Republished from April 18, 2017

The 51^st edition of Vinitaly, Italy’s top wine trade show, took place in its hometown, Verona, in April 9–12, combining lively celebration and restrained analysis of world-wide variations affecting the global wine industry.  This consistently international event drew 128,000 visitors from 142 countries; more than 30,000 foreign accredited wine buyers (+8% over 2016, out of a total international attendance of 48,000), and 4,270 exhibitors from 30 countries.  International operators increased over 2016: from the United States (+6%), Germany (+3%), United Kingdom (+4%), China (+12%), Russia (+42%), Japan (+2%), Northern Europe (+2%), the Netherlands and Belgium (+6%).  Though Italian wine remained the star, this year’s edition also highlighted more exotic products, such as Chinese “Bordeaux-style” blends from Ningxia, to English sparkling wine.

Veronafiere, Vinitaly’s organising body, highlighted its move towards a clearer distinction between business occasions in the exhibition premises and the off-show events dedicated to wine lovers in Verona’s city centre and its province: “Vinitaly and the City” (the name of this dual event/location concept) this year attracted 35,000 wine lovers to the historic centre of Verona and to Lake Garda’s wine-town of Bardolino.  The fair itself started with a happening called “OperaWine”: smartly playing on the Veronese ancient Roman Arena (annually home of a prestigious summer opera festival), OperaWine drew more than 1,000 invited guests to a grand tasting at the remarkable Palazzo Gran Guardia, showcasing 104 selected Italian wineries representing the country’s 20 regions and presenting wines produced from over 60 grape varieties.  At the historic Palazzo Giusti del Giardino, the “Grandi Cru d’Italia” (an association of leading Italian wineries), held a charity auction of its associates’ wines to help a non-profit group that assists children suffering from neurological disorders.

Attracting consumers as well as professionals, Vinitaly is the opportunity to assess the state of Italian wine.  This year’s edition featured several seminars and conferences on topics such as terroir, grape varieties, marketing and communications, and so on.  The countless tastings extended from comprehensive regional evaluations to dedicated verticals of primary producers.  The four days of the event offered almost 400 conferences, seminars and training courses focusing on the world of wine.  As ever, there was an impressive calendar of tastings: more than 250 were organised directly by Vinitaly and regional consortia.

International trade and its future were also subjects of careful attention, with two strategic countries as specific targets: the U.K., which is now in the process of leaving the European Union (read my “Wine Brexit” article), and the United States, where federal bureaucrats are thinking of imposing tariffs on imported products such as wine and spirits.  Simultaneously, the Italian wine industry carries on its effort to target the Chinese market.  Actually, Vinitaly’s theme this year was the new “Silk Road” for wine.  A special happening showcased the Chinese wine and spirits giant “1919”.  Its CEO, Robert Yang, defined his idea to grow from currently 1,000 retail stores to 6,000 by 2019, and promised to increase 1919’s offer of Italian wine by that year.  Italy presently accounts for a meagre 5 percent of China’s wine imports, far behind France and Australia.  China was represented at Vinitaly also by other business giants such as Alibaba, Cofco, Winehoo and Suning.

On the final day of Vinitaly, acclaimed oenologist and wine entrepreneur Riccardo Cotarella and a group of his clients known as the “Wine Research Team” organised a conference: “New Frontiers of Italian Viticulture and Oenology.”  The group’s scientific director, Attilio Scienza (a foremost Italian agronomist, teaching at the University of Milan and a consulting winemaker), elucidated that several of such important “Frontiers” are sustainable solutions to a changing and warming climate.  His advice is to: “find clones and varietals that are resistant to drought and that can resist diseases”.

As usual and very conveniently, Vinitaly was integrated by the simultaneous scheduling of other “sister” tradeshows: Sol&Agrifood (the quality agro-food show, with a focus on top olive oil), and Enolitech (focusing on accessories and technologies for olive oil and wine production, celebrating its 20th edition).

The next Vinitaly, the 52^nd, is scheduled 15-18 April 2018.