The next of the Circle’s Let’s talk about… webinars will presented by brothers Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, who are ranked among Italy’s top winemakers and have both made important contributions to the quality and diversity of modern Italian wine. As usual, the webinar is on a Tuesday at 5pm UK time, with advance registration.

They will talk from their different perspectives, Riccardo as consultant to more than 100 major wineries in Europe and beyond, and Renzo as head of one of Italy’s most acclaimed family wineries.

Riccardo, founder of consulting company Ciasso Cotarella, professor of oenology at the University of Tuscia and recognised as the President of Global Enologists and National President of Assoenologi, Italy’s national enologist association, stresses the importance of distinctiveness that sets Italy apart: “So many grape varieties, so many territories, so many appellations, so much diversity within the same appellations, varieties of soils, exposures, microclimates.” Alongside that lies the human element, and he puts great emphasis on the value of the co-operative system. “Fifty-four per cent of  wine in Italy is produced by co-operatives today, and this also gives them a great responsibility for the future of our country’s wine.”

For Renzo, who is responsible for Famiglia Cotarella 200 hectares of vines and nearly two million bottle annual production, climate change is both a challenge and an opportunity. “We obviously cannot change the climate, but we can certainly manage it.” Referring to the present desire for refined, more varietally characteristic yet intense wines, after the powerful, very rich styles of the 1980s and 90s, he highlights the ‘turning point’ as older vineyards are replanted. “In the face of past experience and the current change in climate and style, we ask ourselves: how should we do it?’

To join what promises to be a very stimulating seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm GMT on Tuesday 5th November. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below. Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsc-6opj8iHNzjdb0rIZp7uF3HrrsHGCCo 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

We look forward to seeing you then.

If you can’t attend the live session, there will be a recording available to watch afterwards on the Circle’s YouTube channel (links to this and earlier sessions are in the members’ area of the website).

Michèle Shah & Liz Sagues, CWW online events organisers

The final Let’s talk about… in 2024 – number 110 in the series – will be on November 19th, when Marcos Zambartas will be presenting modern Cyprus, visited by Circle members earlier this year.