An international Vinitaly that speaks all the languages of the world and that is preparing to record, for the 55 ^ edition at Veronafiere from 2 to 5 April, the record of top buyers selected and hosted also in collaboration with ICE Agency. To date, in fact, there are over 1000 foreign "superbuyers" of Italian wine from 68 countries already accredited: + 43% compared to 2022, from the USA to Africa, from Asia - with the great return of China and Japan - to Central and South America up to the Old Continent all represented and the Eurasian Republics. This figure will increase the total of the international panel of the business at the fair during the four days of the event and which, according to projections, should exceed the 2022 final balance of Vinitaly which closed with 25 thousand foreign buyers from 139 countries, 28% of the total 88 thousand operators arrived in Verona, recording the highest foreign incidence ever.

"This is a historic result, the result of an unprecedented global roadshow that involved the main institutional players in the promotion of Made in Italy - commented the President of Veronafiere SpA, Federico Bricolo -. A decisive change of pace, in terms of investments and organization, strongly desired by the new governance with the aim of increasing the competitiveness of Vinitaly in Italy and in the world".

Among the 68 countries represented at Vinitaly, 55 stand out for their number of delegations of operators and importers profiled from the United States and Canada, on a par with a contingent that exceeds 200 top buyers, with new arrivals from large retailers in the Midwest and from the top of Nabi (National Association of Beverage Importers, the association of wine importers in the USA) and with eleven representatives of the Société des Alcools du Quèbec (SAQ) and the Liquor control Board of Ontario (LCBO), two of Canada's largest monopolies.

"The road to growth in the sector is increasingly exports, as will emerge from the report of the Uiv-Vinitaly and Prometeia Observatory that we will present in Rome on March 22nd – explains the CEO of Veronafiere SpA, Maurizio Danese, -. An export that in the last 10 years sees wine among the sectors of Made in Italy with the highest growth rate and an increasingly decisive trade balance for the Italian system. For this reason, Vinitaly 2023 accelerates the process of renewal of the format which, to tend, will be increasingly smart and functional to the needs of companies and the sector itself. The competitive scenario that has changed dramatically in the last two years requires us to make economic and organizational resources more efficient to support the positioning of wineries on the markets".

Great expectations for the return of China which, after the lockdowns and prolonged bans, is ready to recover its status as an emerging giant. A selection, the one made by the Veronafiere operational headquarters in Shanghai together with the operational offices of the joint venture in Shenzen, which will bring to Vinitaly 130 purchasing managers including the top twenty national importers by volume and value such as Cws, Interpocrom and Asc, the main first-level horeca groups, from Vino Bento to Wine Universe and Gruppo Bottega up to Lady Penguin and Vinehoo, The most referenced e-commerce platforms.

With a complete and all-business district, Vinitaly 2023 is also proceeding towards changing the organizational model. The decisions of an opening ceremony of Vinitaly in a smart key (2 April at 11.00) go in this direction, so as not to hinder the agendas of over 4 thousand wineries in the neighborhood, but also not to include the traditional gala dinner in the schedule of institutional appointments of Vinitaly. A choice that marks a change of pace compared to the past and that wants to favor events in line with Vinitaly's business mission. This is why Vinitaly & The Night was created, the inclusive evening for buyers, exhibitors and new generations of producers present at the exhibition scheduled for Tuesday 4 April at the Gran Guardia palace (Verona, Piazza Bra) in open mode from 20 to 24.

The distinction between operators at the fair and winelovers also continues. Vinitaly and the City is dedicated to the latter, the path of wine talks, tastings, exhibitions and events of the fuori salone in the most representative places of the Unesco Heritage city: Piazza dei Signori, Cortile Mercato Vecchio and Cortile del Tribunale. Scheduled from 31 March to 3 April, Vinitaly and the City is organized by Veronafiere with the collaboration of the Municipality of Verona, the Province of Verona and the Cariverona Foundation.

Detail of the 68 countries of origin of the over 1000 top buyers selected, invited and hosted by Veronafiere for the 55th edition of Vinitaly.

North America: USA and Canada.

Asia (17): Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, South Korea, Philippines, Japan, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.

Africa (9): Angola, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa. 

Central and South America (12): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela.

Europe (26 including Baltic area, Balkans, Scandinavia and UK): Austria, Albania, Bulgaria, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, England, Lithuania, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

Source: Vinitaly, WineNews.it

Photo Credit:WineNews.it