” tastings at the Prince’s Castle in Merano. Great anticipation also surrounds the Platinum Awards: which wines, beers, spirits, and gastronomic products will have achieved the highest score from The WineHunter?
Merano, South Tyrol, Italy – October 25, 2024 – From November 8 to 12, 2024, Merano WineFestival, the most glamorous event in the food and wine sector, returns with a program full of new features: it begins on Friday, November 8, with a day dedicated to bio&dynamica & more, offering space to 160 Italian producers of organic, biodynamic, SQNPI, Equalitas, Piwi, amphora, and underwater wines, and the opening of the GourmetArena in the Art Nouveau setting of the Kurhaus, featuring 130 companies from the food, spirits, and beer sectors, and the Slow Food Earth Market. In the evening, the highly anticipated WineHunter Award Platinum ceremony will reveal the gastronomic excellence highlighted in The WineHunter Guide 2024, along with the new WineHunter Stars. From Saturday, November 9, to Monday, November 11, the core days of the Festival will feature 330 Italian and 110 international wineries. Finally, Tuesday, November 12, will be dedicated to sparkling wines with Catwalk Champagne&More, featuring 120 selected top-quality Champagne houses and Italian Metodo Classico producers. Additionally, there will be showcooking, side events, presentations, and masterclasses, including four “Intrecci di Vite” events at the Prince’s Castle. With the WH Ambassador Exclusive Lounge and the WH Buyers’ Club, the Merano WineFestival is becoming increasingly international, in a harmonious blend of elegance, culture, and business.
The WineHunter Stars, the Magnificent Seven of the Gastronomic World
During the gala dinner on Friday, November 8, the Kurhaus will host the WineHunter Star awards: Helmuth Köcher, patron of the Merano WineFestival, will present the award to 7 prominent figures in the world of wine, who have illuminated it with their passion, dedication, and extraordinary commitment. The famous rock singer-songwriter Gianna Nannini will receive the WineHunter Star for Wine Producer on account of her ability to blend artistic success and private life in the splendid setting of her estate, Certosa di Belriguardo. Oscar Farinetti will be awarded the Communication Star as a versatile marketing and communication expert, as well as a successful writer and entrepreneur. Viviana Varese, a dynamic chef and restaurateur, will receive the Food Star award. Riccardo Cotarella, a fixture in the wine world who has always combined his profession as an oenologist with civil engagement, will be awarded as best Winemaker. Journalist Anna Scafuri, head of Tg1 Economia, will receive the WineHunter Star for best Wine & Food Journalist, recognizing her outstanding storytelling of Italian food and wine in her reports. Stefano Vitale will be awarded best Wine Artist for his illustrations featured on Donnafugata’s labels, which have been synonymous with innovation in wine communication since the 1990s. Valentina Bertini, corporate wine manager at Langosteria, will be recognized as best Wine Manager for her tenacity and professionalism as an exemplary woman in fine dining in Italy and across the globe.
Intrecci di Vite: 4 Exclusive Events at the Prince’s Castle
New to the 2024 edition are the four exclusive “Intrecci di Vite” events, organized in collaboration with Liber Experience, in the fascinating setting of the Prince’s Castle in Merano. On Saturday, November 9, Oscar Farinetti will moderate a unique and exclusive meeting between Maurizio Zanella, founder of Ca’ del Bosco, and Vittorio Moretti, founder of Bellavista, the two most representative Franciacorta wineries on both a national and international level. At 4:00 PM, again moderated by Oscar Farinetti, two interpretations of the prominent Italian grape variety Sangiovese will be compared: a Brunello di Montalcino from Donatella Cinelli Colombini, founder of the Movimento del Turismo del Vino and President of the National Association Le Donne del Vino from 2016 to 2022, and a Chianti Classico from Barone Francesco Ricasoli, owner of Castello di Brolio. The two meetings on Sunday, November 10, will be moderated by Daniele Cernilli. At 10:30 AM, two iconic figures that are highly representative of Italy’s most renowned white wine regions will take center stage: Silvio Jermann, from the eponymous winery, and the renowned winemaker Hans Terzer. At 4:00 PM, a meeting will feature two absolute reference points and long-time leaders, both nationally and internationally, in Italian winemaking: Riccardo Cotarella, President of Assoenologi and Union Internationale des Œnologues, and Renzo Cotarella, CEO of Marchesi Antinori spa. The initiative is supported by Banca per il Trentino Alto-Adige; the official partner for these special events is Italesse, with its Etoilé Noir glass: one of the sensory glasses from the Trieste-based company, made of blown glass, meticulously designed to enhance the selected wines. Starting from this edition, Italesse will be the technical sponsor of the entire festival.
“Quo Vadis?”, the “Breath and Cry of the Earth” Summit on the Evolution of Viticulture
The central theme of the 33rd edition of the Merano WineFestival is the question “Quo Vadis?”, a query that concerns all the players in the wine sector, and more broadly in agriculture, who are being severely tested by multiple challenges such as the climate crisis, environmental sustainability, declining consumption, the opening of new international markets, and engagement with new generations of consumers. These issues will be addressed in the “Breath and Cry of the Earth” summit, which consists of six meetings in collaboration with the International Viticulture and Enology Society. These sessions, to be held between Friday, November 8, and Saturday, November 9, will spark a discussion on the direction the wine world is taking, with scientific insights on strategies to adapt viticulture to a changing climate, wines from resistant grape varieties, and innovations in sustainable viticulture and agriculture. At the conclusion of the summit, a Manifesto will be drafted, summarizing the contributions from the thematic meetings, outlining some directives for the future development of the food and wine sector.
Not-to-Be-Missed Events
Over the five days of the Merano WineFestival, there are dozens of events capable of satisfying all tastes. On Friday, November 8, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the Slow Food Earth Market will be held in Piazza della Rena, organized by Slow Food Alto Adige. At 11:00 AM, the “Nel segno di Zierock” award ceremony will take place at the Hotel Terme Merano, followed by a themed masterclass led by Angelo Carrillo at 4:00 PM. At 4:30 PM, there will be the “Expression of Piwi Grapes” Masterclass curated by Nicola Biasi. On Saturday, November 9, at 12:00 PM, the “Chardonnay Fuoriclasse Nama” Masterclass with Paolo Porfidio will compare five vintages of Chardonnay from the Nals Margreid winery. At 2:00 PM, the traditional opening ceremony with a sabering will take place on the scenic Ponte delle Terme, followed by the “Bolla vs. Bolla” Masterclass with Oscar Farinetti, comparing various Italian Metodo Classico sparkling wines. At 4:30 PM, attendees will dive into underwater wines with the “Underwater – Wines Beneath the Sea” Masterclass, curated by journalist and host Andrea Radic. On Sunday, November 10, at 2:00 PM, the “Dieci vini di razza in dressage” Masterclass with Luca D’Attoma and Chiara Giannotti will be held, followed by the presentation of the “I Vini del Cuore” Guide by Olga Schiaffino at 3:30 PM. At 4:30 PM, Helmuth Köcher, the patron of the Merano WineFestival, will lead the Masterclass “Georgia: 8000 Years of History – Unique Qvevri Wines in Tasting,” and finally, at 5:00 PM, the “Supertuscan on Stage” event with Emanuele Trono and Stefano Quaglierini. On Monday, November 11, the Hotel Therme Merano will host the “Excellences of Albania” Masterclass by Çobo Winery at 11:00 AM; at 2:00 PM, the “Gli Svitati” Masterclass will showcase the ambassadors of screw caps in Italy; and finally, at 5:00 PM, the 30th Premio Godio award ceremony will be held. In the GourmetArena, a showcooking area, Campania, in cooperation with MisteryApple, will feature gastronomic interpretations by Antonio Tubelli, Gabriele Troisi, Carlo Scutiero, Antonio Lepore, Gino Sorbillo, Umberto De Martino, Franco Pepe, Lino Scarallo, Peppe Aversa, Antonio Della Volpe, Angelo D’Amico, and the students from the “G. Marconi” Hotel Institute of Vairano (CE). Typical regional recipes from Abruzzo will be showcased by Stefano Ferrauti, Carlo Auriti, Daniele Tortora, Stefano Tomassetti, Angelo D’Alesio, and the students from the “G. Marchitelli” Hotel Institute of Villa Santa Maria (CH). On Tuesday, November 12, at 4:30 PM in the Kursaal, the awards ceremony for the “Emergente Sala 2024” competition will take place, identifying the best maître and under-30 waitstaff in Italian hospitality.
The Numbers of the 33rd Merano WineFestival
Five days of the festival, more than 1,000 exhibitors, over 3,000 wines for tasting, 250 labels in the WineHunter Area, over 5,400 WineHunter Awards, 39 masterclasses, 32 show cooking sessions, and 6 talks at the “Quo Vadis?” summit.
