In France they’re known as vignerons , in Italy as vignaioli: small-scale wine producers who do everything from growing and harvesting the grapes to transforming them into wine in their cellars, then bottling and selling it. Their estates are usually small and picturesque, and their wines are made according to local traditions and respect for nature and the environment.
But, throughout Europe, the future of these winemakers is under threat for a variety of reasons, not least a huge drop in the price of grapes and demand for good quality wines. The large export markets for European wines in the UK and USA have collapsed as a result of the global economic crisis and many consumers are now opting for the cheapest, industrially produced wines.
In an attempt to address their problems and come up with some common solutions, the Slow Food organization invited winemakers from across the continent to participate in Vignerons d’Europe. Over 700 producers from 16 different countries attended the meeting last weekend in Tuscany. Dany Mitzman went along to meet them.
(first broadcast on European Business Week, Deutsche Welle Radio, 12th December, 2009)