July 2019

Consorzio Vini delle Venezie DOC ventures into ‘second era of Italian style Pinot Grigio’

The Consorzio Vini delle Venezie has re-elected Albino Armani(March 2019) as president and some of his priorities include the development of promotional activities and maximizing the potential of the appellation: “growth trajectory focused on continuity, to maximize the potential of a product and a region that still have a lot to say to consumers around the world”.

Accepting “the challenge”, Armani said his new board would “continue along the same path of identity, region and Italian style to drive up the value of our Pinot Grigio”.

“We are well aware of the responsibility before us; this appellation holds enormous potential just waiting to be developed. Already the conversation around this great variety has a new and different tone. It is an asset that we must defend and maximize, establishing it with a strong identity firmly grounded in Italy and in the Triveneto in particular,” he said.

The new board’s widespread regional representation includes six members representing Friuli Venezia Giulia, six members representing Trentino, and nine members representing Veneto. This board would create an alliance capable of building a widespread regional identity that can “stake its claim as the Italian Pinot Grigio benchmark on a global scale”, Armani added.
Consorzio Vini delle Venezie DOC was established in 2017 and occupies the entire northeastern part of Italy, including the territories of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto regions, and the province of Trento.

By the Numbers:
85% of Italy’s Pinot Grigio production is produced in the Triveneto area where,
in 2017, 24,500 hectares were under vine.

Vinexpo Paris 2020 under the patronage of the President of the French Republic

Vinexpo Paris 2020 has announced that it has been placed under the patronage of Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic. Vinexpo’s events across the globe currently include Bordeaux, New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai and now Paris 2020.

Vinexpo Paris is currently preparing its big Parisian event, which will be dedicated to the sector’s international professionals, and will take place from 10 to 12 February at the Paris Convention Centre. This event welcomes exhibitors from all around the world, including French and international leading brands.

Some of these brands will inaugurate the unique concept of L’Avenue, created by Vinexpo Paris. This Haussmann-styled space, more intimate, will enable its participants to feel like in a street of Parisian elegance while being at the heart of the fair.

https://www.vinexpoparis.com/?lang=en

Vinexpo New York Launches 2020 Brochure

Vinexpo New York has released its brochure for its March 2-3, 2020 trade show, which provides details for those attending the event.

Vinexpo is urging exhibitors to join its regional pavilions which it says gives produces “added presence and recognition within the exhibit hall” and helps top buyers “seek products from specific regions.”

To view the brochure https://www.vinexponewyork.com/visitor-brochure/
Vinexpo New York made its debut in 2018, followed by 2019 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center March 4-5.

The 2019 show featured more than 400 exhibitors from 26 countries and 3,000 wine and spirits professionals – including a mix of importers, distributors, wholesalers, buyers and e-commerce specialists from over 40 US states and seven Canadian provinces. Its conference program included six sessions addressing issues such as global climate change and its impact on the wine industry, emerging technologies in the wine and spirits industry, and trends in the US wine market.

The 2019 edition also saw several new additions, including the WOW! World of Organic Wines pavilion, which hosted more than 20 organic wine producers from five countries; a Wine & Spirit Education Trust Pop-Up classroom; Uncork New York, sponsored by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation; and the Wine Spectator 90+ Showcase and Tasting Bar, highlighting wines to have earned 90 points or higher in its blind tasting reviews.

Previous exhibitors include Diego Bertolini, manager of Wines of Brazil, who said of the show: “Our expectations were exceeded on the first day: we met more than 50 distributors and 10 importers. It’s a great opportunity to develop and increase awareness and sales in the US.”

Wines of Chile to increase small producer participation

Aurelio Montes Sr., president of Wines of Chile, recently outlined his objectives in getting smaller producers involved in the trade group “Wines of Chile”.

Montes took over as president last month has stated that one of his objectives is to offer reduced or free-entry for smaller producers to join the organization.

“My role is to make Chile better known and more respected,” he said. “I think small producers are weaker as they don’t have the resources to travel and put their wines out into the market, in the same way that a larger producer does.”

Speaking more generally about his plans for his two years in office, Montes echoed the trade organization’s goal to raise the profile of Chilean wine.

“I aim to make Chile better known, although we are pretty successful already. In terms of wine production, we are number one among the new world countries and we are fourth in the world as a whole. So that puts Chile in a very privileged position and we’re really happy about that.

“Chile is perceived as a country with good value for money, inexpensive wines – unbeatable value for money I would say. One of my targets is to put Chile where it deserves, although it is already a well-renowned country, it deserves to be a couple of steps higher and in a better position.”

Montes also revealed that the organization was focusing its attention on its top three markets – China, the US and Brazil – with the aim of doubling its activities in each of the markets. In particular, he spoke of a desire to “recover the American market” after losing ground since the financial crisis in 2008.

Montes will be president of Wines of Chile until 2021, and he is a well-respected figure in the industry and a founding member of Viña Montes.

Source: Drinks Business

Italy is named the world’s best wine country

Italy has been ranked as the best country in the world for wine lovers in a recent survey by Lastminute.com.

The survey compared thirty wine-producing countries by various criteria with Italy finishing with the highest score. It beat out other counties due to the fact that it offers the most wine tasting experiences; with 993 overall to choose from, and Italy has a total of 21 wine regions.

But how did Italy top France?

In three instances:

1. The number of wine tasting experiences – Italy 993 vs. France 406;
2. Italy has more vineyards open to the public – Italy 33 vs. France 31; and
3. The average price of a bottle of wine is less in Italy – €4.77 vs. €5.73 in France.

For the record, France came second, Spain third, South Africa fourth, Portugal fifth, while Australia came in 15th place, Canada 24th, and the US at 27th. The UK, which is fast making a name for itself for the quality of its sparkling wines, came in 30th place on the list.

https://www.lastminute.com/en/discover/wine-lovers-travel-index