The program for the sixt edition of Milano Wine Week – the event dedicated to the world of wine in its entirety has been presented, with a focus on the central role of the consumer.
From October 7th to 15th, the Milano Wine Week 2023 returns, a major Italian event dedicated to promoting, storytelling, and experiencing wine in its sixth edition, featuring a rich lineup of innovative formats and engaging activities – offering an unparalleled immersive experience in the world of wine, catering to both seasoned professionals and consumers alike.
The headquarters for this agenda will be at the historic Palazzo Bovara (Corso Venezia, 51), which, in addition to its customary events for professionals, will open its doors to the public with a series of initiatives throughout the week.
The historic building continues to serve as a global hub for wine promotion, hosting a rich schedule of events, including walk-around tastings and national and international masterclasses, connecting Italian and foreign operators, buyers, and journalists with key players from the world’s most important wine markets.
The Milano Wine Week 2023 involves consortia, organizations, and hundreds of companies from all over Italy, as well as entities from outside the sector, institutions, industry associations, and, most importantly, the general public.
This year’s edition stands out with an immersive approach, focusing on consumer involvement through experiences that integrate wine into the city’s reality and exclusive activities. These range from Walk Around Tastings to workshops, including the Wine Boat – a boat that will sail along the Navigli canals for an extraordinary tasting experience in one of Milan’s most representative settings – and the Wine Bus – departing from Palazzo Bovara from Monday to Thursday with two trips a day, and on Saturday and Sunday with three trips a day – featuring 22 tasting events in collaboration with prominent Italian companies and consortia, including the Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna.
Also returning is the MWW Enoteca (Phyd, Via Tortona 31), offering tasting counters and booths manned by the producers themselves, where visitors can sample and purchase a carefully curated selection of wines, either independently or with the guidance of specialized sommeliers. Special experiences, such as vintners’ tables and audience engagement moments organized by Fisar and Vinhood, can also be booked.
Among the activated locations throughout the city, Carrefour’s flagship store with its wine bar Terre d’Italia in Piazza De Angeli stands out, featuring a lineup of events related to the Wine Icons project.
Federico Gordini, President of Milano Wine Week, explains: “Milano Wine Week adapts to the times in line with the evolving wine world and international scenarios. Our goal, with increasingly focused projects, is to become a reference wine event for the restaurant world through more targeted initiatives. Think, for example, of Wine List Italy, an initiative aimed at giving visibility to the world of professional sommeliers, or the Awards, which have been honoring the best Italian wine lists for years and will now also pay tribute to the best selections of Italian wines from international restaurants.
The focus on the professional world is very important, especially because we are in a phase where, in terms of service and hospitality, we need to convey many messages related to the training of new generations who can inherit the important Italian hospitality legacy. Alongside opportunities for professionals, consumer activities are growing considerably, providing innovative ways to connect with consumers. This has led to a vast number of initiatives that involve locations ranging from Michelin-starred restaurants to supermarkets, from the Wine Boat to tasting counters open to the public because wine is for everyone, and the approach must be increasingly democratic and experiential.
We will also have moments of reflection because there are many debates in the wine world about future prospects, from labeling to international promotion, not to mention the increasingly strong climate changes. There is an evolution, a contraction of the market in general, but we believe that these are the moments when we need to do even more in terms of promotion, consumer education, and building strong connections. Hence, a comprehensive calendar that caters to the various aspects of wine, from large companies to consortia, from major representative organizations to small producers, with whom we have been building a stronger, more innovative, and more representative Milano Wine Week for six years.”
Among the must-attend events is Wine List Italy, scheduled for Sunday, October 8th at Palazzo Bovara. It involves the presentation – followed by a dedicated Walk Around Tasting – of the first guide published by MWW Media – Vendemmie, which includes a selection of over 50 of the best Italian sommeliers, each invited to suggest 10 wines from their lists in as many categories: from the “sommelier’s gem” to the best value wines; from territorial labels to the “sweet sip” to end a meal in style.
There is also anticipation for the MWW Awards ceremony. On Monday, October 9th, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, at Palazzo Castiglioni, the third edition of the Italian Wine List Award and the Wine Retail Award will be presented, celebrating the best wine selections in the restaurant and retail world, awarded by an expert jury chaired by wine and food journalist Andrea Grignaffini, with project coordination by taster and wine and food writer Irene Forni.
In addition to the awards in the two categories, Special Awards will also be presented in collaboration with MWW Partners, including the “Best Sparkling Selection,” chosen by Freccianera, for the recognition, in the restaurant world, of the wine list with the best selection of ‘bubbles.’
Among the confirmed Location Partners of Milano Wine Week 2023, we highlight: Cantina Urbana®, with daily tastings at its three points of sale in the city, the end-of-harvest Grape Festival on October 14th in the Winery, and finally, the itinerant Marathon on October 15th; CityLife Shopping District, which will host the opening toast on Saturday, October 7th; Eataly Milano Smeraldo, which will propose some special events for Milan’s wine week; Hard Rock Cafè, which will offer a dedicated promotion throughout Milan Wine Week at the via Dante location and, on October 8th, will host the “Wine on Tour” event.
Many appointments have become traditional events within the event. Milan Wine Week will open for the sixth consecutive year with the inaugural toast, scheduled for Saturday, October 7th, at 6:00 PM in Piazza Tre Torri, in collaboration with the Prosecco DOC Consortium.
On the same day, at 10:30 AM, the Superstudio Maxi in via Moncucco 35 will host the press conference presenting the Slow Wine 2023 Guide, in collaboration with Slow Food, followed by a Walk Around Tasting at 2:30 PM with the producers featured in the publication.
A great classic is also the wine tasting event “Excellences of European Taste. Born to be together,” curated by Ascovilo and Grana Padano, scheduled for Saturday, October 14th, at Palazzo Bovara. An opportunity to taste new labels from the territories and denominations of Lombardy, including DOCG, DOC, and IGT, accompanied by different Grana Padano PDO aging stages.
There are also many special innovations in the sixth edition. Milan Wine Week increasingly reflects the times, which is why the event will pay tribute to Marisa Leo – formerly responsible for marketing and communication in a large Sicilian cooperative winery, who was tragically killed by her ex-partner a few days ago – with a special masterclass organized by the national association “Le Donne del Vino,” scheduled for Wednesday, October 11th, at Palazzo Bovara.
On Tuesday, October 10th, at Palazzo Bovara, the Sardinia Day will take place, featuring a dense program of masterclasses where the most important companies from the island’s territory will present their products to the audience of buyers, distributors, experts, and specialized press. There will also be a conference on the high potential of Sardinian wine territory and a significant Walk Around Tasting open to the public.
Other noteworthy events include the Walk Around Tasting “Timeless Harmonies,” in collaboration with the Lugana DOC Consortium, which will analyze the success of the denomination and its connection with tourism on Lake Garda.
The Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna, in addition to managing 4 runs of the Wine Bus, will also organize an evening at the MWW Enoteca. On Friday, October 13th, Luca D’Attoma will take the stage at Palazzo Bovara with masterclasses dedicated to 10 selected wineries by the great oenologist, who will present labels from all over Italy born from his consultancy.
A novelty this year is also the “Degustando” format, which will bring together 10 top chefs and their recipes in combination with an equal number of wine producers in a convivial atmosphere on Tuesday, October 10th, in the tunnel of the Nhow Hotel in via Tortona.