A tribute to a wonderful person and an exemplary professional, one who still has a place in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. The Fondazione Banfi, through a collaboration with the Sanguis Jovis – Advanced School of Sangiovese (the first permanent study centre on Sangiovese wine, partnered by the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino wine) and the oenological school of San Michele all’Adige, has chosen to award a Winegrowing and Oenology Degree prize dedicated to Rudy Baratti, Banfi’s Oenology Director who passed away prematurely in January 2018.
After obtaining a diploma at the Oenology School of San Michele all’Adige in 1981, Buratti moved to Montalcino in 1983, where he became one of the most outstanding protagonists of Banfi’s extraordinary business venture. This prize, which is perfectly aligned with the mission of Sanguis Jovis, strongly promoted by Buratti, aims at recalling the man and the professional, as a worthy example for young people entering the business. The announcement of the award has met with success, with more than thirty works submitted. The winner of this first edition is Stefano Delledonne with an innovative study on wine storage in modern retail stores: “How does wine develop when stored on a supermarket shelf? An assessment of the chemical, physical and sensorial parameters”. The project contemplated the evaluation of sensorial (olfactory), physical (colour) and chemical (riboflavin) characteristics of bottles of white wine, produced from various grape varietals and exposed to the light, with the consequent materialization of a fault known as “light strike”.
The winner, as well as receiving a grant, will have the opportunity to attend the forthcoming Summer School (15-19 July 2019) free of charge. The official presentation of the 2019 edition of the Rudy Buratti degree prize in Winegrowing and Oenology will take place on 15 July at 18.30 at the Teatro degli Astrusi in Montalcino. This date coincides with the start of the third edition of the Summer School (focused on the topic “The Terroirs of Sangiovese in Tuscany: Knowhow, Storytelling, Market”), which pursues its mission to strengthen, safeguard and promote the value produced by the Sangiovese wine growing activities of Montalcino and Tuscany.