Verona, 3 April 2023 – "It is our interest and duty to support this world and the Government is also committed to helping young people and generational turnover." So said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaking of the wine sector, opening the second day of the 55th Vinitaly, the international exhibition of wines and spirits, scheduled at Veronafiere until 5 April.
"It is a duty to be here today," said Prime Minister Meloni, "but not my first time at Vinitaly. Yet all the more so, I hardly could not be here now as Prime Minister of Italy. Wine is a fundamental value chain in our economy and culture, worth more than 30 billion euros. The sector employs more than 870,000 people and leads the balance of trade for Made in Italy. This sector works so well thanks to its ability to combine long-standing tradition and modernity. This is why the government is committed in taking the dual direction of measures to support businesses as well as young people who receiving awards today during Vinitaly."
Meloni also took attended the award ceremony in the morning for the 7th Agrarian Institutes of Italy Wine Competition 2023, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry.
The Premier then visited the "Bacco Divino" in the Ministry of Agriculture exhibition area, with two exceptional loans of paintings from the Uffizi Gallery: "Young Bacchus" by Guido Reni and "Bacchus" by Caravaggio.
"I think the idea of Ministers Lollobrigida and Sangiuliano to bring to Vinitaly for the first time two world-class works of art on the theme of wine absolutely fascinating," said Meloni. “Not only because we want to ensure everyone can enjoy culture but above all to highlight that wine is not only a question of economics but also of identity and culture, celebrated in Italy's literature, poems and paintings."
The Prime Minister then raised a toast in the Ministry of Agriculture (Masaf) area together with the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida, the Undersecretary for Culture, Gianmarco Mazzi, star chef Giancarlo Perbellini and the President of Veronafiere, Federico Bricolo, to celebrate the candidacy of Italian cuisine as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
"It must be pointed out that the world of wine accounts for half of Italy's PDO produce," concluded Meloni. "A question of excellence that the Government could hardly ignore during these show days, not the least through international meetings with leaders from the Western Balkans. Today will be long and demanding but undoubtedly very interesting.".
Other figures visiting Vinitaly today included the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, the Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, the Minister for Institutional Reforms and Simplification, Maria Elisabetta Casellati, and the Vice President of the Senate, Gian Marco Centinaio.