5StarWines & Wine Without Walls: a commitment to sustainability in the wine world

It is well known that, in recent years, the wine business has shown a growing interest in practices that, in various ways, are more sustainable. In this context, the selection of Veronafiere and Vinitaly 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls has chosen to recognize and promote a more responsible wine production. This is attested, for example, by the attention to the type of information provided by the participating companies, which can indicate whether the wines presented are produced from resistant vines (so-called PIWI) or to a protocol/certification system for the sustainability of the supply chain viticulture, known as a set of production rules and good practices according to the OIV Guide.

In particular, the aforementioned commitment is expressed in the presence of two different sections, corresponding as many macro-categories: 5StarWines, dedicated to conventional wines, and Wine Without Walls, reserved for organic and biodynamic wine. The latter includes wines that have obtained organic certification (European Regulation 203/2012, published in the Official Journal of the EU on 9 March 2012) - or from companies in conversion and/or certification of biodynamic production.

Organic wine and biodynamic wine

What do we mean when we talk about organic wine? Essentially, we are referring to wine produced according to the precise and detailed rules contained in European Regulation 203/2012. Wanting to summarize the key points, the Bio logo can be affixed when:

• all of the grapes used were grown using organic farming methods, i.e. which do not involve the use of synthetic chemicals or GMOs;
• the winemaking took place using only the oenological products and processes authorized by regulation 203/2012, without resorting to the use of chemical substances usually used to correct the wine;
• the maximum quantity of sulphites contained in the wine is 100 mg/l for red wines and 150 mg/l for white and rosé wines.

By biodynamic wine, not yet recognized and regulated at a legislative level, we mean that produced through biodynamic agriculture, a cultivation method based on the theories developed by the Austrian Rudolf Steiner in the early twenties of the last century. In general, biodynamic agriculture is based on a holistic, ecological and ethical approach in which land, plants and animals coexist and collaborate to create a balanced ecosystem. In addition to full respect for the authentic course of nature, especially the phases of the moon, biodynamics promotes the minimization of chemistry, GMOs and machinery and the use of natural compounds at certain times of the year.

Role and importance of the Wine Without Walls section

As anticipated, Veronafiere and Vinitaly have chosen to include the Wine Without Walls section to enhance the producers' commitment to biodynamic and organic agriculture. This results not only in the great visibility that the wines of these producers can obtain from the Selection and from the official 5StarWines - the Book guide that arises from it, but also - and even before - from the care that the Selection itself dedicates to the management and evaluation of these wines.

First of all, the Selection regulations establish precise requirements for the wines that can register for the Wine Without Walls section. Appropriate checks to verify the truthfulness and regularity of what is specified when preparing the application for admission by the participating companies are then carried out on the samples registered and received. The organizers also reserve the right to proceed with the non-admission or exclusion of wines and/or companies in the event that, following the checks, a lack of conformity between declarations and requirements is highlighted. The objective is to guarantee maximum seriousness in the process.

To also guarantee the process maximum objectivity and competence, the evaluation of the wines registered in Wine Without Walls is entrusted to a dedicated jury, different from the one put together for the section in charge of tasting conventional wines and composed of sector experts specialized in organic wine products and biodynamic agriculture.

All this guarantees the wines entered the optimal context to be judged with competence and valorised in their specificity, then obtaining a recognition that can be used on the market which objectively certifies their level of quality. Exposing this result on an international scale not only promotes the wines judged themselves, but also contributes to raising the sector's awareness of environmental issues, sustainable practices and the reputation of companies producing organic and biodynamic wines.

Why register your organic and biodynamic wines at Wine Without Walls

Participating in the wine selection of Veronafiere and Vinitaly offers numerous advantages to producers of organic and biodynamic wines. Among the evidence from the SANA Observatory that Nomisma presented on the first day of "Bio Revolution 2023" - last September in Bologna - emerges on the one hand that organic and biodynamic respond perfectly to the demands of consumers, who are increasingly looking for healthiness and sustainability, but on the other hand that this world needs better communication and promotion. Well: registering your wines for the Wine Without Walls section of the Selection can be a step in this direction thanks to the various initiatives implemented after the conclusion of the event.

• Organic and biodynamic wines that obtain a score of at least 90/100 are published in the specific “Wine Without Walls” section of the 5StarWines – the Book guide, a consolidated promotional and marketing tool on an international scale which is sent to the main buyers and follows Veronafiere in many events, in Italy and abroad.
• The producers of the wines selected for the Guide present as exhibitors at Vinitaly receive the diplomas at their stand at the fair starting from the first day of the event, with the consequent possibility of immediately displaying and promoting the scores obtained.
• Also during Vinitaly, an awards ceremony is dedicated to the winners of the Trophies - documented through photos, interviews and social posts - in the presence of representatives for Veronafiere and the Selection jury. This constitutes a further megaphone for promoting the results achieved during the Selection.
• The selected wines are included, with tasting notes and scores, in the Vinitaly Plus Catalogue, which allows all exhibiting companies to be localized by the most important foreign buyers present at the Fair during the International Wine and Spirits Exhibition.
• The same selected wines are included on com, a well-known search engine for easily identifying the price and availability of a wine all over the world.
• Each producer and wine selected for the Guide is subject to post-event social promotion on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn platforms for the rest of the year. The recipients of the Trophies are also offered the opportunity to be at the center of podcast interviews and events with sector operators.

The appointment with 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls is set for April 9th ​​to 11th. Wineries that wish to do so can register for the 2024 Selection until March 1, 2024 by accessing the specific web page. They will then be able to send samples of the registered wines up to the 15th of the same month.