“In recent years there has been one significant growth in the food&wine sector, now the time has come to face the challenge by accelerating in a touristic way. The statement of food and wine tourism is essential because it contributes to seasonally adjust flows“: with these words the president of the Marche Region, Francesco Acquaroli baptized the birth of "Studio Marche", an innovative television studio both for techniques and for themes that will have to project the Marche agri-food in the world through digital channels.
The project born from the collaboration between the Agriculture Department of the Marche Region, the Marche Institute of Food and Wine (IME) and the food and wine center of Palazzo Balleani in Jesi, will systematize the promotion activities of the entire food & wine sector region through a professional recording and broadcasting platform - unique on the national scene - which allows for remote dialogue with trade, the press, Italian and foreign experts and enthusiasts, live zoom but also on the main social channels of Ime, overcoming the barriers imposed by the 'sanitary emergency.
The initiative institutionally confirms the central and driving function of Italian food and wine for the development of the territory proclaimed by all in words but often remained at the level of beautiful and good intentions.
“The goal is to create a digital hub of Marche food and wine capable of giving a voice to the whole sector – said Alberto Mazzoni, director of the IME -. Thanks to the support of the Marche Region, we can now put technology, technical personnel and tools at the service of companies that allow not only to connect with the whole world, but also to reflect in communication the quality that our sector is able to express, conquering an audience that at the moment they cannot physically reach”.
To open the calendar wine, with a digital tasting programme organized by the Marche Institute for the Protection of Wines (Imt) and aimed at Italian and European experts. It starts with a bi-weekly review of tastings dedicated to the national sector press, on the bill from 15 March to mid-June with a focus on Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Matelica, Rosso Conero, Lacrima di Morro d'Alba and Colli Maceratesi Ribona and many other Doc and Docg represented by the IMT.
In the same period, there will also be wine events reserved for the press and trade from Holland, Germany, the Baltic countries, Sweden, Finland and Germany, which will also be followed by events dedicated to non-EU countries envisaged by the promotional project Ocm vino 2021.
But the platform is ready to host all the food&wine realities that need it, with the possibility of opening the doors to other quality sectors of regional manufacturing as well. And the digital study is only part of the promotion strategy of Ime and the Offida regional Enoteca included in the Taste Routes, a project financed by the Marche Region (Agriculture Department) which also includes a cooking schoola, a dedicated app and training activities on made in Marche food products.
Are approximately 43 agri-food companies in the Marche regionor, for a sector that is almost worth 3 billion euros, equal to 8,5% of the regional GDP (Nomisma Agroalimentare elaboration on Istat 2017 data). To tow right there wine supply chain, with a production value which, according to the Ismea-Qualivita 2020 report, for PDO and PGI wines alone is around 106 million euros.
Still in the prospective vision for which Studio Marche was born, the president of the Acquaroli Region also announced the creation of a tourism agency and internationalization for the enhancement of the villages according to the concept of widespread hotel linked to food and wine, quality craftsmanship, museums, opera, theatres.
At the moment there are thirteen subjects involved by the IME, the Marche Institute of Food and Wine, in the project to enhance the food & wine of the Marche region and they are the Marche Institute for the Protection of Wines (lead partner, together with the Municipality of Jesi), the Piceni Wine Consortium, TreValli Cooperlat, BovinMarche, Con Marche Bio, the Maccheroncini di Campofilone Igp association, the Acqualagna and Marche Truffle Consortium, the Casciotta d'Urbino Dop Consortium, the Ascolana del Piceno Olive Dop Protection Consortium, Assam (Agency services to the agri-food sector of the Marche), Polytechnic delle Marche and Esitur Tour Operator.