Rome, 22 March 2023 Business, internationalisation and positioning. They are the three guidelines behind the 55th Vinitaly as it make ready to become (2-5 April) the largest wine 'embassy' involving more than 4000 companies from all over Italy and over 30 countries. The show will also welcome a record number of more than 1000 top buyers (+43% over 2022) from 68 countries selected, invited and hosted by Veronafiere in collaboration with ICE Trade Agency.
The 2023 edition of the international wine and spirits exhibition organized by Veronafiere was presented today in Rome by Federico Bricolo and Maurizio Danese, respectively President and Managing Director of Veronafiere S.p.A. The press conference was also attended by Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Matteo Zoppas, President of ICE-Trade Agency, Giuseppe Schirone, economist and manager of Prometeia, and Carlo Flamini, wine observatory manager at Unione Italiana Vini.
"Vinitaly will focus on service and increasingly seek to meet the needs of companies operating on outlet markets," said the President of Veronafiere S.p.A., Federico Bricolo. “This evolution is envisaged in our business plan with the aim of enhancing the identity and centrality of the event. Vinitialy is by now acknowledged as a brand capable of driving Italian wine promotion on international scale. The result of the extraordinary incoming campaign implemented this year moves us even closer to the Vinitaly of the future, a lever for competitiveness and growth in this strategic Made in Italy sector."
The 68 outlet destinations for Italian wine that will converge in Verona will include, alongside consolidated markets in the USA and Canada (more 200 top importers), 17 Asian countries led by China (130 top buyers), Japan and South Korea as well as Hong Kong and Singapore, 12 from Central and South America, with Brazil and Argentina in the forefront, nine African countries and a map of Europe with 26 top buyers.
“We have implemented an exceptional investment programme together with significant scale economies so that, starting with this edition of Vinitaly, we can upgrade the panel of top buyers coming to Verona," said the Managing Director of Veronafiere, Maurizio Danese. “Ensuring business and new sales opportunities for exhibiting companies is our priority for action. We are working to launch new development models to ensure that Vinitaly is increasingly geared towards international demand with a high-efficiency format."
Simultaneously, more than 100,000 sq.m. of net exhibition space in show halls and tensile structures will host Enolitech with Vinitaly Design and Sol&Agrifood with B/Open and Xcellent Beers- bringing the total number of exhibitors in exhibition centre to more than 4400 companies.
The prologue to the 55th International Wine and Spirits Exhibition comes with Vinitaly OperaWine, the super-tasting of 130 standard-bearer producers selected by Wine Spectator scheduled on Saturday 1 April in the former Gallerie Mercatali, opposite the Exhibition Centre itself.
The main theme areas are also confirmed: Vinitaly Bio International Wine Hall; Vinitaly Mixology; Micro Mega Wines - curated by wine writer Ian d'Agata with a focus on niche and limited edition wines;Taste and Buy - matching with operators selected from the exhibition network in collaboration with Tutelage Consortia;Tasting Express - with the most important international sector magazines.
More than 80 tastings are so far on the event's official calendar event (updated on vinitaly.com), starting with the Vinitaly Grand Tasting over the four days of the event, through up to the Tre Bicchieri 2023 walk around tasting by Gambero Rosso (Sunday 2 April) and the Orange Wine Festival (April 3) with top companies from 10 countries. Not to mention the Vinitaly Tasting -The DoctorWine Selection curated by Daniele Cernilli (April 2-5) conceived for buyers and operators in the horeca sector and the Young to Young focus event with three tasting sessions involving ten young producers guided by Paolo Massobrio and Marco Gatti.
There is also room for Competitions. The International packaging competition–Vinitaly Design is taking place precisely today. It rewards the best packaging in relation to trends, design and innovation for wines, spirits, liqueurs, beer and extra virgin olive oil. While 28-30 March it will be the turn of 5 Star Wines - The Book and Wine Without Walls, awards for companies that invest in the qualitative improvement of their products.
The distinction between trade professionals attending the main show and wine lovers in the city also continues. Enthusiasts will enjoy Vinitaly and the City, the off-show appointment with exhibitions, events, tastings and wine talks in the most representative squares of Verona - a UNESCO World Heritage city: Piazza dei Signori, Cortile Mercato Vecchio and Cortile del Tribunale. Scheduled 31 March-3 April, Vinitaly and the City is organised by Veronafiere in collaboration of Verona City Council, the Province of Verona and the Cariverona Foundation.
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Details of the 68 countriesof origin for more than 1000 top buyers selected, invited and hosted by Veronafiere for the 55th Vinitaly.
North America: USA and Canada.
Asia (17): Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Japan, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Africa (9): Angola, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana,Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria and South Africa.
Central and South America (12): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.
Europe (26 including the Baltic area, the Balkans, Scandinavia and UK): Austria, Albania, Bulgaria, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, Holland, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and Hungary.