IN BREVE
- The Grow du Monde competition is an opportunity for Oltrepò Pavese wineries to promote Riesling Italico, an exclusive event dedicated to this variety.
- Despite its potential, Riesling Italico is undervalued in Italy and often confused with Rhine Riesling.
- The inability to mention it on the label poses a serious problem of clarity for Italian consumers.
- Producers can register their wines for the Grow du Monde 2026 competition, to be held in the Czech Republic, by May 14, 2026.
- The success of Oltrepò Pavese wineries at the 2024 edition held in Hungary confirms the potential of Riesling Italico.
A concrete opportunity for Oltrepò Pavese wineries. Grow du Monde returns, the international competition entirely dedicated to Riesling Italico, the only global event focused on this variety. Among the international judges invited to participate in the 2026 edition, hosted this year by the Czech Republic, I will also be there.
GROW, THE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FOR RIESLING ITALICO
I consider Riesling Italico one of the great missed opportunities for Oltrepò Pavese wine. According to studies by the CNR – National Research Council, this vine is deeply and historically linked to the hilly strip between Oltrepò Pavese and the Tortona area, as demonstrated by the discovery of its only known “parent,” Coccalona Nera, right on the border between the two territories of Lombardy and Piedmont.
The Grow du Monde competition represents today the main and only international forum for this variety and brings together producers, technicians, journalists, and Masters of Wine from various European nations. In countries like Croatia, where it takes the name Graševina, or Hungary, where it is known as Olaszrizling, Riesling Italico is the centerpiece of denominations that highlight its unique characteristics.
In Italy, however, this variety is incredibly mistreated. To the point that, due to bureaucratic issues that no one bothers to resolve, Riesling Italico cannot even be mentioned on the label.
THE BUREAUCRATIC KNOT: ITALICO AND RHINE ARE NOT “RELATED”
This poses a very serious problem of clarity for consumers, since under the word “Riesling,” and in the fermentation tank, grape varieties that have nothing in common from a genetic point of view, namely Rhine Riesling and Riesling Italico, end up being grouped together.
A problem that is magnified enormously in Oltrepò Pavese, the wine region that holds the highest number of hectares of Riesling Italico in Italy, with as many as 854.92 hectares recorded in April 2025. There were as many as 1,206.13 in 2015, according to the data provided to me by the Consortium, compared to only 178.23 for “Rhine” Riesling, which is currently growing compared to the 142 hectares of 10 years ago.”
Grow du Monde includes several categories, from young to mature wines, as well as sweet, sparkling, orange, and cuvées, with a minimum of 50% Riesling Italico in the required types. Evaluations are entrusted to the international jury and lead to the awarding of Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals, as well as special recognition for the best expressions of the variety.
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HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE GROW DU MONDE COMPETITION
Registration for the 2026 edition is open to wineries producing Riesling Italico, both as a single variety and in blends. Interested Italian companies can register their wines by May 14, 2026, with sample delivery (4 bottles per label) by May 20, 2026, at the National Wine Center in Valtice, Czech Republic. The participation fee is 70 euros per sample, with discounts for multiple entries. For information and support, write to d.bortone@winemag.it and grow2026@vinarskecentrum.cz.
Participation in the competition (official website: https://www.growdumonde.eu/, where the application form is available) therefore represents a lever for international visibility for a grape variety that has significant weight in Oltrepò Pavese in terms of vineyard area and can find new prospects for promotion.
FROM THE COMPETITION TO A NEW TERRITORIAL AWARENESS
«Participation in Grow du Monde by Oltrepò wineries, already highly appreciated by international judges during the 2024 edition of the competition held in Hungary, can kickstart a broader discussion on the still unexpressed potential of a grape that, in Oltrepò, is second in hectares only to Pinot Grigio. And it is sixth in the total count of surface area, after Pinot Nero, Croatina, and Barbera, preceded only by “Pinot Gris” itself.
A figure that speaks volumes about the opportunities for a potential enhancement and promotion of Riesling Italico, especially when considering the consumption trends favoring types of white wines that have exactly the characteristics of Italico.»
OLTREPÒ PAVESE ALREADY A PROTAGONIST AT GROW DU MONDE 2024
The 2024 edition of the competition, held in Hungary, in Balatonfüred, along the shores of Lake Balaton, marked Italy’s debut, with Oltrepò Pavese as the protagonist. Over 350 wines were in the competition, coming from seven countries: Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovakia, and Italy. For the Oltrepò wineries, it was a significant participation.
Cantina Scuropasso – Roccapietra by Fabio Marazzi won a gold medal with an average of 91.33 points. Silver medals went to Colle del Bricco by Matteo Maggi and Azienda Agricola La Sbercia, which also obtained two bronzes with its sparkling wines, making it one of the most awarded wineries of the edition. A result that confirms the potential of Oltrepò Pavese’s Riesling Italico in international comparison and strengthens interest in the 2026 edition of the competition.
