November 29th, 2009 represents a significative date for everyone being
interested in wine and for whom, without having the pretension to be compared to
his greatness, wish to remember one of the most important figures of the job of
writing about wine: Luigi Veronelli. This date in fact represents the fifth
anniversary of the passing of the great Luigi Gino Veronelli, a master and a
reference for anyone who - today - writes about wine, trying to spread the
culture of wine and enogastronomy. Considered as the pioneer of wine journalism,
Luigi Veronelli was - with no doubt - the indisputable master and reference for
most of the people who write about wine today. Master of many, with no doubt,
and still today being unequaled - frankly speaking, hard to surpass - if we consider the quality and the style of most of the reports, books and comments we read about wine.
Luigi Veronelli had his style, unmistakable and frank, something being
absolutely personal, something which certainly contributed to make his greatness
as a journalist and as someone who write about wine and gastronomy. The style of
Luigi Veronelli was his style and no one else's. It makes one smile, as not say
something even worse, whoever tries to emulate that style - but we should
better say, to copy - which in the pen of others simply looks like ridiculous
and inappropriate, like a large and immense dress wore by someone who is clearly
slender and thin, very thin. Because in that style, so personal, there also was
something more, there was the courage to say things the way they were, the
courage of also saying what many, too many, did not like to listen. Moreover,
there was the courage and the frankness of doing, to do for real, not only with
words, but also with facts. And if we look to what we see today, who is capable
of showing that courage and that frankness, that honesty to say things, in
absolute freedom, even at the cost of his or her own freedom? No one.
We should not forget Luigi Veronelli always had this courage, a courage he also
paid with jail and with the exclusion from the scenes of Italian television. In
1957, for having translated and published Historiettes, Contes et Fabliaux
written by Marquis De Sade, he was sentenced to three months in jail for
publication of obscene material. All the copies of that book were burned, in
the yard of police headquarter in Varese, the last burning of books done by
Italian censorship. A decision which would make everyone laugh today, by
considering the doubt morality and the obscenities brutalizing our society
almost daily. He was also sentenced to six months in jail and accused of having
incited Piedmontese farmers - who then occupied the train station of Santo
Stefano Belbo, Cuneo - only for having told them production disciplinary of
wines mainly favored the interests and the monopoly of industries instead of the
ones of farmers. And Veronelli did not have good feeling towards industrial
products. One of his most famous opinions is in fact «the worst wine of a
peasant is better than the best industrial wine». A provocation, a clear support
for quality and authenticity.
Luigi Veronelli has always expressed his ideas for the support - sincere and
passionate - of the world of wine and gastronomy. In particular of anyone being
really and practically involved in the surviving of earth, of peasant world
and the support of their products. Among his last battles, the support of
Denominazioni Comunali (Communal Denominations) of gastronomical products,
self-certification, source price and olive oil, conducted together with many
social centers, as well as having contributed to the project Terra e
Libertà/Critical Wine. In particular, the proposal of source price is very
interesting, something which certainly commercial firms involved in wine
business do not like. The idea of source price invites producers to write in
labels the price to which they sell their wines to distributors, therefore
forcing an ethical and honest price policy, while understanding there must
be a profit for anyone offering the service of wine distribution, including
restaurants and wine shops.
Luigi Veronelli was born in Milan, in Isola quarter, on February 2nd, 1926. He
graduated in philosophy, he was assistant of Emanuele Bariè and worked with
Lelio Basso. He was also involved in politics, professing for all of his life an
anarchic faith. Characterized by a personal and innovative journalistic style,
he invented - for the world of wine - neologisms today widely used, such as
meditation wine. Luigi Veronelli has given Italy - being the first in this
regard - the conscience of the greatness of their products, including, of
course, wine. And he has also been the first one to start the job of writing
about wine, an essential contribution which allowed anyone to start a field
today considered fashionable, such as enogastronomy and wine. Considered as a
Master by many, Luigi Veronelli had many disciples, some of them
continuing today to praise his job and his teachings, some have completely
denied him, in any case, no one has been as great as he was.
He was the first one to start a new course for information, by making Italian
people understand the richness of our territory, Luigi Veronelli was also
involved in the world of television. Among his most famous TV shows, a memory
for those having today an age, like to say, considered as mature, A
tavola alle sette together with Ave Ninchi, the great Italian actress who had,
among the many things, a strong passion for cuisine. Luigi Veronelli - Gino,
the name his friends used to call him - was capable of starting passionate
debates also by using an intelligent polemics and provocation, qualities which
gave him some opponents. Five years have passed since the day Luigi
Veronelli has passed away, but he left us a remarkable heritage, his teachings
and his honest frankness in saying what he thought. As a free man, because he
truly lived as a free man. And today, we truly miss men like him, and not only
in the world of wine and gastronomy. Five years have passed since Luigi
Veronelli passed away, and we would like - with this modest and little
contribution - to remember him and to thank him for everything he did for wine
and food journalism and for Italian wine. Thank you again, Gino.
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