The concept of virtual wine tasting was an initiative was started by young winemakers of the wine-growing region of Slovenian Istria from Divina Wine Hub Šmarje. This unique event will show how international cooperation and technology can support people to search and create common solutions within the difficult times of the COVID-19.
Through the innovative use of the ZOOM platform, this event will be more than an ordinary webinar. It will offer an original and a COVID-19 ‘safe’ virtual wine tasting and show what the impact and response has been from wine producers in Slovenia, France and Spain to the COVID-19 crisis.
The session will start by setting the context in terms of the CARPE DIGEM project; the impact to the COVID-19 crisis (market disruption and reduction in sales) and how wine producers and public bodies have responded to seek new markets and use the opportunities presented by new technologies. A presentation of the concept of the virtual wine tasting good practice of the Divina Wine Hub Šmarje from Slovenia will follow; this started last year as a response to the Crisis and involved digital support from the Faculty of electrical engineering of University of Ljubljana. It will then continue with each participating country presenting the context and a short video of the wine producers and their vineyards.
The wine tasting will be led by a sommelier from Slovenia and through the use of digital tools the participants will be able to make comments, take part in polls, and ask questions. The event will conclude with a round table where participants will look at future steps both locally and across Europe on further cooperation and joint development of measures to support wine producers, establish and reinforce innovative business models and that used the full potential of digital tools to support common marketing, promotion and logistics.