Everyone loves wine, especially Italian wine. Our fantastic scenario has an essential element in wine, being the highest expression of excellent agriculture and the ambassador of Italian culture and know-how in the world. To discover and learn about a landscape that includes – next to famous names such as Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, and Valpolicella – hundreds of production districts and unique vines, it is essential to rely on a specialist. Time has recognized in the Seminario Permanente Luigi Veronelli (a non-profit association founded by the father of Italian wine critics in 1986,) the ideal guide through this oenological journey across Italy.
Who’s Veronelli?
The reason why the Guida Oro I Vini di Veronelli has become one of the most important reliable sources is to be found in its name. Philosopher, intellectual, journalist, and writer Luigi Veronelli (1926-2004) traveled through post-WWII Italy, making known agricultural and food treasures born from a millenary peasant civilization. In fifty years of activity, in addition to countless articles, he has dedicated many publications to this oenogastronomic heritage; one above all the Gold Guide I Vini di Veronelli, the first guide to Italian wines. An iconic piece of history, which is renewed and published annually by the Association, now led by Andrea Bonini, formerly Veronelli's assistant.
Luigi Veronelli
The Wine App
In this troubled period marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Seminario Permanente Luigi Veronelli – which is based in Bergamo, one of the most affected provinces – offers to professionals and wine enthusiasts from all over the world the chance to discover the Italian “oenological masterpieces”. The new Veronelli's Gold Guide to Italian Wines App for iOS and Android is dedicated to them, with detailed information about 2,136 producers and over 16,000 wines evaluated by the tasters Gigi Brozzoni, Marco Magnoli, and Alessandra Piubello.
To support vintners and producers in this sensitive time, Seminario Veronelli also decided to release the app for free on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. A small contribution in the hopes that everyone will soon be able to toast with the best wines of Italy, leaving these difficult and painful months behind.
App: What you’ll find
The English digital version of the Guida Oro I Vini di Veronelli, the first guide to Italian wines, heir to the historical catalogs published by Luigi Veronelli since the 1950s. Here you’ll find the app in all its details.
Producers: With 2,136 companies reviewed, Veronelli's Gold Guide to Italian Wines is the most complete guide available on the Italian market. Rich in detailed information for each company, the Guide lists: contact details (address, telephone number, email, website), names of the owners/managers and technical managers (oenologist, agronomist), size (surface area in hectares) of the vineyard or vineyards which supply the grapes, information regarding the agricultural system (biological, bio-dynamic or conventional), if the estate offers the possibility to book visits or overnight stays (number of rooms, apartments, and suites available), opening hours at weekends and purchase options (both direct and online) and any other production (such as extra-virgin olive oil, spirits, jams, cheese, salami and other cured meats).
Wines: 16,766 wines are described detailing the indication of the cru, the surface area in hectares of the vineyard or vineyards which supply the grapes, the maturation method (steel/cement, barrique, cask or amphora), the number of bottles produced and the price range.
Evaluations and scores: The qualitative scores, rated on a 0-100 scale, are the result of individual tastings and are followed by the initials of the taster who gave the score. Alongside the 0-100 scale evaluation, each wine is listed using the corresponding ranks (good, very good, excellent or outstanding, debuts and grand debuts). Furthermore, the Gold Guide annually honours five of the finest wines per category with the Best Tasting award and the ten Sun awards, special awards given by the Editorial board.
Features: Moreover, the app offers several additional features, such as Find the wine, Find the producer, Producer of the day, The Awards and Wines of Italy. Thanks to the renewed search functions, it is possible to explore and discover the Italian wine heritage quickly and intuitively. Those features provide effective support both to the consumer and the professional in the purchase process and an essential guide for wine tourists visiting the wine districts of Italy. The Wines of Italy section guides the readers across every region, from the north to the south of the peninsula, through a focus on local wines awarded with the Three Gold Stars, descriptions of the reviewed producers (listed in alphabetical order), and a selection of the Finest Drinking Places (restaurants and wine bars with an excellent oenological offer).