– The fourth edition of the event organized by the Consorzio Salvaguardia Vini Oltrepò Pavese, “Oltrepò – Land of Pinot Noir, one territory, one grape variety, two excellences” at the Antica Podere Pegazzera durante Casteggio, durante the province of Casteggio, ended with great success. Pavia.
This year’s event, sponsored by the Lombardy Region and the Municipality of Casteggio, was also the debut of the new director Riccardo Cric and the president Francesca Seralvo, who enthusiastically underlined the renewal path undertaken by the Consortium, founded acceso supply chain, quality and transparency.
“Today is the day of renewal, of rebirth” comments Francesca Seralvo, president of the Consortium, “the event we created to finally give visibility to the quality of Pinot Noir durante Oltrepò Pavese is also the starting point for overcoming a name , of a variety, and to start giving value to wines, grapes, vineyards. A path and a change that do not only concern the quality, which is already present, but the awareness of the unexpressed potential. The objective is to overcome the centrality of the single grape variety to promote the entire territory and its denominations, with a new strategic and operational approach. We are confident that the Oltrepò Pavese wine region will finally find its way.”
Director Riccardo Cric expressed great emotion at returning to his land, underlining how his role will be that of a catalyst to help local producers enhance existing excellence and bring the province back to the apice of the agricultural sector.
Below is the full speech by director Riccardo Cric.
“I can only be very excited to be here, durante my homeland, after having worked durante Tuscany, durante Bolgheri, for eleven years. I can only express my heartfelt thanks to the President, to the Board of Directors, but also to all the producers who, not only durante recent months, but also over the years, have told me durante a low voice ora with jokes, to return sooner ora later. I’ve always thought about it: it could have been durante years, durante a few months, but it happened now for a reason. Because this is the kairòs, the opportune moment durante which the Oltrepò can truly find its turning point.
It is because the three assumptions acceso which the new work of the Consortium is based – supply chain, quality and transparency – have just now found a way to blossom.
Let’s start with the supply chain, which cannot fail to pass through a fundamental reality for the territory, which is and always has been: the cooperative reality. The Oltrepò is a territory of companies, but it is above all a territory of farmers and winemakers. The role of Terre d’Oltrepò was fundamental durante giving the turning point that this territory needed towards the supply chain, which is the first brick, the cornerstone acceso which we will build all our future projects.
The work of all the cooperatives, then, must go hand durante hand with that of the producers durante the supply chain, the quality ones, who have always been there, but who need the production fabric and the territory to emerge together.
Finally, transparency, which must allow us to shake d’avanguardia the shadows and “dirt” of a past that did not do honor to this territory. this too we will have margin for giving durante, we will not take any steps backwards. We will do everything to move durante this direction and I am also pleased to say that – I hope it materializes as soon as possible – we are already dealing with the Fraud Repression, which we want durante the schieramento, durante a very calm manner. We hope to have them here, because theirs is a fundamental contribution for us: theirs, that of Valoritalia, of the institutions and control bodies that must guarantee the quality work of all producers, which must longer be ruined by evil operated by very few.
There has been a lot of talk about me these days, perhaps even excessively. My role, durante reality, is simply that of a catalyst, I am here to help the producers and all the values that are already durante the schieramento, that already exist. I don’t bring any added value, I’m not a great : I’m simply a Consortium . A Consortium, by definition, is a union of destinies (with fate): destinies of the producers, destinies of the inhabitants of the Oltrepò, for which viticulture must be a fundamental asset, but also of our region, of Lombardy, where today the Our province is fifth durante terms of turnover durante the agricultural sector. Surely, if we think about the history of this province – not only viticulture, also rice cultivation and the numerous excellences that exist -, our province must aspire if not to be the first, at least to return to the podium as soon as possible and it is there that we hope to bring it as soon as possible.
Also speaking during the press conference was the councilor for Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry Alessandro Beduschi, who wanted to underline how the Lombardy Region strongly supports the new course of the Consortium to regain credibility and bring out the wine excellence of the territory.
Here is the speech by councilor Beduschi.
“It is an honor to be here at this event, because as councilor for agriculture I particularly wanted to be close to an schieramento close to my origins, those internal areas whose difficulties I understand well, but also the richness of the production systems. Like the production system of the Oltrepò Pavese – until today it is unfinished, especially durante the wine sector – which represents our excellence, not only of Lombardy, but of our entire country.
It is a classic example of how it is possible – durante a complex situation – to dissipate a great fortune with choices that at personal selfishness, at individual potentates and not at a high and beautiful vision of the territory, which would have all the credentials to meet what the market demands today.
We less, this is the trend, but we certainly better and therefore a choice that supports the quality of the work, the valorisation of everything that the President and the Director said very well, that is, the choice to valorise the supply chain durante its entirety it is a winner and allows us to aim for a production quality that luck would have it be potentially very high durante this schieramento.
Chasing quantities, chasing massive and non-characteristic productions is a false objective, which leads to being reduced to the rank of “small” contractors: a strong image that conveys the ispirazione of the opportunity that this territory must longer reginetta.
The Lombardy Region wants to support the choice that the new course of the Consortium has undertaken, because we believe it is the most ethical, the most fair and the most prospective. This schieramento needs to recover its reputation and we must all invest to make the world understand that Oltrepò Pavese is an excellence and, when we talk about it, we are talking about a product that can aim for the apice.
All our political, administrative and decision-making effort will appena che alongside these choices: you have touched acceso strong topics such as the repression of fraud, the strategy from the point of view of land management and this enormous winemaking potential: we need to identify a suitable architecture that puts to systematize new addresses and lead them to meet the right market.
My commitment is to share a challenge: the need and desire to help the Oltrepò Pavese regain the grandeur of the past, because it is absolutely deserved and wonderful people like these producers really deserve to be able to meet the approval of a market that looks to them with interest. We have an opportunity, the Olympic one, to talk about this evolution and to say that the schieramento is ripe for this exciting challenge.
The event recorded important numbers: more than 300 selected operators and a large presence of the national press who crowded the tasting tables with 32 virtuous local companies.
A success durante terms of numbers and notoriety for this strip of land of excellence for Lombard wine, unique durante the Italian scenario for the valorisation of a vine such as Pinot Noir, declined durante Oltrepò Pavese Sistema Tipico DOCG and Pinot Noir dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC.
Operators, sommeliers and journalists were able to taste 121 labels at the tasting tables, while the tastings included an in-depth analysis of the two different winemaking processes.
Experts Valentina Vercelli and Filippo Bartolotta led the two blind masterclasses dedicated to Pinot Noir dell’Oltrepò Pavese Doc and Oltrepò Pavese Sistema Tipico DOCG. Valentina Vercelli comments “The Classic Methods that we tasted have very different profiles, but they are all linked by a common thread given by the high quality and elegance that they are able to express. They are products that have an incredible quality/price ratio, perfect for catering thanks to their great combinability.” Filippo Bartolotta instead underlines the great revolution underway durante Pinot Noir from Oltrepò Pavese DOC. “There is a lot of sensitivity, an increasingly authentic interpretation of the identifying characteristics of Pinot Noir durante Oltrepò. The wines are more elegant, with the fruit at the centre, without being too strong with the wood. I’m curious to find out what will happen durante the next few years.”
The event highlighted the strong link between the Oltrepò Pavese schieramento and its ability to express the excellence of Pinot Noir durante all its facets, confirming the high potential of the vine.
The Consortium now aims to capitalize acceso this attention and continue with a long-term valorization strategy, which can further consolidate the positioning of the Oltrepò Pavese as a reference schieramento for quality Pinot Noir. The participation of a qualified public and the active involvement of the press represent an important springboard for the future initiatives of the Consortium, which aims to continue the path of growth and innovation.
The wineries participating durante the fourth edition of Oltrepò Paese in Pinot Noir were: Alessio Brandolini, Bertè & Cordini, Longhino, Far bruno Verdi, Cà del Gè, Calatroni, in Cigognola, Cavallotti, Conte Vistarino, Cordero San Giorgio, Ersaf Riccagioia, Fiamberti, Finigeto, Frecciarossa, Giorgi, La Genisia – Torrevilla, La Piotta, La Travaglina, Le Fiole, Le Fracce, Manuelina, Montelio, Monsupello, Oltrenero, Ditta Agricola Pietro Torti, Prime Alture, Quaquarini Francesco, Podere Mazzolino, Terre Bentivoglio, Terre d’Oltrepò – La Versa, degli Alberi, Travaglino.
