Vinitaly 2015, an excellent vintage

The whole world at Vinitaly, with professionals from 140 countries - 20 up compared to 2014. "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 Ministry of Economic Development, the Italian Trade Agency-ICE and the Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, we further boosted the already high involvement of foreign buyers," said Ettore Riello, President of Veronafiere. Total visitors came to about 150,000, but compared to the past there were more from the Far East, especially Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. Mexico and Africa also grew, with interesting new entries such as Cameroon and Mozambique. Even North Africa performed well, with a recovery by of Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco both for wine and olive oil at Sol&Agrifood. "The huge US and Canadian markets alone account for 20% of international visitors totalling 55,000 people. German-speaking countries - Germany, Switzerland, Austria - confirmed their status as the most important with 25% of overall attendance; the United Kingdom took third place with 10%, followed in numerical terms by buyers from Scandinavian countries and Benelux," said Giovanni Mantovani, CEO & Director General. We have seen considerable satisfaction among exhibitors as regards Vinitaly's capacity year and year to improve the number of foreign buyers and the quality of visitors, maintaining a high number of contacts, so much so that several leading private-sector companies have already signed three-year renewals for coming editions." Read more... This is also thanks to new visitor profiling system adopted this year, with further refinement of visitor target selection and registration of all persons entering the show: this will create a database of extraordinary value for future marketing initiatives and international development. The top ten countries saw impressive growth by France, ahead of Japan, while China, Hong Kong and Taiwan took eighth place. Russia came in ninth, the only country going against trends - the outcome of the current difficult geopolitical situation. The list closes with Brazil in tenth place. 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 the Horeca channel as well as large- scale retail distribution. The event was attended by more than 2,600 journalists from 46 countries. EXHIBITOR COMMENTS Zonin 1821 – Domenico Zonin "An effervescent Vinitaly. The home market performed well with the slight economic recovery bearing some fruit. Good appointments and good attendance by buyers." Mastroberardino - Piero Mastroberardino "Plenty of business with complete coverage of classical markets and impressive attendance on Monday by national clients. Numbers are important and we even had meetings with operators today - the last day. We even had contacts with operators from non-mature and developing markets approaching wine with some interest. We were able to present some of our innovative new initiatives and convey more refined messages than in the past." 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 increasingly sensitive to the origin of wine. Buyers from all over the world: USA, Far East, Europe: we are delighted." Masi - Alessandra Boscaini "Vinitaly as ever is a very challenging event. We have seen many journalists, many Italian customers even from the south of Italy and this is certainly rewarding. Very good international attendance despite coming after Prowein and Vinexpo due 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. The diversification of origin and 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. It is important to carry o in this way." 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 "Vinitaly this year confirmed its status as the key appointment for the world of wine. 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 "Vinitaly this year confirmed that, at least as regards agro-foods, what we have hoped for so long is quickly coming true: 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." COMMENTS BY FOREIGN BUYERS 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 in a single venue. Here, I can meet producers and buyers alike. It is a very valuable business opportunity." 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 and especially to savour it in comfort to understand its true essence. It is especially a unique opportunity for training, thanks to various seminars, as well as for discovering small producers." 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. Especially red wines. The whites are very good but are limited to a small number of varieties, while reds are very popular in different regions and among suppliers. Tuscan wines are the most famous among Canadian consumers, followed by wines from the Veneto and Piedmont, although we have recently seen increased interest in wines from Apulia. This is my first time at Vinitaly. I was invited by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Ontario. Vinitaly offers a great opportunity for gaining an overview of Italian production as a whole. I was able to meet key people for my business and discuss future growth strategies. I also had the chance to understand wines so far unknown in Ontario. It was a valuable experience as regards understanding the differences between the various regions of Italy and, thanks to comparisons with other buyers and trade operators, also understanding how the sector is moving. We found many new interesting wines and established important contacts." Peter Lundgard Schmidt - Buyer from Denmark "Demand on the Danish market in the wine sector is directed towards the search for lighter, fruity wines. And Italian production precisely offers our market the perfect answer to these needs. I have attended several dedicated exhibitions in the sector but it's my first time at Vinitaly. I chose to come to Verona in the knowledge that I would find new producers and very interesting business opportunities." Helene Hansen – Proprietor of Allwine, buyer from Sweden "I came to Vinitaly to strengthen relationships with some producers with whom we already have business relationships and to find interesting new wine-makers to propose on the Swedish market. The sale of alcohol in Sweden is controlled by the State Monopoly and only allowed directly through the horeca channel. Consumer who want to enjoy Italian wine can only go through the monopoly, so that the sale-purchase flow is not entirely straightforward. Nevertheless, as well as being very popular Italian wine is also in great demand in Sweden." 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. My family has visited Vinitaly for three generations and this is already my own fifth visit. Only here can we find all the producers that interest us and do efficient and very focused business. It is the perfect trade show in this regard and every year helps us establish very important business relationships. During my trip to Verona, I am representing about 27 regions in South-East Asia from Singapore to Hong Kong: the goal we set ourselves to departure was to find a sparkling wine offering certain specifications. Not only have I already found what I was looking for but this meeting even brought about a joint venture with the company. I can only feel very satisfied." 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. As regards the Korean market, after the signing of the bilateral agreement with the European Union, we have seen a very rapid increase in consumption of Italian wine. Taiwan, on the other hand, requires more intensive promotional activities in order to spread Italian values. The ho.re.ca distribution channel in these markets is undoubtedly the driving force, although speciality food shops have recently become significant players. This phenomenon has introduced a new flow in supply and demand. Stores invite clients-consumers to specific events and purchase considerable quantities even directly. It is a new and interesting channel." 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. I met producers from Piedmont, Sicily, Umbria and Campania who were all very interesting. My visit to Vinitaly is not over yet and I am sure I will find other potentially interesting producers for our market." INSTITUTIONAL COMMENTS Maurizio Martina, Minister of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies "The wine sector is a fundamental asset for Italy that generates more than 14 billion euros in revenue through thousands of companies that represent the richness of our local areas with passion, innovation and professionalism. We want to help such excellence to grow by releasing them from the weight of bureaucracy that has grown in recent years. Over the last twelve months, we have implemented streamlining that has seen the abolition of 64,000 registers, cut unnecessary bureaucracy and at last truly begun to put the public administration at the service of companies. We have also approved the long-awaited decree for planting rights and we were protagonists of extraordinary internationalisation plan that sees agro-foods at the heart of the action». Minister of Employment and Social Policies "Vinitaly is a great showcase that allows everyone to see what is going on in this sector and enables companies to make comparisons with other producers." Andrea Olivero, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies: Andrea Olivero, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies "This edition showed all the more Italy's great desire for internationalization. The wine sector itself is one of the country's highest quality fields. Here we have an extraordinary expression of Italy that deserves to be known around the world for excellence and innovation. This is why we have given the go-ahead for a major project supporting Italian agro-foods involving the Ministries of Agriculture, Economic Development and Foreign Affairs, including at last a Strategic Plan for Trade Fairs. If we want to achieves 50 billion euros of exports in this sector, we have to do everything possible."