This year is the 54th edition of the main Italian wine fair, launched in 1967 under the name Italian Wine Days. Today it is one of the leading world’s wine events attracting thousands of visitors every year.
With 130 confirmed top buyers, the United States – the first world market for Italian wine exports – leads the field of international delegations attending the 54th Vinitaly. It is the first time that the International Wine and Spirits Exhibition has achieved such a result on the American market. This is what emerges from Veronafiere‘s incoming campaign – involving its own network of delegates and partners in 30 countries and the ICE Trade Agency – which is currently approaching its conclusion, surpassing all expectations. So far, 630 ‘super buyers’ of Italian wine from all over the world – with reference exclusively to this international promotion project – have taken up invitations to attend Vinitaly. They are joined by a further 50 profiled market operators who will travel to Verona for the first time thanks to another ‘tailor made’ incoming project, set in motion this year and the result of direct collaboration between Vinitaly and about 30 companies exhibiting at the Show.
As for around 50 countries involved in the promotion and communication programme, the Vinitaly map welcomes new entries from the high-spending area of the Midwest and Southern United States, proof that there are still ample margins for growth, in addition to Canada, an historic attendee in Verona. On the other side of the world, the Asian market is also moving in the name of wine, despite the persistence of certain travel difficulties associated with the pandemic: Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, as well as South Korea and China, are all accredited. As regards China, however, monitoring remains alert following the latest lockdown measures issued by the Beijing government. The response from South America was positive with operators travelling from 10 of the 12 states in the macro-region (Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Peru, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Chile). New entries at Vinitaly 2022 also include Africa, with professional collectives from Mozambique Kenya, Ethiopia, Cameroon and Angola.
Europe sees delegations from Germany and Northern countries – with Denmark and Sweden in first place – among the most numerous (respectively 65 and 40). They also lead the field on the b2b agenda for organic produce promoted by Vinitaly and Sol&Agrifood, the international exhibition of quality agro-foods scheduled alongside the wine and spirits event. Then come buyers from the United Kingdom, Austria, France, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland. Vinitaly will also welcome operators from Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic and Slovenia.
𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐞
OperaWine, an amazing tasting of the best Italian wines selected by the experts of Wine Spectator, traditionally opens Vinitaly.
Wine Spectator believes they are 130 of Italy’s finest wines, bearing witness to the diversity and authenticity of Italian labels on the American market – and as of today, they are officially the protagonists of the 11th edition of OperaWine 2022, the super tasting scheduled on Saturday 9 April in the former Gallerie Mercatali and by now the traditional preview of Vinitaly itself.
As regards the regional ranking, Tuscany leads the field for OperaWine 2022 with 36 producers, followed by Piedmont (20) and Veneto (19). The evaluations made by Wine Spectator see red wines in front with 97 labels ready for tasting on 9 April in Verona. Among these, Barolo (15), Brunello (13), Amarone and Chianti Classico (both 9) particularly stand out. The super tasting of Italian wine is completed by 22 white wines, 9 sparkling wines and 2 sweet/dessert wines. From North to South, nine new wineries join OperaWine 2022, while there are 25 ‘all timers’, i.e. cellars included in the list since the first edition in 2012.
𝟓𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬
5StarWines and Wines Without Walls is an international wine competition linked to Vinitaly and held this year just one week before the main event (1-3 April 2022).
It was launched in 2016 as a continuation of the International Wine Competition. 5StarWines – the Book, the first Guide promoted by an International Fair, was created with the aim of offering wine producers an effective promotional and marketing tool for their companies. The Guide recognizes and rewards the quality of the wines, and companies presented in it, through the objective judgement by an international panel of experts. These include Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers, sommeliers from starred restaurants, journalists, oenologists, Italian Wine Experts and Ambassadors from the Vinitaly International Academy, all with different origins, specializations and backgrounds. The Guide of selected wines, published in paper and digital format in English, is distributed in Italy and abroad. It is distributed at the main trade fairs, B2B meetings, tastings and masterclasses aimed at professionals in the wine business: this allows companies to access the key players in the reference market.
Photos: Vinitaly