Source: press office Confindustria Veneto Est
(Padua-Treviso-Venice-Rovigo – 29.09.2023) – The 25th edition of Spirits Selection of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles began today, Friday 29 September, in Treviso. This is the travelling international competition where a jury of experts from all over the world will taste and select the best spirits in the competition. The competition is among the world’s leading events in the sector. The capital of the Marca Trevigiana is the first and only Italian city to host this event, which will be held in partnership with the Veneto Region, Confindustria Veneto Est, Assodistil, Associazione per il Patrimonio delle Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene and Banca Prealpi SanBiagio.
At the Bhr Hotel in Quinto di Treviso, until 1 October, 140 judges from 40 different countries will be engaged in the blind tasting of more than 2300 world spirits, setting a record number of registrations this year. Over the course of the afternoons, the judges, among whom are professionals in the sector and established journalists, will visit important distilleries in the Veneto region (Castagner, Bonaventura Maschio, Bonollo, Bottega, Nardini, to name but a few) and other areas in the Treviso area such as the Unesco Heritage Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
On Thursday 28 September at Palazzo Giacomelli – Spazio Confindustria Veneto Est, master classes were held, and in the evening the welcome dinner with the first tastings of local wines and spirits. On Sunday 1 October, the Castello di San Salvatore di Susegana will host the final event and farewell dinner.
The inaugural day also saw the ‘relay race’ between Treviso and the next Spirits Selection location, the Chinese city of Guizhou-Renhuai, with the Deputy Vice-President of Confindustria Veneto Est Alberto Zanatta and the Association’s General Director Gianmarco Russo.
2022 was a very important year for the Italian production of alcohol and spirits, which according to data from AssoDistil increased by 15% in volume compared to the previous year and whose production amounted to about 120 million litres, for a total turnover of 500 million euros.
Exports of Grappa, the jewel in the crown of national and Veneto production, in 2022 amounted to 60 million euro, i.e. 8.5 million more than in 2021. Germany is the main market, with over 64% of exports.
Treviso from today until October 1, will be the International Capital of Spirits, a productive segment of the bevarage market for which Italy and our Region have a long tradition, – said Alberto Zanatta, Vice President of Confindustria Veneto Est.
The arrival of the international Spirits Selection competition presents itself as a strategic opportunity to create a system in an area, that of Veneto, Marca Trevigiana and the Unesco World Heritage Hills of Valdobbiadene Conegliano, which knows how to express great excellence, from prosecco to distillates such as Grappa, highly appreciated in Europe, particularly in Germany, as well as in the rest of the world. With our Wine and Spirits Group, we stand by the companies in the sector and all wine producers, and the arrival of an event like Spirits Selection, for which I can only thank President Stefano Bottega, is a tangible sign of this commitment.
Spirits selection, – underlines the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Assocamerestero Mario Pozza, is an event of international resonance that has chosen Treviso as its first Italian stop and for us this is a great source of pride. This event, together with the one we are organising with Assocamerestero, represents an important chapter in the promotion of Treviso, both for what it produces and for the beauty of its landscapes and its well-known hospitality. It is also an opportunity to put the spotlight on grappa, a distillate that embodies our national and regional identity and the skills of processes handed down through generations, combined with a continuous search for absolute innovation. I wish the international delegations, also in my role as President of Assocamerestero, an exciting competition and an unforgettable stay in Treviso.
We are an international competition and every year the host city changes, – said the President of the Concours mondial de Bruxelles, Baudouin Havaux Thierry Heins. Italy is well known for its wines, but also for its many producers of spirits and has a long tradition in the production of grappa. Veneto is among the regions with the largest production of grappa, and Treviso, a magnificent city not far from Venice, was also a natural choice to promote the hospitality that revolves around this industry. The whole world is beginning to learn about the ritual of the aperitif, which is very popular in Treviso and Veneto, which is the home of the spritz whose blend is also composed of bitter and vermouth. The competition is constantly evolving because we mirror the evolution of market trends. This year the number of entries increased because Italy has a long tradition of producing gin, spirits and grappa and therefore many tasters decided to take part in the event. Many of them are importers and distributors and it is important that they realize what the Italian market offers.
Veneto Region, in addition to being the national leader in exports of sparkling and bottled wines, is still the leading producer of grappa in Italy. On the occasion of this international competition, a showcase for the world’s best distillates, our productions will also have the opportunity to present themselves and make known what for us is an emblem, – said Veneto Region Agriculture, Foreign Trade and Tourism Councillor Federico Caner. Grappa, in fact, obtained from the distillation of pomace, rich in scents and flavors, today is able to satisfy the most modern tastes of those who seek naturalness and finesse. It is a product that tells the story of our territory and a symbol of craftsmanship. These characteristics make our productions unique and they deserve to be protected and defended beyond national borders. On this international stage it is only right to make an appeal to Europe. The Dublin rule that will oblige alcohol producers to put warnings about the health risks of alcohol on their labels cannot be accepted head-on by the European Union. Like all things, in large doses they disrupt the balance of our bodies, just as eating too much sugar is bad for us. It takes the right balance, just like eating lunch at fast food, even in the consumption of wine or spirits.
Carlo Antiga, President of Banca Prealpi SanBiagio, said: The distilled spirits sector is one of the excellences of our territory, which as a Cooperative Credit Institute we have contributed to develop, cooperating with local businesses and actors. We are therefore proud to support an initiative of international relevance, hosted for the first time in Italy in Treviso, together with institutions and trade associations, which recognizes and qualifies the role played by this production sector. Our Bank has always been close to these realities, to promote their sustainable growth, actively and concretely cooperating in the implementation of business projects or those involving the community.
Thanks to this event, which for the first Italian edition has chosen the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene as the location, the world’s leading experts in “spirits” will have the opportunity to dialogue with the wine producers of the Hills territory, testing the high quality of their distilled products, especially grappa – comments Marina Montedoro, president of the Association for the Heritage of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene –. Let us remember that Veneto, besides being the largest wine producer in Italy, is also the leading producer of grappa with 45 out of 130 national units and with a centuries-old tradition that is assumed to date back as far as 1200 – 1300. Grappa is therefore not only a relevant product for the economy of the area, but also a processed product that allows the reuse of the by-products of its big brother, wine in a circularity perspective that makes the supply chain particularly sustainable. Proud to host this event as well, telling the story of a product that is also a real piece of Veneto history.
SEE THE GALLERY OF THE EVENT
