With the Vinitaly Tour, Vinitaly International and Veronafiere travel worldwide to promote Italian wine. As Vinitaly Russia comes to a close, everything is in place for the 10th edition of Vinitaly Hong Kong to be held from November 7th to 9th at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre during the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair.
Dmitry Merezhko during the Masterclass “Simple Wine News: Terroirs of Northern Piedmont”
Vinitaly International’s mission is to help Italian wine producers build new trade relations worldwide. In order to do so, Vinitaly International organizes various opportunities for wineries to expand their business abroad, notably its Vinitaly Tour, a tour of trade events in key foreign markets for Italian wine such as Russia and Hong Kong.
As part of the Tour, Vinitaly International returned to Moscow on October 28th, for the first stop of the 16th edition of Vinitaly Russia. On the occasion, Italian producers and Russian importers gathered in the exclusive Lotte Hotel for a B2B Walk-Around Tasting and several educational masterclasses. Inaugurated by Italian Ambassador Pasquale Terraciano, the event registered 60 Italian wineries, 20 Russian importers, and around 900 attendees. VIA Italian Wine Ambassador Ekaterina Osadchaya, who presented the Masterclass in Moscow entitled “From North to South, passing through the center: 5StarWines Italian excellence,” commented on the future of Italian wine in Russia: “Italian wines are still very popular in the country, but it is going to get more and more difficult to maintain this position. Wines from Germany and Austria are becoming ever trendier, as well as some Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand and Gascogne. Compared to wines coming from these countries, Italian bottles have a premium and therefore are less competitive. To remain competitive Italian producers should focus on a niche: the Russian mass market is still going to focus on big names like Chianti and Pinot Grigio, but private clients, small boutiques and restaurants are going to be way more interested in unusual products, like the Ruché, Erbaluce and other unusual varieties, or products such as Franciacorta dosage 0.”
The second stop of Vinitaly Russia was St. Petersburg on October 30th, where the same successful format—B2B Walk-Around Tasting followed by masterclasses—was applied. One of the Masterclasses held at the Kempinski Hotel Moika 22 was entitled “Simple Wine News: Terroirs of Northern Piedmont” and presented by Dmitry Merezhko, publisher of Simple Wine News. On the role of Italian wine in the country, Merezhko commented: “Italy has been among the top three wine suppliers to the Russian market for a number of years now. There are categories that are on the rise and some that are losing their hold on the market, but the uniqueness and diversity of Italian wines is always going to support their strong performance in country.”
Vinitaly Tour’s next stop is, once more, Hong Kong with both its educational program (Vinitaly International Academy Italian Wine Ambassador certification course started on November 3rd) and the trade fair. From November 7th to the 9th, Vinitaly International will once again promote Italian wines in the dynamic and global context of the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair. With custom made B2B meetings, Walk Around Tasting, a dedicated Vinitaly lounge area and masterclasses, once again Vinitaly Hong Kong will offer producers a unique opportunity to venture into the complex Asian market. Participants to Vinitaly Hong Kong will be able to learn more about key Italian wines, grape varieties, and wine-producing regions through a number of Masterclasses which will be offered in the Vinitaly Tasting Room. For instance, Consorzio di Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo will offer a seminar entitled “Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a great Italian red”; the Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna will lead the masterclass “Emilia Romagna in a glass…”; Süd Tirol Wein Vini Alto Adige will present on “Alto Adige: Key Grape Varieties from the Italian Alps”; Wine Meridian will introduce a tasting entitled “Italian Wines in the World”.
Follow updates about Vinitaly Hong Kong on Vinitaly International social media channels.
About
The grand Vinitaly 2020 will be held from April 19th to the 22nd. Every year, Vinitaly counts more than 4,000 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 130,000 visitors from over 140 different countries with more than 30,000 top international buyers. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine “Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers,” which will be held on the 18th of April, one day prior to Vinitaly will unite international wine professionals in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year launched the seventh edition of its Certification Course and today counts 204 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 14 Italian Wine Experts.
