Wine and promotion, IEM takes Italy on tour to Denmark, Poland and Russia

Promoting Italian wine is taking its first steps to restart in Northern Europe and Russia. Just recently, Italian wineries were the stars in China, during the Vinitaly “Road Show” with stops in Shanghai, Xiamen and Chengdu, and in the next few days the IEM-International Exhibition Management led by Marina Nedic and Giancarlo Voglino “Simply Italian Europe 2020 Tour”. IEM is a company that has been working on markets around the world, for over 20 years, to bring Italian wine back to small, but strategic markets to restart, such as Denmark, Poland, and especially Russia. The first two markets do not seem to have suffered too much from the blow of the pandemic, as Denmark, which, in the first half of 2020, imported Italian wine for 69 million euros, and Poland for 30 million euros, basically in line with the same period in 2019. According to ISTAT data, and data from Russian customs analyzed by ICE, Italy is still the main wine supplier in Putin’s country, at 101.7 million euros of imports. The market share is equal to 27% of the total, marking peaks of 60% among sparkling wines. So, we’re opening the tour in Copenhagen today, September 22nd, and on September 24th we will be flying to Warsaw.
The star wineries in this European Tour include companies such as Cormòns, Cantine Settesoli, Ruggeri, Vigna Petrussa, Cantine Belisario, just to name a few, and top consortia such as Asti and Moscato d’Asti DOCG, DOC of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, Vini d’Abruzzo and the Marchigiano Tutela Vini Institute. The wine productions will also be at the center of in-depth studies and master classes focusing on the discovery of native vines in the different territories. Two appointments were scheduled at the Italian Embassy in Oslo, Norway, on a short, but important stop yesterday, where three master classes were held, dedicated to the Prosecco DOC Consortium, Abruzzi wines and Pinot Grigio delle Venezie.
Starting on September 28th, the tour will be totally in Russia, first in Moscow, and then heading to St. Petersburg, on September 30th, including wineries such as Villa Sandi, Cantina di Soave, Masottina, Jermann, Masi Agricola, Garofoli, Cantine Settesoli and further, Consortia such as Prosecco DOC, Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, Marchigiano Tutela Vini Institute and Grandi Marchi Institute, an organization that brings together 19 of the most representative Italian wine companies (Alois Lageder, Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari Tenute, Antinori, Argiolas, Tenuta Col d’Orcia, Ca’ del Bosco, Carpenè Malvolti, Donnafugata, Gaja, Jermann, Lungarotti, Masi, Mastroberardino, Michele Chiarlo, Pio Cesare, Rivera, Tasca d’Almerita, Tenuta San Guido, Umani Ronchi). And, in Russia, the walk-around tasting formula will be accompanied by master classes and insights into the vines and wineries of Italia del Vino, which is trying to resume its presence on world markets, even though still in the midst of a Pandemic.