VINITALY 2018: a great worldwide success

Vinitaly, our international reference trade fair dedicated to wine, draws interest both for the number and quality of its participants, and for the high level of events that took place there.

In terms of attendance figures, the 52nd Vinitaly was in line with the previous edition, with 128,000 visitors from 43 different countries. The event showed growth in terms of exhibitors present, with 4,380 companies, over 130 more than the previous edition. International exhibitor participation also increased compared to the 2017 edition, reaching 36 countries represented, compared to 29 the year before. A fundamental point of reference for business and culture related to the wine sector – which is worth nearly six billion euros in exports for our country – Vinitaly thus confirms itself as one of the most international trade fairs on the global stage.

Despite the importance and media resonance that Vinitaly has in the global context, there remains a significant gap in awareness of Italian wine to be bridged, for which many unexplored opportunities are still to be seized. This applies both to areas of the world considered mature markets (Germany, United States), and to countries with strong growth potential such as China, Japan, and Russia. But above all, the commercial success of wine over the next 5 years will be largely determined by green-labelled products (organic or sustainable), the true commercial and image driver of tomorrow's market. Nevertheless, many foreign consumers claim to have never tried the Italian product, and this trend speaks volumes about the need in the international calendar for a trade fair like Vinitaly, as well as the prestigious tastings that take place there.

Territory, research, and innovation: these are the three fil-rouge of the technical tastings curated by Veronafiere-Vinitaly 2018. From the magic of vigne vecchie with wines from largely octogenarian vineyards to 30 years of Amaroni di Masi; from the invisible bond between Bolgheri and Pessac-Léognan to wines from around the world curated by Riccardo Cotarella, to the five terroirs of Barolo and Barbaresco described and presented through five historic cru from cantine Ceretto.

But Vinitaly, as ambassador of the entire Italian wine-growing movement, is now also an international network. This year it lands in Brazil: it is scheduled from September 26 to 29, 2018 in Bento Gonçalves, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.