"Our wine is worth more than 8 billion in exports and is chosen on the domestic market because it expresses quality and gives safety. The best thing is to drink in moderation, quality products and at the right price, to give the right value to the supply chain, from those who produce grapes up to the winemakers, the processors and the distributors. We want to give balance and create wealth for the nation". This was declared by the italian Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry Francesco Lollobrigida , speaking yesterday morning at the inauguration of the 56th edition of Vinitaly.

The minister then inaugurated the institutional space of Masaf, thanking the people who work in the ministry and related bodies for the work carried out and for the events proposed at the fair. Divided into three rooms, a busy program organized by Masaf began, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Merit, with the possibility of tasting wines produced by the Agricultural Institutes, and then a series of conferences, seminars and meetings organized in collaboration with Crea, Ismea and Agea, but also information, cultural and in-depth events organized by other bodies, institutes and associations, as well as guided tastings by the Italian Sommelier Foundation (Fis).

The second space proposed this year by the Ministry of Agriculture (Masaf) to Vinitaly visitors is created in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, with an immersive experience between multimedia installations, ancient writings and works of art. The exhibition "Wine between myth and culture" hosts works from both the Torgiano Wine Museum of the Lungarotti Foundation and from various Italian museums, the latter thanks to the contribution of Generali, but also ancient writings. Among the works present, it is possible to admire "The Wedding at Cana" by Garofalo, "Bacchus" by Annibale Carracci, "The Harvest (allegory of Autumn)" by Francesco Celebrano, "Bacchanal" by Pablo Picasso, the "Statue of Satyr " in marble from the 1st century BC, clay wine amphorae from the 4th century BC to the 4th century AD and much more. Together with the exhibition, visitors can experience the immersive "Divina" arena, a fascinating journey through microscopic images and creative visualizations for a video experience on the territory and wine of Italy.

“We are making really great progress regarding the promotion of the wine system", declared Masaf undersecretary Patrizio Giacomo La Pietra, on the sidelines of the Verona event. "I also think of the two days we held for the centenary of the OIV in Italy, and it is a great recognition of the work also on an international level that the ministry and especially Minister Lollobrigida is doing to increasingly legitimize the work and the sector. Then it is clear that this sector needs strategies, we need to start getting around a table to understand what strategies should be put on the table for the near future."

"There is a decrease in consumption and production, but at the same time there is also an increase in quality", added La Pietra. "We must therefore combine everything to support this sector as much as possible. The ministry and the minister are there, and together with these events like Vinitaly we can get this message across."

For his part, Luigi D'Eramo , also undersecretary of Masaf, declared: "As regards exports and the challenges to be faced, we must continue to promote, defend and support the wine sector which is one of the major realities of the our agriculture. So with the same strength, the same determination and the same passion, we continue alongside our producers a job that makes Italy an increasingly protagonist in the European and international markets".