Episode #683 – An Exclusive Visit With the President of Italy’s Biggest Wine Association, Angelo Radica

An American journalist rarely gets to sit down with the top brass of Italian winemaking like Angelo Radica. After all, Italy is the number one wine producer in the world, so leaders in the industry play a vital role in the wine industry’s contribution to the economy. Nonetheless, not only did Grape Encounter enjoy a rare one-on-one, it was a wonderfully light-hearted exchange demonstrating the joyfulness of Italian winemaking.

On today’s show, David welcomes Angelo Radica, President of Città del Vino; translated, “Cities of Wine, the most important wine association of Italy. Città del Vino aims to protect and promote Italian wine commerce at a city level, where local needs and goals may differ significantly from one place to the next. From tourism to sustainability to the quality of the wine, Cittá del Vina plays a vital role in all things wine. The association has approximately 500 member cities contributing to Italy’s dominance of world wine production.

Angelo Radica is also the mayor of Tollo. Tollo is located in the Abruzzo region of Italy and is considered the most important wine village in Abruzzo, based on its vast production and exceptional wine quality. The Abruzzo region is known worldwide for its high-quality wines, including the beloved Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Pecorino, and much more.

Believe it or not, Angelo Radica is also Vice President of a powerful European wine consortium of Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal. This association helps to promote cooperation between these countries and allows them to promote their wines worldwide more effectively and share best practices regarding viticulture and enology. There’s a lot to learn about Italian winemaking, and this interview will give you tremendous insight.

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