The official name of the municipality is actually Appiano – Eppan on the Wine Road, so it is difficult to imagine a more suitable place for the first edition of an initiative that aims to create a gathering of Italian and international wine in Alto Adige.
Vinaltum, this is the name of the event, will take place in the rooms of Castel Schloss Freudenstein on May 26th and 27th under the aegis of Danilo D’Ambra, chef of the castle restaurant, and Raffaele Fischetti, head of the Italian Sommelier Foundation Trentino Alto Adige.
To meet wine lovers, sommeliers and trade operators there will be 150 wineries from Italy and France, with representation also from Spain (Priorat), Slovenia and Armenia.
On Sunday the event will be open to the general public, while on Monday access is reserved for trade operators. A precise choice by the organizers to reconcile the meeting needs of wine enthusiasts and professionals without creating confusion and obstacles to the work of the wineries present. For the same reason, a maximum number of 1,000 people per day has been set.
We asked Raffaele Fischetti to tell us the most significant aspects of Vinaltum 2024.
“First of all, the presence of wineries from all over Italy and from abroad. The excellence of the viticulture of Trentino Alto-Adige is very well represented, but we wanted there to also be at least 1 or 2 wineries for each Italian region. In this way we allow wine lovers and restaurants’ professionals to get to know wines other than those of the territory.
The presence of Champagne Maisons is relevant and we are proud to have managed to bring Bruno Paillard to Alto-Adige for the first time.
Because the other peculiarity is that producers will be present in person at all 11 masterclasses that will be held over the two days of the event.
Finally, the formula for assigning the tasting desks: we deliberately did not follow any territorial or stylistic criteria, but a rigorous alphabetical order. We thus create a different experience in which the visitor will find completely different wines side by side.”
Vinaltum will be open on Sunday 26 May from 2pm to 9pm and Monday 27 May from 2pm to 8pm. Monday evening the event will be close by the “Big Bottle Party” night, in which the wines of the cellars present will be served only in magnum bottles.
The intention of the organizers is to make Vinaltum an annual event, in the meantime it is best to book tickets for the 2024 edition before they run out…
You can find the event program on the Vinaltum.it website.
