Bologna, 14 November 202
After the musician, the basketball champion. It goes, in fact, to Marco Belinellicaptain of Virtus Segafredo Bologna – as well as the only Italian basketball player to have won an NBA championship –, the second edition of “Winemaker like us” Awardestablished by FIVI – Italian Federation of Independent Winemakers and awarded in 2023 to the singer, composer and artist Stefano Belisari, aka Elio.
The Award was created to valorise every year a man or woman from the world of culture, journalism, sport, economics or entertainment who, despite not practicing the profession of winemaker, puts at the center of its work are the values of quality, originality, professionalism and love for things done wellcarried out with passion and artisan care.
The awarding of the “Winemaker like us” Award introduces the now imminent Independent Winemakers’ Wine MarketThat Saturday 23 November opens the curtain on 13th editionin program at BolognaFiere until Monday 25th.
«It has been said about him that he improves as he ages, like good wine»we read in motivation of the Prize to Belinelli. «And at 38 years old he proves it every day, in training and in matches, responding with facts to all those who wonder when a career which, however, never ceases to amaze will end». The motivation continues like this, focusing precisely on the guard’s career: «Born in San Giovanni in Persiceto, raised in the youth teams of Virtus Bologna, he then moved to Fortitudo, before starting his extraordinary adventure in the NBA: Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Hornets, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings , Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, then back to San Antonio with the Spurs, but above all back to Bologna with the “black Vs” of Virtus. He is the only Italian basketball player to have won an NBA title and one of three Europeans to excel in the NBA Three-point Shootout of the All Star Game. From the Italian countryside to the big international stages, with the same passion, determination and pride as the first shots and rebounds in the Vis Persiceto arena.”
Passion, determination and pride which also resonate in the analogy proposed by Lorenzo Cesconiwinemaker and President of FIVI: «A sporting season, for an athlete, is like a harvest for us winemakers: different every year, full of fears and risks, but with the desire to bring home the result, for themselves and for the public, for their own joy and of others. We wish Marco Belinelli, a great basketball champion and a character of great charisma and humanity, another hundred seasons.”.
Meanwhile, at BolognaFiere, the Independent Winemakers’ Wine Market is preparing to welcome the public in 30 thousand square meters of exhibition area, with over 1,000 winemakers coming from all Italian regions2 delegations of foreign winemakersrepresenting some national associations belonging to CEVI – Confédération Européenne des Vignerons Indépendants, and 32 olive growers members of FIOI – Italian Federation of Independent Olive Growers.
Visitors will be able to choose between more than 8,000 wines to taste and buy, and six masterclasses on native vines, Italian territories and excellent oils.
Not to mention, in collaboration with AMO – Association of Organized Meshers e Confcommercio Ascom Bolognathe off programs of “Off Market” and the “White night of catering“, which on Saturday 23 November will see the wines and winemakers of the Market protagonists of traveling tastings in various locations of center of Bologna. Here, also thanks to the kitchens exceptionally open until midnightpatrons will be able to be guided by FIVI producers to discover some of the most interesting realities of the Italian wine scene.
