TRADITION ATTRACTS VISITORS AND CUSTOMERS MORE THAN INNOVATION
Which wineries attract wine tourists the most? Do they like more traditional food or that of technologically advanced companies?
Farmhouse food beats technologically advanced food
by Donatella Cinelli Colombini
Many will answer <<famous wineries>> and it is true. Wine super brands are strong magnets for wine lovers. But among the various types of wineries it is not the masterpieces of the archistars or the giant and innovative creations that enter the hearts of visitors but the boutique cellars where everything speaks of the producer’s passion in grasping the magic of nature transforming it into unique nectar different from any other.
FARMHOUSE FOOD BEATS TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED FOOD
Tradition and manual care are the most appreciated things. If you ask the wine tour guides they will tell you that if visitors see the producer come out of the vineyard dirty with soil to welcome them … that’s it, customers will fall in love with him.
tradition and manual care win on technology in front of turists’ eyes. Violante Cinelli Colombini in the Brunello vineyard.
For this reason it is always better to begin the guided tour of the winery from the barrel ageing area rather than from the areas where steel and technology are the protagonists, such as the fermentation room or the packaging area.
In fact, already in her second Report on Food and Wine Tourism Roberta Garibaldi noted that the charm exercised by ancient traditions was an element capable of standing out above others: in her survey, the greatest increases in interest were recorded in historic restaurants and cafes, the tasting of typical dishes in their area of origin.
All trends that have been amplified by the epidemic, the lockdown and forced quarantine in the city. The Nomisma-UniCredit Tourism Observatory, in partnership between Enit for the “Made4Italy” project, has highlighted the growing importance of the “Food experience” during a trip and how it is increasingly linked to the territory, culture and local traditions. For this reason, 28% of the hospitality facilities are preparing food and wine tours on the territory to allow tourists to enter typical wineries and food workshops while 24% will offer menus based on local products and raw materials “farm to table”.
AGRICOLTURE AND WINE BETWEEN TRADITION AND INNOVATION
Agriculture and wine in Europe face great challenges: green-deal, next generation, Farm to Fork, Biodiversity … innovation is an obligatory path but they must remain faithful to themselves and to their roots if they do not want to lose charm and customers.
The Nomisma-Agrifood Monitor survey in collaboration with Crif shows us how 45% of Italians perceive the agri-food products of “traditional” companies as superior to those of technologically advanced companies. There is even an 18% willing to pay more in order to have genuine farm food. But at the same time a majority share of consumers (54%) calls for agriculture to take a step forward in the name of sustainability and therefore of innovation.