It’s hard to explain the “rush,” the adrenaline you feel when you’ve got an agenda that includes ten stand visits in one day. You navigate the listing crowd of socializers and boozers who could care less that some of us are there to do business and get shit done. It’s exhausting, exhilarating, and rewarding for those seeking meaningful connections and dealmaking.

It’s Vinitaly. It never changes. And I wouldn’t miss it for anything. It’s where you see so many of your contacts, personal and professional, each year. And it’s where you make meaningful connections for the year ahead.

One of the new trends at the fair this year was the interest in low alcohol and alcohol removed wines. I was surprised to see a number of producers showing zero alcohol classic method sparkling wines.

I also tasted more than a handful of classically vinified (i.e., containing alcohol) pét-nat wines at the most unlikely of stands. In a couple of cases, well-established conventional winemakers told me that the restrained alcohol in “re-fermented in bottle” wines strikes the perfect balance for the shifting market. All the pét-nats I tasted were clean and fresh and delightful. It made me think about how important the natural and progressive wine movements have been and their positive impact on classic winemakers.

Another highlight was visiting the Slow Wine stand where I got to visit with so many old friends. They do a great job of simply celebrating their ethos: on any given day of the fair, you can find any number of “Snail” wines to sample.

Perhaps an echo of the not so optimistic outlook, some iconic producers skipped the fair this year. But most of the biggies were still there.

My Vinitaly ended beyond the fairgrounds. The last day I enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Lini 910 where I interpreted and did a talk for my client, the Lini family, super great friends.

For all there may be to complain about the fair, it brought the Italian wine world together once again. And I, for one, am glad for that. Thank you, Vinitaly.