The 56th edition of Vinitaly ended last week with 97 thousand attendances: in slight increase in foreign operators from 140 countries to 30,070 (31% of the total), of which 1200 top buyers (+20% on 2023) representing 65 states.
Positive results also for Vinitaly Plus, the matching platform between supply and demand with 20 thousand business appointments, doubled in this edition, and for the Vinitaly and the city off-site event, which exceeded 50 thousand tastings (+11%).
Our Region’s pavilion was certainly one of the most visited, as recalled by President Luca Zaia
“Like every edition, Veneto played the lion’s share, being the region where the most wine is produced in Italy and the one that exports the most to the world. In a viticultural area that reached almost 100 thousand hectares, we closed the year with over 10 million hectoliters of wine and a turnover of 2.82 billion euros, which represents 36.1 percent of national exports. This confirms us once again at the top of the ranking of Italian regions without fear of competition: even for 2023 the second and third regions, Piedmont and Tuscany respectively, as a whole cannot do better than Veneto”.
However, I was not convinced by the slogan that stood out in the Terra di San Marco pavilion: “Veneto, natural intelligence” which may perhaps be good for the “politically correct” gurus but is much less incisive and captivating than what was proposed instead in the Sardinia pavilion “We are Sardinians. The wines that tell the story of a territory” which rewards the product-territory relationship which is fundamental for valorising what is produced in the region; but maybe mine is the wrong impression…
To remain in the Venetian universe, the stand of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul should be highlighted where the very notable wine production derives from the massive presence of emigrant Venetians; we must remember the “Festa da Ua” which is held every year in Caxias do Sul between February and March and is one of the most popular events in all of Brazil.
Ettore Beggiato
