Veronese Wine Research and Development by Provincial Administration

The volume “Veronese Viticulture: Bardolino, Custoza, Lugana” was presented on Saturday, November 18, 2000, at the Centro Congressi Meridiana of Cantine Lamberti in Lazise.

Below, we publish the opening address of the president of the Provincia di Verona, Aleardo Merlin.

Initiative by the Provincial Administration

Distinguished speakers, ladies and gentlemen, the commitment of the Provincial Administration in supporting the evolution of some of the main pillars of Verona’s agri-food economy involves, as in today’s case, the development of territorial surveys. This is aimed either at providing timely monitoring of what the entrepreneurial, agricultural, and agri-food systems are implementing to gain new and more profitable commercial spaces or at establishing their products in new markets with stimulating potential.

In this perspective, public administration takes on, more than in the recent past, an indispensable proactive and coordinating role, in addition to stimulating initiatives towards new and more challenging forms of entrepreneurship. This aligns with the irreversible process of globalization of economic and commercial systems.

Roles and activities of the Province

These are roles that the Province has embraced from the outset, fostering an intense dialectical dialogue with the entrepreneurial system, as evidenced in the collection and publication of results from a survey concerning three significant segments of our viticulture and oenology—certainly among the most advanced and organized within Italy and internationally.

The data, depending on the perspective, can answer many questions faced by winegrowers—especially when they confront markets where competition requires bold decisions, not always based on thorough checks, and sometimes conflicting with the entrepreneurial knowledge each individual carries.

Market choices and product features

These choices are unquestionably aligned with current market demand but should never lead to unnatural alterations or the loss of characteristics that define the product’s unique personality. Very soon, we will hear from experienced technicians about the process of measuring all the parameters involved in primarily producing the grapes that yield Bardolino, Custoza, and Lugana, and subsequently transforming them into wine.

Data that are intentionally and strictly collected using standardized parameters to provide guidance and suggestions for aligning techniques and products with market and consumer needs.

Knowledge and the role of institutions

Knowledge is undoubtedly essential for managing both the product and the market. We contribute significantly to this knowledge not only through the Consorzi di Tutela presidents present here but also thanks to the concrete commitment of the Camera di Commercio, the sensitivity of the Banca Popolare, which supported the creation of the volume we present today, the collaboration of Gruppo Italiano Vini that hosts us, the professionalism of Prof. Calò and the technicians from the Istituto Sperimentale di Viticoltura di Conegliano, as well as the efforts of our Centro per la Sperimentazione in Viticoltura and the Western Veneto section of the Associazione Enologi Enotecnici Italiani.

Objectives and results of the project

The contributors to this document will enable a better understanding of the processes behind three of the flagship products of our provincial oenology. These products account for approximately 24% of the entire vineyard DOC surface in the province, just over one fifth of the DOC wine produced in Verona, and an equivalent proportion of reported grape harvests.

This is a significant patrimony, and the effort of our Administration to preserve and improve it now receives a meaningful contribution, not a fleeting one.

Acknowledgements and conclusions

To all, I thank you for your attention and participation. As I prepare to give the floor to the presidents of the Consorzi di Tutela, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Prof. Calò, with the hope that his focus on Verona’s viticulture will intensify in results and commitment.