Austerity is striking deep into the heart of the government-subsidized Italian wine promo effort.
Today an email was sent regretting to inform U.S. importers that "Italian Wine Week," as we local yokels call it, will be off in 2012.
Gone is the chance for mid-winter junkets to balmy New York, often really family-winery vacations on the governo's dime. Alas, the Apple Store will be a little less crowded, not to mention Dylan's Candy Bar and, for the moneyed ones, seemingly bargain-basement prices at Saks and Bergdorf.
To rectify this situation -- to bring back VINO2012 and shore up the city's rather shaky economy -- I suggest that Berlusconi and Bloomberg join forces and tickle their own bank accounts to save the Italian wine.
Shall we start an email chain letter? Mount a Facebook page? Are you with me on this? Or do you actually have lives?
As you well know I do not have a life, but I am not with you on this one, sorry...
I truly believe that, if it were truly necessary, a few people like yourself, Ken, Joel Mack (@vintrospective), Jeremy Parzen (@DoBianchi), Doug Cook (@ablegrape) or Matt of Wine Bottega (just to mention a few names off the top of my head), could do way more, better and cheaper for Italy and its wines than any of those inbred quasi Italian government-sponsored fossils who have been wasting their scarce brain cells on that yearly non-event.
Good riddance to Vino 2012 through 2112, I say. You shall NOT be missed by those who really love making or drinking good wine.
Posted by: Gianni Lovato | 09/30/2011 at 08:50 PM
Well, I do that the Vino20xx thing was a boondoggle of great proportions. I'll leave the colorful desertion to you!
And thanks for the kind words, Zietto.
Posted by: Strappo | 10/01/2011 at 12:15 PM