The AEPI , the Associazione dei Enotecari Professionisti Italiani, with the collaboration of Francesco BONFIO, President of the AEPI since 2016.

This article dedicated to Italian wine news is also an opportunity to talk about the wine professions and the national organizations and associations that make up the vast wine family. In 2021, Francesco BONFIO, President of a wine association, did  the honor of joining the Jury of the Mondial des Vins Blancs Strasbourg. It is precisely this association, the AEPI, the variety of its missions, its activities and projects that we wish to highlight. AEPI is the acronym of the Association of “Enotecari” Italian Professionals. It is very useful in the preamble, to be in phase on the terminology which differs from one country to another.

What is exactly an “enotecario” ?

Translating the Italian word Enotecario into other languages is not straightforward as public perceptions and types of services vary from country to country. Enoteca in Italy is La Cave à Vins in France, Wine shop/merchant in the United Kingdom and Wine Store in the United States. But Enoteca in Italy is also the Wine Bar in France and the Wine Bar in the United Kingdom and the USA.

In parallel, Enotecario in Italy is the Cellar in France, the Wine Merchant in the United Kingdom and the Wine Shop/Store Owner in the USA. Thus the enotecario can be translated by cellarman in French. The wine merchant is a valuable professional figure in the world of wine, whether he operates in France, Italy, New York or Singapore, it is the link between producers and consumers. He can therefore claim a high level of knowledge of the products he selects and sells, of the preferences of the consumers with whom he is in daily contact, and also of the catering and gastronomy sectors.

And what about the AEPI ? T

The Association of Italian Professional Wine merchants was founded in 2016 (based on the law of the Italian Republic of January 14, 2013, n.4 having as its object the discipline of autonomous professions), it brings together professionals who deal with “doing enoteca” in the broadest sense of the activity : from the organization of a commercial type to the holding of courses for enthusiasts, from advice on oenological matters to oenological expertise, from the dissemination of wine culture to the management restaurant menus.

Enotecario in Italian means all this and much more: wherever the figure of a professional is needed who can make a significant contribution to the proposed activity, thanks to his studies, skills, abilities, knowledge, experience.

Among the most important objectives of the Association we can mention :

a) The protection, defense, promotion and enhancement of the activity and professional figure of the Enotecario;

b) Issuance of the certification of the quality and professional qualification of the services rendered by the members to the citizens;

c) Supervision and monitoring of the compulsory continuing professional training of members:

d) Compliance with the code of ethics that members signed at the time of registration.

Among the activities carried out annually by the AEPI we can mention:

a) The organization and implementation of seminars, conferences, round tables useful for the acquisition by the associates of Professional Training Credits for the purposes of compulsory continuous updating;

b) The organization of the annual competition «Migliore enotecario d’Italia», which proclaims the best wine merchant in Italy for the Bottiglieria section and the best wine merchant in Italy for the Mescita section. The same competition also rewards the Best Winemaker of Italy UNDER30 with which we want to help young people to access the profession and the Best Winemaker of Italy Abroad, with which we want to reward those who have decided to go abroad. foreigner to become Enotecario;

c) The organization and realization of 40-hour internships with which the Enotecari visit a wine production area, capturing its deepest aspects, such as culture, tradition, local wine history

AEPI is included in the specific list of Associations that issue certification of quality and professional qualification of services provided by members to citizens, a list held by MISE, Ministry of Economic Development. It also maintains relations with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and with the Ministry of Tourism.

Finally, the AEPI maintains cordial relations with all the Italian organizations in the wine sector and in particular with Vinarius (Association of Italian wine merchants - the physical points of sale, not the operators - for which there is AEPI, and with the two French associations FCI - Fédération des Cavistes Indépendants and SCP Syndicat des Cavistes Professionnels ainsi comme as well with SGVC Syndicat Général des Vignerons de la Champagne.

We cannot resist concluding with a statement by the President of the AEPI, Francesco BONFIO, after his participation as a judge during the 2021 edition of the Mondial des Vins Blancs Strasbourg.

“I was very honored to have represented the AEPI, as a member of commission no. 10, in this competition. I noticed an excellent organization, a very great professionalism on the part of all the collaborators     and     an    excellent     average level of the samples presented. As for the wines that stood out for their absolute quality, they were rightly rewarded with the highest distinctions.; and above all, the spirit of collegiality and the really friendly atmosphere on the part  of the guests from many countries was surprising».

We would like to thank Francesco BONFIO for his valuable contribution to this ITALIA focus and look forward to welcoming him back to our panel of experts.

Useful links : AEPI http://enotecari.it/ FB @EnotecariProfessionisti Αυτή η διεύθυνση ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου προστατεύεται από τους αυτοματισμούς αποστολέων ανεπιθύμητων μηνυμάτων. Χρειάζεται να ενεργοποιήσετε τη JavaScript για να μπορέσετε να τη δείτε. Vinarius : http://www.vinarius.it/ - FB @VinariusAssociazioneEnotecheItaliane