News2022-12-10T10:32:05+01:00

Registration for the online general meeting of PIWI International on March 18, 2024 at 6:00 p.m

We warmly invite our members to our online general meeting in 2024.

On Monday March 18th at 6:00 p.m. via ZOOM

Please attend in large numbers as it concerns the new association statutes of PIWI International. All members have already received the link to the documents by email.

If you have any questions, please get in touch. We are looking forward to the general meeting so that we can finally vote on our statutes and begin the realignment as an international association with great enthusiasm.

We hope to meet you personally on our members' trip planned for August (Rattey Castle August 8th - 10th), which will also be a delegate meeting. Travel details will follow in the next member letter.

You will receive the ZOOM link for the conference shortly beforehand!

Best regards

Your board of PIWI International
represented by
Alexander Morandell
president

March 16, 2024|

“PIWI Wines: a look at Solaris’ global prospects” Forni di Sotto (UD), May 3 and 4, 2024

We are pleased to announce you “PIWI Wines: exploring global perspectives starting from Solaris”, an appointment to discuss about challenges and opportunities involving PIWI Wines producers coming from all around the world, and to discover the territory of Carnia, a true heritage of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

(more…)

March 11, 2024|

Swedish wine industry goes international

This summer, Sweden will have its own 1976-style ”Paris tasting”, setting Swedish wines against international ones. The tasting is part of the effort to market Swedish wine internationally. All under the name The Swedish Wine Tasting 2024.

Sweden has been an official wine country since 2010 and development is rapid. The vineyard area has increased tenfold and the quality has kept pace. The vast majority are PIWI grapes, with Solaris clearly dominating. Now the industry believes it is time to showcase its successes on a larger scale. Swedish Wine Tasting 2024 consists of two parts: one national tasting in June and one international tasting in August, attended by some of the world's best wine tasters such as Andras Larsson and Arvid Rosengren, both world champion sommeliers, take part.

The international tasting will be held on 28 August at Koenigsegg's facility in Skåne. Here, Swedish wines will be placed in a strict blind tasting against international wines in the same style and price range. 
– It's time for Swedish wine to make the leap from fresh, daring entrepreneurship to high-quality artisan production of international calibre. To give the industry a boost along the way, we believe that an event of this kind is exactly what is needed, says Emma Serner, chairman of SBOV, Sweden’s trade organisation for oenology and wine culture.

The overall aim is to demonstrate the potential of the Swedish wine industry and create conditions for further development and export, as well as to attract foreign visitors.

– Swedish wine production is making great progress in expanding the area under cultivation and expanding the grape varieties and range. We see potential for Swedish food export, new jobs and a new primary industry for Sweden that is in line with local craftsmanship, know-how and quality,” says Maria Kärnerud, program manager of Try Swedish, Business Sweden’s food export program .

An important part is also to be able to showcase Sweden as a sustainable alternative wine growing country as wine production differs from other countries in the EU due to grapes – almost exclusively PIWI – and a generally more sustainable regulatory framework for cultivation.


– Foreign visitors want local food and drink, and restaurants in Skåne are generally good at using local ingredients. However, it is difficult to find local wine in restaurants, but there is great interest in learning more. This is a perfect initiative that we hope will lead to increased demand for local wine in restaurants, says Anna Ek-Gustavsson, Head of Gastronomy Tourism, Visit Skåne.

The national tasting will be held on 3 June in Stadshuset in Stockholm and is mainly aimed at the domestic market. About a hundred wines will be presented and judged. The result will give a general picture of the quality of Swedish wine – at the same time, the tasting is a qualification for the exclusive final tasting in August.

In Sweden, work is also continuing to obtain a geographical indication of origin (PGI) status.

– The idea is to divide the origin according to existing landscapes, says Emma Serner, stressing that the focus is on quality, not a specific taste profile.


– We will be liberal so as not to paint ourselves into a corner.
Documents have been submitted to the Swedish National Food Agency for further assessment.

Facts about Swedish wine

• There are currently around 200 wine producers with their own vineyards.


• Almost 8 out of 10 Swedish wines are produced in Skåne in the south.


• In total, there are about 150 hectares of vineyards with a production of about 300.000 litres.


• The industry directly employs about 50 full-time employees – plus several hundred people in the supply, maintenance and service industries.


• The most widely planted grapes are Solaris (about 50 hectares), followed by Cabernet cortis and Pinot Noir Précoce (Frühburgunder).

• Around 95% of the grapes are PIWI.

February 20, 2024|

PIWI ITALIA was founded

PIWI ITALIA was officially founded on Saturday December 2, 2023 during the “I Vini Piwi a Venezia” event.

The inauguration was attended by the new president Marco Stefanini , Head of the Department of Vine Genetics and Genetic Improvement – Research and Innovation Center of the Edmund Mach Foundation of San Michele all'Adige (TN), and the Vice President Riccardo Velasco , Research Director, part Center for Viticulture and Enology (CREA-VE).

PIWI regional councils:

Veneto: Daniele Piccinin , Azienda Agricola Le Carline di Pramaggiore (VE)

South-Tirol: Thomas Niedermayr – Hof Gandberg, Eppan an der Weinstrasse (BZ) – commissioned by Marco Stefanini

Trentino: Antonio Gottardi, Cantina La-Vis (TN) – Secretary and Treasurer

Friuli Venezia Giulia: Stefano Gri , Cantina Trezero, Valvasone (PN)

Lombardy: Alessandro Sala , Nove Lune, Cenate Sopra (BG)

Piedmont: PierGuido Ceste , Ceste, Govone (CN)

Contact: info@piwi-italia.it

Also present at the event were MEP Rosanna Conte and lawyer Stefano Zanchetta, who helped draft the statute.

 

At the end of the inauguration ceremony of PIWI Italia, the book “PIWI La Viticoltura Schießa  by Ivano Asperti and Luca Gonzato presented by Professor Marco Stefanini.


Special thanks for organizing the event “PIWI WINES IN VENICE” goes to Venezia Eventi di Maria Botter .

February 2, 2024|

Current podcasts from Diego Weber on the topic of PIWI

Podcasts by Diego Weber – WINE sells

32 PIWI varieties on the Moselle with Daniel Molitor from Viermorgenhof

In this episode speaks Daniel Molitor from Viermorgenhof about the cultivation of PIWI grape varieties on the Moselle and about various training systems such as minimal pruning and reverse training.

To the podcast

Vitiforst and natural wine on the export market with Jan Matthias Klein from Staffelter Hof

In this podcast speaks Jan Matthias Klein from Staffelter Hof about Vitiforst, natural wine on the Moselle and the current situation in the export market.

To the podcast

You can also find Diego's podcasts on Spotify

January 9, 2024|

Registration for the PIWI Summit on April 8, 2024

I am a member of PIWI International *
I am a press representative

If you are interested in the PIWI International newsletter, please register here at! Thank you

Your data will be saved to process your request. Further information on the storage and processing of your data can be found in the Privacy Regulations..

November 11, 2023|

World of flavors at PIWIs

SENSORIK Aroma profiles of wines made from PIWI grape varieties as a marketing aid and means of increasing acceptance.

Text and illustrations: Angus Price, Prof. Dr. Gergely Szolnoki and M.Sc. Barbara Richter, Geisenheim University
Source: the german wine industry 21/2023

Wine, a symbol of sophistication, has always reflected the rich heritage of a cultural landscape dating back thousands of years and the specific environment of its origin. However, wine producers, like many other industries, face a variety of modern challenges, ranging from climate changes to evolving consumer preferences. At the center of this dynamic development are grape varieties that define the sensory properties and quality of wines. The wine-growing country of Germany is currently experiencing an increased willingness to plant PIWI grape varieties on the part of winegrowers.

This article delves deeper into the driving factors for growing PIWI grape varieties, highlights the variety-specific aromatic expressions, and examines the crucial role of aroma wheels in overcoming the communication gap between producers and consumers. By linking research with sensory science, this article aims to highlight the potential of PIWI grapes and their upcoming importance in the German wine industry.

November 8, 2023|

Mondial des Vins Extremes 2023

The PriMo 2022 wine, made from Solaris grapes in Forni di Sotto at an altitude of 865 meters, has won the gold medal in the International Extreme Wine Competition dedicated to wines made from grapes from soils that have at least one constant exhibit structural difficulty in terms of elevation, hillside location, terraced or tiered vineyard systems and viticulture on small islands.

(more…)

October 19, 2023|

Souvignier gris: fruity or Burgundian?

VARIETY CHARACTERISTICS AND ADJUSTMENTS IN THE CELLAR
Author Wolfgang Renner
Souvignier girs

According to multiple applications in 2023, there are 66 hectares of the Souvignier gris grape variety in Austria. This proves to be a versatile representative of the group
of fungus-resistant grape varieties (PIWI). Current grafting figures suggest a further increase in area. Several years of experience in
Cultivation and expansion from Styria shows the characteristics of this variety.

The Piwi grape variety Souvignier gris (pronounced Suvinje grie) was bred in 1983 by Norbert Becker (1937 – 2012) at the State Viticulture Institute in Freiburg im Breisgau (D). Originally, the parentage Cabernet Sauvignon x Bronner was assumed. However, a genome analysis disproved this assumption. Souvignier gris is actually a cross between Seyval Blanc x Zähringer.

Conclusion:
In any case, Souvignier gris is an interesting newcomer. The German breed from the Freiburg im Breisgau Wine Institute is enjoying increasing popularity in most Austrian wine-growing regions. Depending on the ripeness of the berries and the way the grapes and must are processed, this grape variety can produce many different variants - from simple quality wine to excellent quality sparkling wine.
Previous experiences also show that Souvignier gris is able to represent the terroir of an area or a location well.

to the article with graphics - Source: Der Winzer 08/2023

August 29, 2023|

PIWI appointments – always with you on your smartphone!

We are happy to announce that the PIWI International calendar can now be subscribed to directly on your smartphone! Don't miss any more events, meetings or important appointments and stay up to date.

The calendar contains important events, competitions and meetings related to PIWI. Whether you're a member or just curious, the calendar is a quick and easy way to keep track of all relevant dates.

Subscribe to the calendar using the link below:
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/mitglieder%40piwi-international.org/public/basic.ics
This way you can ensure that you don't miss any events and are always well informed.

We look forward to welcoming you to the upcoming events and exploring the fascinating world of PIWI wines together!

Your PIWI International team

August 8, 2023|

Competition: New / innovative grape varieties

Largest PIWI competition in the German-speaking region!

Graz, July 2023

In the fifth year, the Austrian PIWI wine competition "New / innovative grape varieties" again brought an increase in the number of participating companies and registered wines. The top-class international jury was able to evaluate PIWI wines from all the important wine-growing federal states.

(more…)

July 27, 2023|

Newly approved PIWI varieties in the wine regions of Europe

In the Official Journal of the EU C 222 of June 26, 2023, a new (PIWI) variety was approved for the PDO "Champagne". The Voltis variety has been added to the existing seven main varieties. The maximum permitted grape yield is 15.5 t/ha.

A notice on the creation of the new German PGI "Großräschener See" was published in the Official Journal of the EU C 222 on 26/06/2023. The cultivated varieties are the PIWI varieties Solaris, Cabernet blanc, Johanniter and Pinotin. The PGI is located in Brandenburg on the Großräschener See, near the border with Saxony. The maximum yield is set at 90 hl/ha.

In the Official Journal of the EU C 230 of June 30, 2023, the approval of new varieties (PIWI) for the PGI "Pays d'Hérault" (near Montpellier) was granted. A total of 17 new PIWI varieties were added and 18 old varieties that are no longer used were removed. The newly approved PIWI varieties are Artaban N, Bronner B, Cabernet blanc B, Cabernet Cortis N, Floreal B, Johanniter B, Monarch N, Muscaris B, Pinotin N, Prior N, Saphira B, Sauvignac B, Solaris B, Soreli B, Souvigner gris B, Vidoc N and Voltis B. (N=Noir, B= Blanc)

Jiří Sedlo, July 18, 2023

July 21, 2023|
Go to Top