Milan, July 2015 – Sustainability and sensory analysis, two highly topical issues for the enological sector that in the next edition of SIMEI (Milan, 3-6 November 2015) will be the focuses of the International Conferences organized by Unione Italiana Vini and sponsored by no less than OIV- Organisation internationale de la vigne et du vin, Ceev - Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins - and FIVS - Fédération Internationale des Vins et Spiriteux -.
SIMEI is the world reference point for wine technology, not only because it is an extraordinary showcase of the best innovations of the sector, but also because UIV, - as organizer of the exhibition from its first edition in 1963 - has always intended to make it a unique, top-level professional update and information opportunity.
Expressly for this purpose, again in 2015, the scheduled International Conferences will host the most qualified speakers: each of them will give their own professional contribution and encourage participants to take part in the discussion.
On 3rd November the debate will be about “Sustainable viticulture as a tribute to wine quality”: the workshop will be the natural continuation of the seminar that made up the climax of the 2013 edition, an update of the state of the art to assess where the wine-making industry currently stands in terms of sustainable development.
As usual, the topic will be discussed by some of the leading experts in the field, among whom the members of the “Steering Committee” Ettore Capri - Research Centre on sustainable development, OPERA, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Piacenza-, Osvaldo Failla – Agrarian and Environmental Sciences Dept. University of Studies of Milan -,, Philip Manson – General Manager Sustainability at New Zealand Winegrowers – co-chair of FIVS' Sustainability Working Group -, Allison Jordan – Executive Director, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance; Vice President, Environmental Affairs, Wine Institute.
The classical meaning of the term “sustainability” defines it as a balance between social, cultural, economic and environmental aspects in search for solutions according to the requirements of the present and of the future. In spite of that there is in practise a tendency in the wine-making sector to give more importance to the environmental aspect, disregarding or pushing other aspects into the background. The aim of the Conference is to outline the state of the art in comparison with the other main initiatives existing at global level: the attention will be focused on the different pillars and on the different indicators of the environmental aspect, also concentrating on a more holistic point of view with regard to wine-making sustainability, which necessarily should imply social and economic aspects and sensory analysis as an evaluation instrument.
Sensory analysis will be the focus of the Conference on 4th November: “Discovery the Sensory Factors” will examine all its aspects, from the scientific to the productive one, up to the commercial point of view. Even in this case, UIV summoned all the major experts of the sector: Anita Oberholser – PhD Cooperative Extension Specialist in Enology Department of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis – together with Hildegarde Heymann – Professor in Enology, Department of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis – Ulrich Fisher – Kompetenzzentrum Weinforschung (Centre for Wine Research) DLR Rheinpfalz, Neustadt, Germany – John Thorngate - Director, Sensory Department at Constellation Brands - and Jennifer Jo Wiseman -V.P. Consumer and Product Insights, E. & J. Gallo Winery: As speakers, they will discuss and interact with the participants in the workshop.
The choice of specifically drawing attention to sensory analysis resulted from the commitment of Unione Italiana Vini in proving the precision of its objective and quantifiable results and its scientific value as an instrument for measuring the quality of wine.
The main goal of the debate that will take place during SIMEI is to achieve a codification of a universal language with shared measurement scales: this is indeed a necessary step for the market. It is an innovative format of complete sharing of sensory analysis which involves the community of the most qualified international stakeholders who will define the sensory profiles to be matched with the different cultures, in order to outline a "sensory identikit” of the modern consumer.
The attendees will play a very important role, a different one in the two Conferences but strictly connected by their "common thread" of sensory analysis in the enological field. UIV has indeed decided to re-propose the original interactive formula: at the end of each work session - a total of five independent sessions - there will be a sort of talk show, in which all participants may take part in the discussion of the issues, thus directly interacting with the speakers and participating in a survey concerning the level of involvement in the focus of sensory analysis.
The programme of the event and all information will be on: www.simei.it/congress
