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<strong>ITA</strong>LY<br />
– DISCOVERY –<br />
Lorenzo Barbero, chairman of the Consorzio dell’ Asti e del Moscato<br />
d’Asti Docg<br />
Giacomo Pondini, director of the Consorzio dell’Asti e Moscato d’Asti Docg<br />
wineries. Annual production is usually around 85 million<br />
bottles, of which about 50 million are Asti Docg, and<br />
the remaining 35 million are Moscato d’Asti Docg.<br />
Additionally, 85% of production is exported.<br />
I interviewed Lorenzo Barbero, the new chairman of the<br />
Consorzio per la tutela dell’Asti Spumante e del Moscato<br />
d’Asti Docg, and Giacomo Pondini, its director, about the<br />
future of these designations.<br />
- Chairman, what is your vision of the production of Asti<br />
Spumante and Moscato d’Asti Docg today?<br />
My vision is that of a wine which is part of a great Italian<br />
tradition but satisfies modern tastes and is increasingly striving<br />
to be a touchstone for the Moscato grape globally. Recent<br />
changes to specifications will allow producers to provide Asti<br />
Spumante with different residual sugar levels, thereby creating<br />
a stylistic variety that will always have as its core this vine’s<br />
uniqueness and its region of origin.<br />
- What are the projects you are committed to carrying out?<br />
Many initiatives have already been launched by the outgoing<br />
administration, which we are committed to carrying on. First<br />
of all, strengthening the bond between Moscato Bianco for Asti<br />
and Moscato d’Asti producers and the region. We are planning<br />
to achieve this goal through over 20 roundabouts to convey a<br />
message to those passing through these areas, whether they are<br />
tourists or residents, about the cultural and social importance<br />
of these landscapes, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage<br />
Site. At national level, an ongoing communication campaign<br />
is designed to put the designation back in the spotlight for<br />
a consumer audience. Also, the campaign with our chef<br />
ambassador Alessandro Borghese continues in 2021. The<br />
campaign offers us great opportunities to explain how these<br />
wines can be appreciated even outside their usual pairing with<br />
desserts.<br />
Foreign promotion remains a fundamental aspect of our<br />
thrust for Asti spumante and Moscato d’Asti. EC tenders are<br />
important tools: exports of our Asti Spumante and Moscato<br />
d’Asti wines cover over 85% of production, and to maintain<br />
this market share, we must continuously put forward new<br />
initiatives. In compliance with Covid-19 restrictions, we<br />
86 SPRING 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE
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