The internationally acclaimed Italian wine association. Slow wineThe 2021 USA Slow Wine Guide was published by Deborah Parker Wong, an American journalist, educator, and author, and her team, which included field coordinators.
The Slow Wine community continues to grow as the guide evolves in its mission to make good, fair, and clean wines at a time when climate changes are more apparent than ever.
The U.S. section of the 2021 guide has become an independent publication for the first time. It includes 285 wineries from California and Oregon, Washington, New York, and Washington. Slow Wine is encouraging more environmentally-conscious wine producers to join its ranks. This year, the organization has asked their associates to sign a manifesto. Slow Wine CoalitionIn a further commitment towards sustainable agriculture.
The coalition is a global network that unites members of the wine industry who are committed to a wine revolution based on environmental sustainability, protection of land, and social and cultural growth. The 2021 U.S. The 2021 U.S. Slow Wine Guide is now available DigitallyBoth for purchase and also for rent Here ($24.95).
PennLive recently sent Giancarlo Gariglio questions, the editor in chief of this guide. Here are his answers:
Q: For those of you who don’t know, what is Slow Wine and why is it important for us?
A. Slow Wine is not real. [on its own]Slow Food is not a movement. It is part of Slow Food, an international movement that has been in existence since 1990. Slow Wine is the Slow Food section that deals with wine and promotes Slow Foods at an international level. It is important for us that the wine is not only excellent but that the grapes are grown in sustainable ways that respect the environment and the people who work in it.
Q, How have the tenets and principles of Slow Wine Movement changed over the past ten to eleven years?
A. Many things have changed in recent years, with new Slow Wine Guides being created around the globe. After Italy (2010) and Slovenia (2017), the United States (2018) Macedonia (2021), China (2022) and the United States (2018). We are expanding our reach. We also presented in 2020Bologna, Manifesto of Good, Clean, and Fair Wine. This manifesto (see the below), has 10 points. It is intended to help create an international network, the Slow Wine Coalition, which brings together wine lovers and winemakers as well as the industry. The first international meeting will be held in Bologna, February 26th-March 1st. It will be called Slow Wine Fair. It has more than 800 registered wineries. 160 foreigners are represented, including some from the United States, Bulgaria and Romania.
Q. Do wineries approach you and staff to make arrangements to visit them? How does the selection process work and how long do the editors stay? Is there a winery you visit that doesn’t make it into the guide?
A. We visit all wineries in our review. This is a unique feature of our guide. It is a great job, and it allows us to better understand the working practices of the producers we have described in the guide. Sometimes wineries don’t want to be reviewed. That’s fine with us. We make our decision about whether to include a winery into our guide based on its quality, working methods, and how it made us feel during our visit.
Q, I noticed that you mentioned specific wines. But, you are primarily judging/rating wineries, not the wines, is this correct? Or both?
A, Right. We also have a wine judging program. We also distinguish wines that are less expensive than a certain amount. [in Italy, 12 euros; in the U.S. $30 in a wine shop]These wines are called Vini Quotidiani (Daily Drink). The TOP wines are those that produce exceptional wines. Slow wines are those wines that are produced using techniques that respect the environment, nature, and workers. The system is somewhat similar for wineries: wineries with all the characteristics that Slow Wine considers excellent receive the recognition and the Snail. Wineries making all very good wines get the Bottle, while wineries that make excellent value for their money receive the Coin.
Giancarlo Gariglio is the editor in chief of Slow Wine Guide. He stated, “I think that Slow Wine has created its very own audience who are very attentive at the issues environmental sustainability and wines that are grown in the vineyard rather that in the cellar.”
Q. Why did you choose the four states that are featured in the guide? Are there any other states you are interested in adding?
A. The United States is huge. For this reason, I decided to concentrate my first year solely on California. After California, which is historically very important in the winemaking industry, it was Oregon that became so famous in Europe because of its Pinot Noir. We found them fascinating so we expanded to New York and Washington. Our long-term goal: To complete our work worldwide!
Q: What prevents more wineries from setting the Slow Wine movement’s goals and adopting higher standards in the vineyard and winery?
A. I believe Slow Wine has developed its own audience in recent years. They are more concerned about environmental sustainability and prefer wines that are made in the vineyard, rather than in the cellar. Because they know that wine enthusiasts value them, the wineries have realized this and are more cautious in following our ideas.
Q: What are some major goals for 2022? If the pandemic has been tamed, what do you hope the organization will accomplish in the next year?
A. We hope to have tastings in 2022. It has been difficult to taste wine through Zoom’s camera. We hope that both the Tour in the USA (and the Slow Wine Fair) will take place and that the Slow Wine Coalition movement can grow and have more people who prefer wine based on quality, not just taste but also its production methods.
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