The First Mediterranean Wine Symposium Establishes the Mediterranean as a Unique “Wine-making Region”

The First Mediterranean Wine Symposium Establishes the Mediterranean
as a Unique “Wine-making Region”

The congress held in Perelada highlighted the richness and diversity of a wine map drawn around the Mare Nostrum and its culture, in front of more than 200 attendees, including a dozen Master of Wines, more than 40 sommeliers, 100 national and international opinion leaders.

Twenty wineries from the Mediterranean basin and a distinguished program of tastings and unprecedented presentations consolidate the Mediterranean as an authentic destination that combines a first-class oenological proposal, climate, culture, gastronomy and leisure.

With the firm commitment to highlighting the quality, tradition, and uniqueness of Mediterranean wines, the First Mediterranean Wine Symposium brought together twenty wineries from the Mediterranean basin in an unprecedented gathering on 24 March, which made Perelada into the Mediterranean wine capital for the day.

This congress of Mediterranean wine cultures was created as a result of the personal determination of its advisory committee, led by Juancho Asenjo (a member of the International Wine Academy and a Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella of the Italian Republic for his work raising the profile of Italian wine), and comprised of Josep Roca (sommelier at the renowned Celler de Can Roca restaurant), Yiannis Karakasis (a Master of Wine from Greece), Gabriele Gorelli (a Master of Wine from Italy), Gaston Hochar (the general manager of Château Musar in Lebanon), Maria Snoussi (a professor in the Faculty of Sciences at Mohamed V University in Morocco), and Delfí Sanahuja (the director of oenology at Perelada). Its sole objective is to act as a fourm and discussion point for sharing knowledge and experience, defining and addressing the challenges and opportunities in the sector, while maintaining a clear commitment to research and training.

The symposium was inaugurated in Perelada Castle’s historic Carmen Church. The sommelier and journalist Ruth Troyano, the master of ceremonies at the congress, welcomed the attendees, and highlighted the desire to “promote a shared heritage and publicly declare the commitment of those present to preserving it.” Following her speech, Borja Suqué, a member of Perelada’s fifth generation, personally and specifically thanked the wineries for their participation in this congress, which he described as “a place to begin working together,” highlighting a “transcontinental” territory rich in layers of culture and history. He invited the attendees to embrace the romanticism of feeling like Odysseus, and falling in love with the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean Wine Showroom

The event brought together major wineries from across the Mediterranean basin, and showed the admirable levels of cohesion and harmony between them. From Málaga to Morocco, by way of Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, and Lebanon, the wineries provided a comprehensive mosaic of the “Mediterranean philosophy” of understanding life and consequently wine – presenting the Mediterranean as a single region, which is the source of all the cultures that emerged from it.

In addition to Perelada, the participating wineries included 4Kilos, Casa Gran de Siurana, Gutiérrez de la Vega, and Victoria Ordóñez from Spain; Artemis Karamolegos, Lyrarakis, Mikra Thira, and Troupis Winery from Greece; Masseria Li Veli, Petra, Planeta, and San Salvatore 1988 from Italy; Château du Pibarnon and Mas Amiel from France; Domaine Vicomte De Noue Marinic from Slovenia, Château Musar from Lebanon, Château Roslane from Morocco, Corvus from Turkey, and Vouni Panayia from Cyprus.

The showroom, which attendees were able to visit throughout the event, offered a unique opportunity to both capture a snapshot of the Mediterranean transformed into wine, and to sample wines and wineries not typically found in European distributors’ portfolios.

The symposium attendees also enjoyed an exclusive programme of tastings and unpublished presentations, focusing on the Mediterranean as a source of unparalleled cultural and gastronomic wealth throughout history.

A unique identity, born around the Mare Nostrum – undoubtedly our “Sea of Wine” – has been passed down over the centuries, creating a legacy in which respect and love for the land are the foundations for crafting high-quality wines with a unique character.

The Mediterranean Lectures

The congress featured an exceptional programme which thanks to the hard work of the speakers and advisors provided a comprehensive vision of the Mediterranean’s past, present, and future.

Josep Roca delivered an enlightening masterclass on haute cuisine and Mediterranean wines, highlighting gastronomy’s essential role in Mediterranean culture. Josep also made his position on dealcoholised wines clear, by advocating for the most authentic wine compared to technological alternatives, and championing a wine that expresses itself through soil the and Mediterranean identity, with its history, essence, and minimal intervention, rather than zero or low-alcohol wines.

The challenge of climate change was also addressed, with contributions from Maria Snoussi, a committee member and professor at Mohamed V University in Morocco, and Nathalie Ollat, a researcher at the French National Institute for Agricultural Research and the director of LACCAVE, a French project studying how vineyards can adapt to climate change. Both speakers emphasised that the Mediterranean can only secure its future by understanding soils and restoring their microbiotic activity, while selecting grape varieties best suited to the climate. Maria and Nathalie also stressed the importance of collectively defining adaptation strategies at a local level.

The attendees looked at the history and evolution of wine in various Mediterranean civilisations, with Romina Ribera, CEO of Glops d’Història, discussing the winemaking tradition in the Empordà region, and Gaston Hochar explaining its evolution.

How are Mediterranean wines perceived elsewhere? What comes to consumers’ minds when they think of a Mediterranean wine? David Allen MW, Wine Director of Wine-Searcher, explained how Mediterranean wines are perceived and the challenges they must overcome in the near future, while highlighting the vast array of native grape varieties in the Mediterranean and the unique and diverse wines that have been produced there for centuries, while preserving tradition.

The Mediterranean Tastings

The tasting sessions, which required prior reservation due to limited seating, were a resounding success, and sold out in less than 24 hours after becoming available to attendees.

Delfí Sanahuja conducted an extensive tasting of the host winery, presenting five wines, five varieties, and five vintages that encapsulate Perelada’s major commitments in the Empordà region. Delfí believes that these wines represent the five essential values in Mediterranean wine: the climate, terroir, grape varieties, territory, and the crucial human factor.

Toni Gerez, maître and sommelier at the Castell Perelada restaurant, offered an eno-gastronomic experience pairing Mediterranean wines with cheeses, while Juancho Asenjo explored the identity of the Malvasia grape along the Mediterranean coastline.

Victoria Ordóñez, the owner of the Málaga-based winery of the same name, guided the attendees through the Mediterranean basin’s most significant grape varieties, identifying common themes among Mediterranean wines and dispelling preconceptions about their supposed warmth. Victoria also emphasised that the Mediterranean is “the cradle of wine, a bridge between East and West, and even a connection to America,” while asserting that Mediterranean wine “is a legacy that is present in every sip.”

Juancho Asenjo, the director of the symposium’s technical committee, led a historical and geographical journey through Malvasia, from Candia and the Adriatic Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. He began by stating that “the Mediterranean has never been monovarietal; the region has always been home to multiple varieties, and Malvasia was no exception.” He pointed out that “Malvasia has been a type of wine that has developed in the Mediterranean over centuries” and that it originally began as a sweet, sun-dried wine.

Gabriele Gorelli MW and Yiannis Karakasis MW delivered a masterclass on the key wine regions in their respective countries, Italy and Greece. They explored their landscapes in a highly comprehensive and insightful session, covering their diverse and rich regions, local grape varieties, and the varied styles of wine they produce.

Having established itself as a leading event in the promotion of Mediterranean wines from its very first edition, the success of the symposium and the shared commitment to building a common future ensure that a second edition is on the horizon. This was confirmed by Borja Suqué, who during the symposium’s closing ceremony passed the baton to Andrea Lonardi MW of the Petra winery in Tuscany, which will host the next edition.