ALBA – A well-established event in the midst of spring, between the end of April and the beginning of May, in the city of Alba, Vinum returns, Italy’s largest open-air wine shop, which celebrates its 45th edition this year. The best of Piedmont’s wine production will take center stage – from Saturday 22nd to Tuesday 25th April and from Saturday 29th April to Monday 1st May – with over 700 labels available for tasting, guided and curated by the Italian Sommelier Association, offering an overview of about 400 producers, whose wines will be proposed in combination with Street Food ëd Langa, showcasing the excellent quality of traditional recipes from the Alba Villages, under the hat of the Giostra delle Cento Torri. Clanking glasses and a festive atmosphere will accompany the event, which has become increasingly widespread on the hills of Langhe and Roero, in the meeting that brings together wine connoisseurs, gourmets, and those who wish to become passionate about the art and culture of Lower Piedmont, getting carried away by the beauty of the vineyards and hills that in 2014, UNESCO recognized as a World Heritage Site. Revealing the schedule of the event, on the stage of the Teatro Sociale “G. Busca” in Alba, the evening of Tuesday, March 21st, opened with the memory of Gigi Rosso, one of the event’s creators, through the testimony of family and friends and the screening of a video as part of the project “Per Aspera ad Astra.” Among pleasant confirmations and pleasant novelties, here are the highlights of this 45th edition, which marks a further step towards certification of the event’s sustainability through the international standard ISO 20121.
“Vinum is increasingly established as the great event that kicks off the tourist season in our area and we are happy to propose this appointment, which is an extraordinary showcase for wines from all over Piedmont, linking its presentation to the tribute to one of the patriarchs of the wine of our hills, Gigi Rosso,” says the President of the Alba Trade Fair, Liliana Allena. “With the presentation of the event during Vinitaly, on Monday, April 3, at the institutional area of the Piedmont Region, the city of Alba will begin to prepare for the event, which from the squares of the historic center, with Piedmont wines and street food curated by the Borghi albesi, will open involving the entire territory, reaching the Castello di Roddi where wine will be the protagonist, with a rich list of 80 labels, along with excellent dishes proposed by Michelin-starred chefs.”
From 10:30 am to 8 pm each of the seven days of the event, the city of Alba will open up to wine tourists and wine lovers to discover the wine proposals of the festival. The Palazzo Mostre e Congressi “G. Morra” in Piazza Medford will play a leading role and will host “The great red wines of the Langhe,” starting with the iconic Barolo DOCG and Barbaresco DOCG, thanks to the collaboration with the Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani Consortium for their protection. In front of the former courthouse, Piazza Bubbio will again see the Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani Consortium as the protagonist with “The white wines of the Langhe,” accompanied by street food proposed by the Borgo Moretta. To enrich the offer of Piazza Rossetti, the Roero Consortium, together with the Torino Vermouth Consortium and the Cantine di Alba Association, will offer tastings of the gastronomic proposals of Borghi del Fumo, Santa Rosalia, and Santa Barbara. The Cortile della Maddalena, with entrance from Piazza Falcone, will offer wines from the Barbera d’Asti and Vini del Monferrato Consortium, the Gavi Consortium for their protection, the Brachetto d’Acqui Consortium for their protection, in addition to providing an overview of Freisa di Chieri DOC, Collina Torinese DOC, Erbaluce Caluso DOCG, Carema DOC, and Canavese DOC.
The “living room” of the City will also feature the wines of the world in a sort of atlas in the chalice of global viticulture curated by GoWine, ranging across the five continents.
To give further prestige to the Maddalena Courtyard, the Valle d’Aosta Region and the twin city of Medford with their respective wines and a rich tasting counter with precious tastings of grappa produced by the companies belonging to the Grappa Consortium of Piedmont and Grappa di Barolo, while the food offer will be taken care of by APRO Alba Hotel Academy and the villages of Brichet and San Martino. Finally, in Piazza San Paolo (where the event will be constantly covered by Radio Alba), Asti Spumante DOCG and Moscato d’Asti DOCG (in mixed tastings in surprising and refreshing cocktails thanks to the Consorzio dell’Asti DOCG, with its Ape Asti Glam) will be the protagonists, together with Dolcetto in its variations of Diano d’Alba DOCG, Dogliani DOCG, and Dolcetto d’Alba DOC, with street food taken care of by the villages of San Lorenzo, Rane and Patin and Tesòr, and with the Piedmont Hazelnut IGP in collaboration with the Confraternity of the Round and Gentle Hazelnut of Langa.
Vinum, the wine festival in Alba, Italy, is back with a series of events that offer food and wine experiences to visitors. Vinum Lab is a series of events organized in collaboration with AIS Piemonte, featuring seven masterclasses on the secrets of denominations, curated by sommelier Andrea Dani. Vinum a Tavola offers five gastronomic routes prepared by renowned chefs from different regions of Italy. Vinum in Cantina is an opportunity for wine tourists to visit some of the most important wineries in Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato, selected by great chefs. The event includes a shuttle service and a special aperitif prepared by the chef and paired with the wine of the hosting winery. The new feature of this year is cooking classes that teach the traditional recipes of Langhe, Monferrato, and Roero, and iconic dishes prepared by famous chefs, at the Castle of Roddi. Vinum takes place from April 22 to May 1, 2023.
“The important and now essential appointment with Vinum returns punctually, which undoubtedly represents the largest open-air wine shop for Piedmontese wines. A great showcase that allows all our wines t o be appreciated by wine lovers from different parts of Italy and abroad,” concludes Filippo Mobrici the Vice President of Piemonte Land of Wine.
