Simply Italian Great Wines gets ready for London return

Simply Italian Great Wines is returning to London on 1 October, offering an unmissable showcase of the diversity and quality of the wines of Italy.

Taking place once again at One Great George Street in Westminster, the Simply Italian Great Wines event, from 11am to 5pm on Tuesday 1 October, will see more than 20 producers exhibiting.

These producers come from the length and breadth of Italy, ranging from those pressed against the Alps in Piedmont, to those cultivating wines in the sweltering south of the country.

Explaining what visitors can look forward to, Marina Nedic, managing director at IEM, says: “The Simply Italian Great Wines signature format – educational seminars and walkaround tasting – has been created with the aim of promoting Italian fine wines and creating a not to be missed opportunity for the trade to discover new favourites while learning about the history and culture of the regions where the wines are produced.”

Given that Italy has millenia of wine history, and thousands of indigenous grape varieties, there are always new things to discover about the country’s oenological output.

“Simply Italian Great Wines will once again feature two masterclasses,” shares Nedic, “which underlines the commitment to education which is a crucial focus to better understand and promote the wonderful diversity of the wines of Italy.”

“This year the masterclasses will focus on one of Italy’s biggest appellations – the Pinot Grigio delle Venezie – as well as those of the Marche region, one of the greatest hidden gems in Italy, home to some of the finest white wines as well as some reds of very high quality,” she says. The Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC masterclass taking place at 11am will consist of a tasting of eight wines in an effort to showcase why these wines have become such a global success, with the appellation, which stretches across FriuliVenezia Giulia, Veneto and Trentino, producing around two-thirds of the Pinot Grigio made in Italy.

This will show wines such as the fresh, citrus and green fruit-forward expressions of the grape that consumers are more familiar with, but also a rosé from Casa Paladin which, despite being made from the same variety, is a completely different, copper-hued wine with red fruit aromas. Even popular grape varieties are still capable of surprises.

The Marche masterclass, which has been developed by the Istituto Marchigiano di Tutela Vini and starts at 3.30pm, will showcase nine wines from the Eastern Italian region, including those from the likes of CasalFarneto, La Staffa, Terre Di Serrapetrona and Umani Ronchi. Marche is certainly not the best-known Italian region, but it is one that should be on your radar, and its impressive wines are sure to meet the mark.

To register for this year’s Simply Italian Great Wines, visit: thedrinksbusiness.com/simply-italiangreat-wines/