In times of war and professional tension, criticism often leads to resistance. That’s why Wine Meridian is shifting its focus to virtuous examples. Highlighting stories like the Marenco winery’s approach to transparency and sustainability helps inspire the sector and show that growth is possible, even in challenging times.
Writing during times of war is not easy. In such highly confrontational phases, it becomes difficult to be understood, because any topic risks being perceived as an accusation, an affront, a challenge thrown.
I’m becoming increasingly aware of this lately — wars today are not “just” the big and tragic ones in Ukraine or Gaza. There are also the countless, seemingly innocuous battles we face daily within our professional lives.
Over the past few months, through our editorial project “The Hidden Truths of Wine,” we have tried to highlight the issues and contradictions of our sector without filters, avoiding unnecessary sugarcoating.
Our goal was never to point fingers at the industry’s shortcomings, but to encourage the wine supply chain to move beyond self-complacency or victimhood, and instead react by bringing out the many positive, untapped potentials that still exist.
I must honestly admit that the results we achieved were only partially what we had hoped for, because I sensed from some feedback (still precious and useful for reflection) that our “criticisms” didn’t always spark action — sometimes they led to defensive reactions.
Most likely, these reactions come from fear, from the difficulty of understanding today’s market conditions, and from the understandable resistance to change strategies that had been useful for many years.
Therefore, in times of fear and withdrawal, criticisms risk being perceived as final verdicts, as life-long condemnations.
This is the exact opposite of our intent. That’s why we’ve decided to change direction significantly: to highlight more and more the positive and virtuous examples, in order to show that even in complex times like these, one can grow and remain successful.
Truthfully, this has always been part of Wine Meridian’s editorial mission, but from now on, it will be even more explicit.
This should not be interpreted as an attempt to sweep the sector’s problems under the rug, but rather as a strong desire to bring out the positivity that our sector is still capable of expressing.
There are two key recommendations I’d like to offer our readers — especially entrepreneurs and managers of wine businesses: the first is to be open to sharing their “winning strategies” with courage and transparency, understanding that the better the sector performs, the more everyone benefits (the “your loss is my gain” mindset is extremely damaging); the second is not to treat virtuous examples as rare exceptions, as if only companies with special advantages or certain appellations could achieve them.
These two principles are crucial if we want to truly benefit from good practices and success stories; otherwise, we risk creating well-meaning but ineffective “good news” columns like those found in some newspapers.
And without wasting any more time, I want to close this editorial with a strong example of intelligent, effective communication from the Monferrato region — the Marenco winery.
The title of their press release is already intriguing and invites reading: “Sulfites and the Finger, the Details That Matter.”
It’s so well done that I’m sharing it in full…
“Which other food product receives as much attention as wine?”
We winemakers are lucky to have attentive customers — people who want to know how we work more than ever before.
In the last 30 years, the paradigm has changed. The word wine itself has evolved. What was once a simple beverage enjoyed by our grandparents is now a symphony of culture, territory, personality, emotion, and diversity.
Thanks to experience, skills, and care for the grapes, we’ve shifted from corrective winemaking to expressive winemaking.
That’s why we embrace moderate use of sulfites. For a company like ours, which controls its own grapes and process, this path is not difficult. We’ve been doing it for years.
What we need to communicate better are all the positive practices we apply in the vineyard and cellar — and finally, the consumer wants to hear them.
This is the “finger” we refuse to hide behind!
According to EU regulations, more than 500 chemical elements — residues of pesticides — can legally be found in conventional wine. None of these substances are found in our wines.
That’s because in both vineyard and winery, we don’t use products that leave harmful chemical residues on grapes or in wine.
And thanks to our certifications, we can guarantee this to those who choose us.
Are we happy with this result? Yes, but we see it as a journey, not a destination.
We still have a long way to go, but it’s only by believing, trying, and learning that we can improve.
And thank you to those — like you, who’ve read this far — who know how to look beyond their noses!
Key points
- Wine Meridian shifts focus from critique to showcasing positive success stories.
- Fear often blocks constructive change in the wine industry.
- Transparency and communication are key to building consumer trust.
- Marenco winery proves clean, sustainable practices can be effectively shared.
- Sharing success benefits the whole sector, not just individual wineries.
