Arezzo (Italy) 2011

Great success for Enoforum 2011, the world meeting point between research and winegrowing technology.

In Arezzo, three days of ‘full immersion’ in the latest innovations in the wine sector.
The theme of ‘no added sulphur’ wines was a great catalyst.

After Pescara, Conegliano and Piacenza, Arezzo hosted the seventh edition of Enoforum. The geographical location and trade fair structure of the Tuscan city of art have, at the same time, driven and also supported a ‘peaceful’ invasion of technicians, researchers and producers. As many as 950 visitors followed the many technical update sections, talked with the companies in attendance and tasted wines made using innovative techniques.
But even more impressive was the volume of speakers, who produced over 100 scientific studies offering participants an exhaustive showcase of the results obtained in recent years by no less than 44 Italian and 30 foreign research centres.

All topics related to wine production were discussed, but in particular mechanisation in the vineyard, filtration, ageing technologies, traditional and innovative closures, the effects of oxygen and current trends on the national and international market. Particular emphasis was placed on sustainable development strategies, exalting viticultural and oenological practices capable of guaranteeing a quality product while respecting the environment and the landscape context of the territory. Amongst them all, one topic in particular that polarised the attention of several reports was that of winemaking without sulphur dioxide, a technique that, at the overwhelming request of a significant proportion of consumers, has been cleared as an option that can finally be pursued, provided that specific and proven production protocols are implemented.

However, within the conference schedule, not surprisingly, the complex topics of ‘sustainability’ and ‘organic’ were addressed in two special sessions that, in essence, gave the event in Arezzo its soul. Also noteworthy were the many papers (as many as 84) exhibited in the poster session and, at the same time, the presentation of the research competing for the G. Versini Prize, the event created by the SIVE to give visibility to the best national research and named after the well-known researcher from San Michele all’Adige who recently passed away.