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The Slow Wine Fair in Bologna was opened on Sunday by Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini and one of Italy's most endangered men: The priest Don Luigi Ciotti is president of the Libera Terra organisation, which fights against exploitative practices of the mafia in the agriculture of southern Italy. It opposes slave-like working conditions, protection rackets and product counterfeiting. Ciotti had the idea of returning land confiscated by the mafia to civil society. His organisation farms on these lands with former criminals, drug addicts and mafia dropouts. They have already been the target of attacks several times. After death threats against him, Ciotti, who lives in Turin, is under constant police protection and is considered one of the best protected persons in Italy.
The Slow Wine Fair is the trade fair of the Slow Wine Coalition, which was officially presented by Carlo Petrini on Sunday. At this event, 570 winemakers from twelve countries presented themselves over three days. The philosophy of the Slow Wine Coalition includes sustainable cultivation, protection of agriculture, social integration and cooperation.
"Cooperation is important. In recent months, online sales have increased a lot, but a winemaker cannot live on that alone. If I imagine the villages in my home region, the Langhe, without restaurants and wine shops - it doesn't work. Barolo and Barbaresco cannot survive on exports alone," Petrini said. All the more important is the cooperation of all players, starting with winemakers, restaurants, hotels, sommeliers and private connoisseurs.
(al / Source: Vinaria; Photo: Pasquale Minopoli)