On Saturday, May 14 at 5:30 PM, Rocca Bernarda hosts a conference on a subject at the heart of European winemaking: the relationship between territorial identity and wine communication.
The event, titled “Identity and Authenticity: Essential Drivers for the Wine of the Future,” is organised by the FVG chapter of Assoenologi and hosted at Rocca Bernarda, in the Colli Orientali del Friuli. It brings together two wine regions united by a shared conviction: terroir is not an abstract concept but a concrete tool for recognition and quality.
The two regions in focus are Alto Adige (South Tyrol) and Slovenia. Both have developed structured approaches to highlighting the internal differences within their production zones, using different instruments but aiming at the same goal: giving consumers precise coordinates on what they are drinking and where it comes from.
Alto Adige: the UGA project
The first session focuses on the Additional Geographic Units (UGA) of Alto Adige. This system divides the DOC into smaller, recognisable areas, each defined by specific soil, exposure, and microclimate characteristics. The aim is twofold: to provide consumers with more precise information about wine origin and to encourage producers to work on varietal selection and yield reduction.
Andreas Kofler, President of the DOC Alto Adige, presents the institutional framework. Producer Peter Dipoli shares the practical challenges and compromises involved in reaching this milestone.
Each UGA is identified by a pictogram on the label — a visual element that makes the wine’s provenance immediately recognisable without reading the back of the bottle.
Slovenia: the Slovenska Velika Lega
The second block is dedicated to the Slovenian experience. The Slovenska Velika Lega is a group of producers committed to promoting territorial quality through a bottom-up approach: not a denomination imposed from above, but a voluntary association built on shared standards.
Founding member Alex Simčič recounts the group’s origin and evolution. Professor and journalist Guillaume Antalick offers an external, comparative reading of the phenomenon.
The comparison between the two models — one institutional (Alto Adige), the other associative (Slovenia) — is the core of the conference.
Tasting: single-vineyard wines
After the talks, the conference closes with a tasting of single-vineyard wines. These are wines that directly express the territorial valorisation discussed throughout the event: each bottle is tied to a specific place, with measurable and recognisable characteristics.
The tasting is not a side event. It is the part of the conference where ideas become tangible.
Why Rocca Bernarda
Rocca Bernarda, in the Colli Orientali del Friuli, is one of the three estates of Terre dei Cavalieri, the wine project of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The estate has been producing wine since 1559 on ponca soils, at elevations between 130 and 200 metres.
A place with a long, documented history, now facing the same questions raised at the conference: how to communicate a territory’s identity through wine. How to make what is authentic also recognisable.
Practical information
Date: Saturday, May 14, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Venue: Rocca Bernarda, località Rocca Bernarda 27, Premariacco (UD), Italy
Organised by: FVG chapter of Assoenologi
Limited capacity. Booking required: Egon Vazzoler — +39 320 029 9340
