Vinitaly 2017, the national showcase increasingly international

Vinitaly once again confirms itself as the most important wine event in the entire national wine landscape, even as it takes its place on an increasingly international stage.

The 2017 edition of Vinitaly closed with some impressive numbers: 128,000 attendees from 142 nations, including over 30,000 foreign buyers – a marked increase compared to those who attended last year. More broadly, there was an overall growth in trade professionals who visited the 4,270 exhibiting wineries (+4% compared to 2016) from 30 different countries around the world.

From April 9 to 12, at the Verona trade fair, an increase in international attendance was observed, particularly from the United States, Germany, from Great Britain despite Brexit, China, Russia, and Japan. Numbers still modest but showing significant growth for Brazil as well, while we note the absolute debut of countries such as Panama and Senegal.

Over the four days of the wine showcase, more than 600 events took place, including conferences and seminars, educational meetings, and technical tastings of a very high level. Which was the most prestigious? Honestly, it is very difficult to say. We would, however, like to mention the vertical tasting of Sassicaia, held to celebrate 50 years of this jewel of Italian winemaking. Beyond the label's undisputed prestige, this vertical tasting was the emblem of the entire event: we are talking about perhaps the most prestigious national wine produced exclusively from international grape varieties.

It was a very special vertical tasting, in that only bottles from so-called lesser vintages were selected (the vintages 1992 – 1994 – 2002 – 2005 – 2007 – 2008 – 2010 – 2014). The tasting highlighted how this excellence of ours, produced in Bolgheri at Tenuta San Guido and created by the great Giacomo Tachis, always manages to give its best even when environmental and atmospheric conditions were not optimal – reaffirming in every case the winemaking concept that defines the wine: that of extreme elegance.

The Sassicaia vertical, produced from a special blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and a complement of Cabernet Franc, was conducted entirely with Magnum bottles, a format that certainly aids the wine's optimal aging. Sassicaia is also one of those wines – often forgotten by many – that effectively created a denomination from nothing, in a territory where wine had never been produced before.

The absolute protagonist of the wine landscape of the Bel Paese, Sassicaia celebrates Vinitaly, which reciprocates by offering its international stage not only to this great protagonist, but to the entire national wine movement.