Italy’s biggest wine tradeshow, Vinitaly, ended successfully its 2015 edition in Verona, on March 25th. Succinctly, its four days of activity, have produced the following results: 150,000 visitors, more international buyers than ever from 140 countries (20 up from 2014), over 2,600 journalists from 46 countries and crucial revival of domestic market activity led by Horeca and retail operators.

“The result achieves the goal that we had set ourselves. Thanks to an increase of 34% in investments dedicated to incoming promotions and cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, the Italian Trade Agency-ICE and the Italian Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, we boosted further the already high involvement of foreign buyers,” said Ettore Riello, President of Veronafiere, Vinitaly’s organising structure.

Visitors totalled about 150,000, but compared to the past, attendance was greater from the Far East, especially from Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. Mexico and Africa also grew, with interesting new entries such as Cameroon and Mozambique. Even North Africa performed well, particularly Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco both for wine and olive oil (at simultaneous Sol&Agrifood tradeshow hosted within Vinitaly).

“US and Canadian markets together account for 20% of international visitors totalling 55,000 people. German-speaking countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria confirmed their status as the most relevant export area with 25% of overall attendance while the United Kingdom took third place with 10%, followed in numerical terms by buyers from Scandinavian countries and Benelux,” said Giovanni Mantovani, Veronafiere’s CEO & Director General.

In terms of attendance by countries, there has been impressive growth by France, ahead of Japan, then China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, followed by Russia (the only country with shrinking presence from last year, the outcome of the current difficult geopolitical situation). Brazilian business visitors have grown considerably. Attendance from other European Union countries also improved, in particular from Poland and Romania. This edition of Vinitaly also saw the return of a degree of optimism on the domestic market, with operators arriving from all over Italy, representing Horeca and large-scale retail distribution channels. Finally, the event received interest and world-wide attention through the work of more than 2,600 journalists from 46 countries.

A selection of comments by leading wine production companies, traders and distributors follows.

WINE PRODUCERS COMMENTS:

Zonin 1821 – Domenico Zonin
“An effervescent Vinitaly. The home market performed well with the slight economic recovery bearing some fruit. Good attendance by buyers.”

Mastroberardino – Piero Mastroberardino
“Plenty of business with complete coverage of classical markets and impressive attendance on Monday by national clients. We even had contacts with operators from non-mature and developing markets approaching wine with some interest.”

Frescobaldi – Leonardo Frescobaldi
“I’m hearing very positive comments and, over and above a great deal of satisfaction, I also note the entry of new young producers and this is a good thing. We are especially pleased by the quality of visitors, who are increasingly sensitive to the origin of wine.”

Masi – Alessandra Boscaini
“Very good international attendance despite coming after Prowein and Vinexpo that will be held in June. It was a good Vinitaly for us, with considerable interest in Valpolicella wines and the chance to celebrate Campofiorin, the wine invented by my grandfather 50 years ago.”

Banfi – Rodolfo Maralli, marketing and sales manager
“We had a truly huge turnout, perhaps the best ever in terms of quality, including Sunday. Such numbers every year are a great result for Vinitaly.”

Umani Ronchi – Michele Bernetti
“Vinitaly is the trade fair with a focus on Italian wine where the whole world converges. It was an important and very satisfying event for us.”

Biondi Santi – Tancredi Biondi Santi
“We saw many importers on Sunday, while Monday was attended by catering operators. We worked very hard and reaped many rewards from Asian countries, China, the United States and Latin America.”

Ferrari – Camilla Lunelli
“There was positive attendance by foreign buyers. Even the Italian market performed well, with retail chains and high-level catering. OperaWine was an excellent preview.”

Tommasi – Dario Tommasi
“Many useful contacts, very good attendance by Italian and foreign operators, especially Asians – a sign that Italian wine is growing in an interesting way even in the East. We also saw some African importers, who visited by our stand and have trade agreements with them. The show was also a great opportunity to launch the new family project in Montalcino, following the recent acquisition of Fattoria Casisano.”

Marchesi di Barolo – Valentina Abbona
“A steady stream of operators from every country in the world. Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan, Emirates and many others: with genuine interest combining culture and passion with business.”

Antinori – Albiera Antinori
“Vinitaly went well, with many people and a good mix between Italians and foreigners.”

FOREIGN BUYERS COMMENTS:

Lory Polep, Vice-Presidente Polep Distribution Services – USA
“Vinitaly was an absolutely interesting experience. I feel that there were many occasions dedicated to developing Italian wine culture and also an excellent opportunity to meet and work with other professionals.”

Marne Anderson, Vice President of Wine Sales Four Star Distributors -Memphis, Tennessee USA
“I think that Vinitaly is a truly spectacular event. It’s my first time here and I can say that the exhibition really stood out for its professionalism, design and organization. It Is a great opportunity to expand knowledge and awareness of Italian wine.”

Paul Farrell – Fine Wines Department, Ontario Monopoly
“The wine market in Ontario continues to grow, particularly in the premium sector. Canadians are changing their habits, from beer and spirits towards wine. This is generating a continual increase in the wine business and Italian wine is definitely part of this growth.”

Clinton Ang – Corner Stone, buyer from Singapore (the main importer from South-East Asia)
“The Italian wine market in Singapore is enjoying a very positive period. Our country has discovered Italian food and the quality of wine and food from all over Italy. All regions can offer excellent wine production and can meet all needs, as well as being ideal pairings from any dish. During my trip to Verona, I am representing about 27 regions in South-East Asia from Singapore to Hong Kong.”

Radhika Ganaphaty Ojha, Veronafiere delegate in South-East Asia
“South East Asia has seen an increase in Italian market share thanks not the least to the opening of many Italian restaurants. Knowledge and quality of Italian wine is widespread and demand for certain labels often comes directly from consumers. We carried out a wide-ranging survey, interviewing various operators in the ho.re.ca sector, restaurants and consumers, and the feedback was unanimous: everyone is very interested in Italian wine. Initially, delegations from South-East Asia visiting Vinitaly can from the more developed countries – Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia – but in recent years the trend has seen new emerging markets interested in imports – such as Brunei, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia – which are currently investing heavily in the tourism sector with increasingly important demand for Italian wine.”

Wong Yin-How – Managing Director Vintry, buyer from Malaysia
“The Malaysian wine market is growing by about 10% and Italian wines are gaining new market shares. The best-selling wines are currently those from Tuscany but I decided to visit Vinitaly to seek new wine-makers producing fresh white wines. I can definitely say it has been a constructive experience.”

Today, March 21st 2015, OperaWine held its fourth edition in Palazzo Della Gran Guardia, Verona, Italy.
OperaWine has become the successful premier happening to Vinitaly (Italy’s biggest wine tradeshow) also taking place in Verona, in March 22nd-25th.
Veronafiere (the organising body behind both events), Vinitaly itself and the prestigious magazine Wine Spectator, presented “OperaWine, Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers” (www.operawine.it); an exclusive event aimed at appraising the distinctive characteristics of Italian wine. OperaWine offers international wine professionals the opportunity to try and get to know the best wines presented by Italy’s finest 100 producers selected by Wine Spectator.

OperaWine 4th edition, Verona, Italy
Piazza Brà, Palazzo Della Gran Guardia
Saturday March 21st 2015
operawine.it | winespectator.com | vinitalyinternational.com

Vinitaly this year will put on show its 49th edition, scheduled 22-25 March 2015 in Verona (ww.vinitaly.com). It will tackle developments in international trade in the light of the devaluation of the euro, which could well boost Italian and European wine exports. Buyers have been directly invited by Veronafiere (the organising body) from Germany, Switzerland and Austria, countries where Vinitaly International has also developed specific promotion initiatives; delegations will arrive from the USA, as well as Canada, including one from Ontario, not to mention Russia, the Adria Alps area (Slovenia, Croatia and some regions of Germany, Austria, Hungary), Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Portugal, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Asean countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia), South Korea, China, South Africa, Cameroon, Latin America, United Kingdom, Mozambique, Uzbekistan, Colombia, Argentina, Scandinavian and Baltic Countries, France, Spain, Romania, Bulgaria, India, Egypt, Serbia, Poland. Australia and Japan will be the focus of specific meetings dedicated to companies keen to export to these markets.

“These operators are selected from among the most important not the least in collaboration with ICE, the Italian Foreign Trade Agency,” says Giovanni Mantovani, CEO & Director General of Veronafiere, “in order to develop even more business.” In 2014 the tradeshow received 54,670 international visitors from 119 Countries, out of a total 155,109 (36.41%).

All exhibitors take part in Vinitaly to find new business contacts. However, targets differ in relation to each company’s size. A survey by Wine2Wine – Vinitaly’s B2B Observatory – showed that wineries with turnover under €100,000 prefer to look to more mature markets, particularly the EU and the USA; larger companies with more resources available look forward to new wine markets and new wine enthusiasts.
Thanks to the wide range of countries represented by invited delegations, Veronafiere is able to organise B2B appointments for every specific requirement. The International Buyers’ Lounge will offer guest buyers in the Taste & Buy Vinitaly initiative, meetings with exhibiting companies.
The International Buyers’ Lounge is located in the Castelvecchio Gallery between Halls 2 and 3. It will be the landmark for Veronafiere’s guest delegations and for all international buyers.

Within slightly more than a month Vinitaly will open its doors in 2015 to wine professionals coming from all over the world. The event is set to occur from March 22nd to March 25th, 2015. Vinitaly is Italy’s biggest and by far most important wine tradeshow. Traditionally based in Verona, and organised by VeronaFiere (a major Italian and European exhibition centre with international status since 1977 and operations abroad since 1998).

Vinitaly has always been at the forefront of trends, advances and trade in Italian and international wine markets. Last year, Vinitaly inaugurated two new shows: Vininternational (bringing all international exhibitors together under one roof) and Vinitalybio (an exhibition focusing on certified organic wines). In 2104 it also set up the International Buyers’ Lounge dedicated to professional business meetings. Moreover, it begun to build awareness and appreciation of Italian wines worldwide through “Vinitaly International Academy”, a wine educational body supervised by Ian D’Agata, a respected wine journalist and an Italian wine specialist.

Numbers for Vinitaly last year were as follows: 4,111 exhibitors from 22 countries, 155,109 trade operators of which 36.41% from 119 countries, 1,597 journalists from all over the world, exhibition space of 91,140 square metres, joined by facilities dedicated to wine tasting amounting to over of 100,000 square meters.

In 2013 Vinitaly International was created to act as ambassador and partner of Italian wine business in foreign markets, while Vinitaly Wine Club saw the light to act as innovative promotional and online sales platform for the best Italian labels and selected collections of premium wine. Moreover, in the same year, Vinitaly and the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) signed an agreement whereby the dates of their respective events will be coordinated for four years to allow buyers and media from all over the world to optimise attendance at these two important international wine exhibitions. Hence, future dates for Vinitaly will be as follows: 22-25 March 2015, 10-13 April 2016, 26-29 March 2017.

Another relevant feature was added back in 2012, placing limelight on products from organic and biodynamic viticulture. This new event received the name of “ViViT-Wines, Winegrowers and Terroirs”.

Let us now see in greater detail what Vinitaly has in store for 2015.

Promotional activities on the go also in 2015 will be: Vinitaly International, Opera Wine, Vinitaly International Academy and Vinitaly Wine Club. All this will be set off by competitions designed to reward and promote quality. The International Packaging Competition, open to all types of spirits (liqueurs, whisky, rum, gin), the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition and the International Wine Competition, which in 2015 will exceptionally take place after Vinitaly (12- 16 April) will be structured as a preview for Milan’s Expo.

Organisers have decided to increase synergy between Vinitaly, Sol&Agrifood and Enolitech exhibitions, aiming to offer wine professionals a comprehensive overview of Italian produce including quality wine and olive oil, food traditions and innovative technologies and technical equipment; a uniqueness that hallmarks the differences between Italy and the rest of the world.

The declared aim is to support the wine sector, and the Italian food industry in general, by ensuring new impetus for exports which, despite enjoying positive results in recent years, must still find new outlets to ensure growth and keep ahead of competitors. In nearly half a century of history, Vinitaly has promoted this mission by evolving from merely being a showcase to become a service platform for companies active throughout the year, as well as by creating Enolitech and Sol&Agrifood to ensure even better visibility for the Italian gastronomy traditions and the know-how behind the quality of Made in Italy.

“International competition is increasingly stiff,” said Giovanni Mantovani, CEO & Director General of Veronafiere presenting the 2015 edition, “but Vinitaly’s experience ensures tangible commercial results.” Corroboration comes from a survey of customer satisfaction conducted at the end of Vinitaly 2014: it emerges that, over the four days of last year’s event, 68% of foreign operators (53,000 coming from 120 countries, out of a total audience of 155,000 professionals) placed purchase orders, while 73% found new suppliers. The same survey indicates that 97% of exhibitors intend to repeat attendance this year.

Registrations are already open and seem set to confirm the trend emerging over the last two years, whereby a growing number of companies is investing resources in stands rather than merely continuing to share collective institutional spaces in order to ensure better visibility and expand contacts with buyers in Italy and abroad. Veronafiere aims to enhance attendance by qualified operators from the most important and interesting international markets. Investments in this area are also being strengthened combined with close collaboration with companies and trade associations, such as the Expo universal world fair held in Milan this year.

In fact, Vinitaly has been appointed to create and manage the Wine Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 (“Vino – A Taste of Italy”). Italian Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina commented the agreement saying that: “Vinitaly is a choice based on competence, experience and expertise, ensuring relevant and appropriate representation of Italian wine within the framework of Expo Milan 2015.”

Diana Bracco, President of Expo 2015 S.p.A. and Commissioner for the Italy Pavilion, added: “This agreement is crucial because another fundamental item in Italian culture and production joins the great mosaic of the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2015. In particular, wine is one of the central elements of our history and our identity. Vineyards characterise the entire peninsula and make the Italian wine sector unique in the world in terms of variety and quality. The Italy Pavilion will be the heart of the entire Expo, and the fact that the European Union has decided to locate its own exhibition space inside it, close to Italian wine, is a further opportunity enhance its appeal: consequently, wine will certainly be in the limelight it deserves.”

“Given Veronafiere’s far-reaching knowledge of the agro-food sector, we immediately felt that it was our duty to make our experience available for such an important and strategic opportunity as EXPO 2015” said Ettore Riello, President of Veronafiere.

The Wine Pavilion at Expo Milan 2015 will occupy an area of approximately 2,000 square meters and will located inside the Italy Pavilion, precisely at the intersection of the two “roads (Cardo NE and Decumanus), thereby enjoying maximum visibility in the central square of the entire Expo area.

Implementation and management of the set-up will see Vinitaly work together with the Ministry for Agricultural Policies, Padiglione Italia and Expo 2015 S.p.A with the aim of involving the entire Italian wine sector: from associations to large producer groups, from committees to distribution, and people promoting the culture of wine.

The Italian Wine Pavilion will narrate the story and the cultural tradition of the sector, with an area dedicated to “first approaches” to the world of Italian wine for millions of visitors who do not already know it, education through wine tastings and master classes, as well as the involvement of producers and testimonials. It will also guide the wine&food pairings in the specific area.
Another important focus will be wine tourism, local area culture and the beauties of Italy linked with the world of wine. There will also be a strong technological identity, to the extent of providing full-scale, interactive virtual tours to discover equipment, machinery and products for making wine, bottling and packaging. Visitors can also access the “Italian Wine Store” and its shop for direct sales of packaged products with home delivery, merchandising and wine and EXPO 2015 gadgets.

Next Monday January 26th the 22nd edition of Millésime Bio will take place in Montpellier, France.
This trade fair is an annual landmark event for worldwide organic wine market players. Organic/bio wine commerce is constantly on the increase both in terms of popularity and business volume around the world, with France’s producers pioneering this approach to wine and still being at the forefront and a source of inspiration, globally, for fellow vintners (small and big) and consumers. Hence it is natural for this event to be set in France, and in the city of Montpellier, in particular. It is organised by the Languedoc-Roussillon Region and Sudvinbio. So, although not “globally-friendly”, it is rather acceptable that conferences and events will be in French language only.

The exhibition/fair will occur within three days: from January 26th to the 28th and will be reserved to wine trade professionals. The program is detailed in the tradeshow website (www.millesime-bio.com), where any professional interested in participating can find directions for registration and participation to the happening.

Some of the most interesting events organised are:

« L’Apéro by Millésime Bio » (free evening drink with organic beers and juices) at the bars and Sud de France stand on Monday 26/01 at 6:30pm-8:30pm

“The organic wine market” conference coordinated by: Agence Bio held at Conferences centre on Tuesday 27/01 between 9:30am and 12:30pm. The focus will be on organic wine markets in France and abroad.

“Technical solutions for the organic wine sector” conference coordinated by: French Institute of Vine and Wine held at Conferences centre on Wednesday 28/01 between 9:30am and 12:30pm. Here there will be a presentation of the latest on organic winemaking, fighting against the flavescence dorée disease in organic wine-growing and the use of biocontrol.

What one of the world’s biggest wine trade fairs had to offer in 2014

May 6, 2014

Andrea Zanini

From the 6th until the 9th of April 2014 Verona hosted Vinitaly for the 48th time. This event is not only Italy’s major wine exhibition, but also one of the globe’s most important.

This is the first in a series of articles that will be published on Gourmettino based on my work at Vinitaly in 2014, with the double goal of, on the one hand, involving readers in discovering new aspects of Italian wine by offering impartial insight regarding single wineries & wines, and on the other hand, sharing my personal, qualified experience with them.

It was with great interest and motivation that I returned to Vinitaly this year (I am a veteran of the event by now), to seek confirmation of past experiences and to assess general improvements in what Italian wine can offer; a unique opportunity that only Vinitaly can give to national and international wine professionals.

What is Vinitaly? What does it offer to the wine pro? How this great wine event presents itself to the world?

This year’s Vinitaly, always running jointly with two other exhibitions (Sol&Agrifood, regarding olive oil and food in general, and Enolitech, focused on oenology and viticulture equipment) had the following tags: internationalisation, export, and organic farming.

In four days, Vinitaly attracts to Verona more than 50,000 wine pros from 120 countries, organising specific initiatives promoting incoming attendance, combined with a format that is kept up-to-date with every edition. This year’s innovations regarded internationalisation and organic produce, and were delivered through the following initiatives: Vininternational, International Buyers’ Lounge and Vinitalybio.

Vininternational concerned international (non-Italian) wine production. It brought for the first time international exhibitors under one roof in a single hall, welcoming more than 70 companies from the world’s main producing countries.

The International Buyers’ Lounge, alternatively, was the new area for wine and spirit B2B meetings specifically dedicated to selected international operators attending the show. It had the goal of stimulating business relationships and its Lounge Wine Store hosted “Taste & Buy” workshops. This B2B service, already available since 2006 in regional terms, increased in size and detail in 2014 to reach individual exhibiting companies as a way to meet international import, distribution and restaurant businesses selected by Veronafiere (Vinitaly’s organising body) from main foreign markets and from preferences indicated by exhibitors in a questionnaire called “Customer Satisfaction Vinitaly 2013”.

In 2014, Vinitalybio also made its debut. This specialist exhibition branch was exclusively devoted to certified organic wines. The purpose was to promote bio wine production according to EU standards and regulations, as well as to respond to precise market demand for such wines, particularly from Northern Europe, North America and the Far East. This initiative was set to go on tandem with ViVit, a section of Vinitaly dedicated to winegrowers and terroirs. First held in 2012, prior to ratification of EU regulations concerning organic wine, ViVit initially welcomed not only wines produced by small business but also those made using organic and biodynamic methods that could not be certified at the time. This year, ViVit was able to embrace the many facets of creativity, complexity and diversity in winemaking and rural life, leaving the target of certified organic wines to Vinitalybio, as said above.

In general, small-scale wine world is difficult to catalogue with accuracy. This because it is an expression of individuality and of the personal relationship all producers develop with their terroir. Numbers are thus proportional. For instance, small estates cover only 1.64% of wine-growing surface in Italy, with a yield per hectare of less than 30 quintals of grapes, i.e. less than half the average output, contributing with a mere 0.74% to national wine production. Overall in 2013, 670 thousand hectares produced about 320 thousand hectolitres (source: Servabo – “Natural Wine” 2013). While volume, is lower than average, value of production is higher, thanks to support from consumers seeking and buying such individually crafted wines and to their involvement in sharing those ethical values expressed by producers and their uniqueness. Hence, this production branch is small but generates major interest among trade operators, as evidenced by success ViVit had in previous editions. Attendance by small-scale producers at Vinitaly seeks precisely to “spread the news” and thereby enter classic distribution channels and reach and a broader audience of consumers.

This year ViVit hosted 140 exhibitors, listing several “new entries”. Exhibitors were not only Italian, but came from other countries such as France and Slovenia, not to mention a delegation of twelve producers form Georgia, illustrating their use of clay jars in winemaking. Such jars are called “qvevri” and have a capacity of about 1,000 litres each. In the production process, they are buried and sealed with clay and beeswax, thereby ensuring fermentation of the must and subsequent refinement of the wine in favourable micro-oxygenation and temperature conditions; based on historical winemaking legacy and heritage, furthered since ancient times.

As ever, Sol&Agrifood and Enolitech shows were held simultaneously to Vinitaly. These two events complement the wine expo with excellence from the Italian food sector as well as Italian technology for wine and olive oil production. Together with Vinitaly, they ensure an exclusive international showcase with a strong focus on quality agro-foods: a sector in which Italy exported goods worth 33 billion euros in 2013, of which wine was worth about 5 billions and olive oil 1.3 billions.

Vinitaly is obviously designed to have supply and demand meeting each other. However there is much more than pure business to this important international wine expo. Vinitaly is always a key wine education and cultural opportunity, offering an impressive programme of guided tastings, conventions and presentations of market research and surveys, all very useful in keeping up-to-date with the latest trends shaping the wine world.

We will look in detail at several of such episodes in the upcoming series of articles based on my experience at this year’s Vinitaly. My objective is to involve you, the reader, in pure wine passion and in taking a journey with me; discovering wine stars in that amazing, exciting, dense and diverse wine universe called Vinitaly.

March 10, 2014

 Andrea Zanini

 Parapandalo is a prawn variety typical of Punta Campanella, a natural marine reserve located off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the coasts of Campania, in Southwest Italy.  Parapandalo’s distinguishing traits are special to the point of deserving particular attention by the Slow Food movement for the last three years.

 Parapandalo is a symbol of offshore fishing.  Traps are the means through which Parapandalo is caught: a simple yet ancient fishing technique.  Such traps are cages generally made of metal, bamboo, rush or other materials, lowered into the sea and open on the side to provide an escape route for the smallest specimens.  In this way, the preservation of fish species is guaranteed and the sea-bottom is protected from damage.

 Punta Campanella prawns are particularly fond of traps made of rush, in the shape of a pumpkin.  As local fishermen have found out long ago, traps made of iron or plastic remain sadly empty for the most part.  This fact ensures that Parapandalo traps are still made nowadays with the same techniques of ancient times.