In fact, this was my first real participation in the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. To be precise, I had already had a chance to take a peek at the Rosé Selection in 2021, but I only truly experienced the grandeur of the CMB on this occasion.
More than 300 judges from all over the world.
More than 7,000 wines tasted.
An entire sports arena — the one in Rende — set up for the event.
And I must confess that until the doors of the arena opened, I had not fully realized the scale of this event.
The “Concours” is certainly an event that, through its numbers, its staging and its presentation style, tends to leave you a little overwhelmed for the first ten minutes (at least in my case), before gradually giving way to a different approach.
First of all because of the technological innovations introduced in the evaluation process: undoubtedly a significant step forward for the competition. Judges are no longer required simply to assign scores to the various evaluation parameters, but must also provide a textual evaluation, which is then interpreted by an artificial intelligence system. In practice, a learning machine that allowed jury presidents to receive a report at the end of each session, while the organization could access in real time what I would call genuine “wine big data.”
Technology is fine — it represents about 25% of who I am.
But then there is another 25%: people.
Maybe it’s my curiosity, perhaps my constant desire to learn and exchange ideas, but I always find it extremely stimulating to share experiences with people from other countries. This time I did so with Christoph, my Belgian panel president, Alain representing France, Alain from Canada, and Josep from Andorra. A great group — friendly, collaborative and, at the end of the three sessions, remarkably consistent in the judgments we gave.
Another 25% I would assign to the wines.
In fact, it felt like riding a roller coaster. From Romanian Syrah to Chinese Meursault-style wines, passing through Spain, France, Portugal and many others. Saying it was interesting would be an understatement. If I arrived hungry for knowledge, I returned home completely satisfied…
But there is still one last 25% missing.
In this case, I would probably assign an even larger share to what I instinctively chose to call “the Calabrian Breath.”
If it is true that wine and territory can no longer travel separately, the CMB 2022 should be archived as an excellent case history, one worth telling to anyone who wants to think seriously about how to combine the two effectively.
I felt, perceived and breathed Calabria from the first to the last moment of this adventure.
The welcoming atmosphere of the venue.
The presence of “Calabria” everywhere — from the simplest biscuit to liquorice presented in every possible form and texture. From every snack, lunch and dinner made of local — very local — products, and, to my great surprise, without falling too heavily into the cliché of ’nduja that we so often associate with Calabrian cuisine. Then there was the music, present at every moment, and of course the territory itself.
The days at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles were exhausting. Exhausting even for someone like me who, during every trip, is used to “investing” and devouring every minute of available time. Exhausting, but in the best possible way — the kind that allows you to fully experience a territory.
Finished with the tasting session? Fine. Time for lunch — and then all 300 of us distributed on different buses, heading out to discover towns you would never expect.
Altomonte, for example. A jewel of a village. A spectacular position, so perched that it even challenged our experienced shuttle driver. Yet the view was breathtaking — and the museum even more so. But really, this Calabria…
Then more days, more sessions, more wines and more Calabria. From the masterclass on olive oil and Metodo Classico sparkling wines, to the final gala dinner at the Queen Mary in Montalto Uffugo, a Las Vegas–style venue where dinner quickly gave way to a lively moment of dancing and celebration.
My goodness, how many things I forgot to mention…
The Bloody Mary with ’nduja, certainly.
The historical costume receptions as well.
And the steep climb up to the Castello Svevo for the evening organized by the Cirò DOC.
Thinking about it now, it feels like seven days compressed into three.
A sort of Calabrian overdose, but an extremely effective one.
And I think it is only fair to say a few words for those who organized this Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2022.
Nothing was left to chance.
The professional side, very professional indeed — between AI and tablets.
The impeccable service provided by the young hospitality students (I believe).
The institutional dimension accompanied by media content so beautiful and effective — from Croatia to Guadeloupe to South Africa — that they make you want to pack up and move there.
And then Calabria itself, which played its part by showcasing the very best of what it has to offer.
Well done Baudouin, Quentin, Karin, Carlo and Gennaro.
And if I forgot someone, please let me know — I’ll be happy to pay the penalty.
