Conference in Avellino report
11.03.2009 - Conference: “Stati Generali del Vino in Campania” in Avellino on 6th and 7th March 2009 – Report
At the conference in Avellino on 6th March 2009 the seats were filled by authorities, professors and experts for the talk by Helmuth Köcher president of Merano WineFestival & Gourmet.
Helmuth Köcher lectured on the theme Der Wein als ökonomischer und kultureller Wert einer Landschaft in der globalen Ökonomie,(Wine as an economical and cultural value of a landscape in the global economy) with emphasis on South Tyrol. He presented the successful model of the South Tyrolean wine branch in the global market to the interested people of Campania.
The first part gave an insight into the history of South Tyrol, a crossroads of northern and southern European cultures, a country with a long tradition of hospitality, avant-garde tourist goals and typical exquisite gastronomy. In wine production this differentiates itself due to the diversity of the soil and the climate. In German speaking countries South Tyrol has the oldest tradition of wine production in Europe. At present 98% of the vines in South Tyrol produce DOC wines, that is equivalent to approx. 5.000 hectares. In South Tyrol there are 16 co-operative wineries, 40 commercial wineries and 70 home wineries that together produce about 350.000 hectolitres (approx. 40 million bottles) of wine, of which 52% are red wines and 48% white wines. What characterises South Tyrol is its leader position in the production of quality wines, whereby ambitious communities know how to work together with public institutions, producers and wine growers.
In the second part Helmuth Köcher presented his Merano International WineFestival & Culinaria. Since 1992 he has been following his passion for wine and the quality of wine in South Tyrol and Italy. His Merano International WineFestival & Culinaria can present proud figures. The number of wine producers has steadily increased over the years, in 1992 it was 48 and in 2006 it was 753. The number of visitors has also risen from 600 in the first year to 6500 in 2007 with the number of representatives from the press going from the original 24 to a record number of 318 in 2008. The concept of the Merano WineFestival, the choice of quality products by tasting committees consisting of sommeliers and experts, was, and is decisive. The Merano International WineFestival & Culinaria has become a synonym for elitism. For six years the stages of the EuroTour has exported exquisite produce from Meran. The fruitful collaboration with each Italian Chamber of Commerce abroad, the embassies and the partnerships with the Region Campania and Mistery Apple Communication help to market exquisite oenogastronomic products in a global economy.
The details highlighted by Helmuth Köcher were printed in the Saturday press whereby the importance of the examples in South Tyrol and the Merano WineFestival & Gourmet and the “Stati generali del Vino in Campania” were specially mentioned.