The excellent Piedmont wines on board the Amerigo Vespucci, the most beautiful ship in the world, have landed in Tokyo

For decades, a very strong bond has linked Japan to the wine and food of Piedmont and the top wines in the Region - Barolo, Alta Langa, Roero, Moscato d’Asti - are on the shelves in markets and on wine lists in Japan. The partnership is now being celebrated with the arrival of the Amerigo Vespucci, nominated the most beautiful ship in the world, a historic sailing ship of the Italian Navy that is making a widely acclaimed tour around the world - which has docked in Tokyo, together with the Piedmont Region and the Piedmont Land of Wine Consortium. The goal is to promote the excellent products of the territory, through a series of cultural “wine diplomacy” activities, including tastings and events. Japan is Italy’s main wine partner in all of Asia, totaling more than 200 million euros of imports per year, 80% of which are PDO and PGI wines.
Piedmont Land of Wine, the Consortium that unites all the Piedmont wine consortiums, was assigned the task of creating the wine list for the most important events related to the ship’s journey around the world. The journey will touch 28 countries to promote Made in Italy, on a tour that began in Los Angeles in July, with Chianti Classico DOCG. Today, in the Japanese capital, all eyes are focused on the exclusive “Iconic wines of Italy” Masterclass, promoted by the ICE Agency and organized by Vinitaly. At each port of call of the Vespucci, Villaggio Italia will be set up. It is a multi-year traveling world exhibition of Italian excellences, which the Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto (including the participation of 11 Ministries) has organized, and it offers visitors a unique experience to learn about the beauty of Italy through its art, culture, music, food and wine heritage, cinema, technology and scientific research. “I think it is in our interest to tell the story of Italy and spread it far and wide, because we have a lot to tell”, Minister Guido Crosetto said, “other Nations tell their stories through fiction or films. We have lost the opportunity to tell our stories for many decades. The last story in Italy was told by design and fashion, but it has been years since we have actually told our stories, so we are helping people rediscover an Italy that many Nations do not know. We have the most beautiful ship in the world, we knew it would touch ports in important Countries where Italy is loved, and it seemed smart to link an excellent product to represent all the excellence that Italy offers. And, in the end, our intuition is having great success”. “Representing our prestigious denominations on Japanese soil”, Francesco Monchiero, president of Piedmont Land of Wine, said, “is an important opportunity to promote Made in Italy and Made in Piedmont, and to strengthen the partnership of Piedmont wine with Japanese consumers who have close ties with Piedmont wine and food. In fact, there are many aspiring chefs who come to Piedmont from Japan to learn the secrets of our cuisine, which they then propose in the many restaurants in the Land of the Rising Sun that celebrate Piedmont cuisine and wines”. Following the opening of Villaggio Italia - a 22.000 square meter location on four floors set up in Tokyo Bay - and the visit aboard the Amerigo Vespucci ship of the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto and the President of the Piedmont Region, Alberto Cirio, the Masterclass “Iconic wines of Italy”, conceived by Agenzia ICE and Vinitaly, included 7 iconic wines of the Italian wine heritage: Trento DOC” Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore” 2009 by Ferrari Trento, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva DOCG Classico 2017 by Villa Bucci, Toscana TGI Rosso “Tignanello” 2020 by Marchesi Antinori, Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC “Sassicaia” 2021 by Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri DOC Rosso Superiore “Ornellaia” 2020 by Ornellaia, Barolo DOCG Riserva 2017 “Vigna Rionda” 2017 by Massolino and Passito di Pantelleria DOC “Ben Ryè” 2022 Donnafugata. The two Italian wine ambassadors certified by Vinitaly International Academy, Asami Yoshikawa and Irving So, guided the Japanese audience - composed of buyers, importers, sommeliers, high-end restaurateurs, influencers and journalists - on a sensory journey to discover the most renowned Italian wine regions.
A gala dinner was held in the evening. And, now, until August 30th, you can taste a selection of wines from the UNESCO site of the wine landscapes of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, which this year celebrate their tenth anniversary as a World Heritage Site. “The Masterclass held in Tokyo, in collaboration with Vinitaly, represents a unique opportunity to present the excellence of Italian wine in a highly strategic context such as Japan, which is the number one Asian market for the sector”. “The collaboration among ICE, Vinitaly and the most prestigious Italian wines, together with the indispensable contribution of Amerigo Vespucci, not only amplifies the visibility of Made in Italy, but also creates concrete business matching opportunities with major Japanese professionals. Considering the export value is more than 200 million euros, we believe it is essential to implement strategic promotional activities to raise awareness and include the non-ethnic part of the market, attentive to prestigious wines. Our goal is to consolidate and further increase the presence of Italian wines in Japan”.
“Vinitaly has reconfirmed its role as a flagship brand for the promotion of Italian wine, through this prestigious Masterclass”, Federico Bricolo, president of Veronafiere, concluded.