Angelo Radica Wins Presidency of European Network of Wine Cities

Angelo Radica, mayor of Tollo and president of the Italian National Association of Wine Cities, has been elected president of Recevin, the European Network of Wine Cities. The election took place in Cariñena, Spain, during the closing ceremony of the “European Wine City” event. Radica’s appointment follows a vote by the 16 council members representing the four countries that make up Recevin: Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal.

Recevin was founded in 2000 to connect national wine associations across these countries. Today, it includes more than 1,000 municipalities and collaborates with over ten other countries inside and outside Europe on wine promotion and development projects. The network aims to strengthen cooperation among wine-producing regions and to promote wine tourism as a driver for local economic growth.

Radica’s leadership will focus on two main goals. First, he plans to boost wine tourism and local development activities across member cities. Second, he wants to establish a more structured relationship with European Union institutions. He has stated that closer collaboration with the European Commission, Members of the European Parliament, and EU officials is a priority. Radica believes this will help ensure that the needs and concerns of wine-producing territories are better represented at the European level.

Recevin already has several initiatives in place that Radica intends to enhance. These include the European Wine Tourism Charter, the European Wine Tourism Handbook, the European Wine Tourism Day, the “European Wine City” program, an international wine competition, and annual internships for young European winemakers. Radica’s two-year term will also focus on protecting and promoting designations of origin and addressing challenges facing the wine sector.

Radica has announced plans to strengthen partnerships with organizations such as Arev (the Assembly of European Wine Regions) and Oiv (the International Organisation of Vine and Wine). His goal is to connect member countries around a vision of “Europe of cities and regions,” ensuring that the voice of wine territories is heard more clearly in European decision-making forums.

The election marks a significant moment for Italy’s role in European wine policy. With Radica at the helm, Recevin is expected to play a more active part in shaping policies that affect wine regions across Europe. The new president’s agenda reflects growing recognition of wine tourism’s importance for rural economies and cultural heritage throughout the continent.