BuyWine - in person - the International showcase of Tuscan wines, 100 buyers from 30 countries

Wine is definitely one of the best ambassadors for Tuscany in the world, boasting 840 million euros in exports in the first 9 months of 2021 (+ 20% compared to 2020 and + 12% compared to 2019). In 2021, wine events were on hiatus, but now wine has returned the star player, in person, at BuyWine Toscana, the International showcase organized by the Tuscan Region together with the Chamber of Commerce of Florence and PromoFirenze, held at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, on February 11th and 12th. The agenda of the event scheduled 20.000 tastings and 2.500 B2B meetings, while 100 buyers from 30 countries participated, including the United States, Canada (thanks to the organizers, True Italian Taste, Meci and Assocamereester), Germany, France, Denmark, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom to Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Mexico and Colombia. Many countries, due to the Pandemic, have developed their own online sales platforms. Furthermore, there were 200 companies, of which at least half manage organic farms, for a total of 25 million bottles produced each year and 1.300 tasting wines from the top denominations in the Region: IGT Toscana, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Maremma Toscana, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Vinsanto and Morellino di Scansano.

The platform that generates digital buyer and Seller agendas is based on a matchmaking system that crisscrosses their respective profiles. More than 10.000 meeting preferences were collected during the preparatory phases. It is attention to detail to which, even in the past edition held remotely, participants gave 92.5% satisfaction rating. According to a survey carried out six months after the 2021 event, 70% of participants declared they have kept up contacts and negotiations, while 51% had already signed a business agreement or was about to do so. When the fair was over, International buyers participated in a "wine tour" of the territory. They could choose from five different itineraries, planned in collaboration with the Chambers of Commerce of Lucca, Massa Carrara, Pisa and Florence. Ninety participants chose to continue the journey to the Tuscan wine universe, and therefore got the chance to know the places, the stories, and the faces that are hidden behind the wines. The “Terroir Toscana” discovery tours started on February 13th.

“It was an extraordinary event that has been celebrating encounters for some time now between producers and buyers, who together taste, savor and export the voice of wine and Tuscany around the world”, Eugenio Giani, president of the Tuscan Region, said. “When we talk about 12% Tuscan wine exports”, Giani continued, “we are aware that our wine is the star on International markets. BuyWine highlights it, giving ample space to another Tuscan characteristic, and that is, quality, which is found in both the big historical companies as well as the medium and small ones. They are doing an incredible job, while also managing to give us new surprises. Wine is an element of enormous attraction, and as a matter of fact, a considerable slice of the tourism that comes to our Region is for food and wine, not only our historic artistic beauty but also the quality of our food and our wine. BuyWine Toscana celebrates this ambassador of our excellence throughout the world”.

“Following the courageous bet that the Region won) last year to adapt the event formula to the Pandemic”, Stefania Saccardi, vice president and councilor for Agribusiness of the Tuscan Region, said, “this year BuyWine was once again held in person, confirming the enormous interest of the buyers and testimonial to the weight and potential the wine sector represents for Tuscany. The results were extraordinary. Exports are one of the assets to our wine sector, which despite restrictions and problems related to Covid-19 is growing and improving. We did a great job and are continuing to do so, thanks to investments that enhance the promotional activities of our wine businesses. We are aware that wine is one of the leading chains of the entire agro-food sector and BuyWine is the showcase it deserves”.

“Wine is the leading ambassador of Tuscan Excellence in the world”, Giuseppe Salvini, Secretary General Chamber of Commerce of Florence, added, “in the first nine months of 2021 exports reached 840 million euros(+ 20% compared to 2020 and + 12% compared to 2019). This edition of BuyWine took place in hybrid mode. The final meetings between manufacturers and buyers, and the tastings were in person, while instead, the first phase of profiling and selection was online, which took a few months to allow the conclusive economic agreements to be prepared in the best way possible. There were over 100 buyers, a significant number, participating in person and 36 of them were from North America which represents the main outlet market for our wine (34% of the total), confirming Tuscany's enormous attraction and its excellent products”.

For the first time, the Tuscan wine event, “Settimana delle Anteprime” dedicated to presenting the new vintages of the main DOCGs and those of the Region, will take place in a different period than “BuyWine”. The reason is that due to the situation of uncertainty because of the Pandemic , the Consortiums and the Tuscan Region, have decided to postpone the event; therefore it will be held from March 19th -25th. “PrimAntePrima” will inaugurate “Tuscany Wine Week”, scheduled on March 19th . The opening day event will assess exports and wine production of the great Tuscan wines, and activities will be held at Cinema La Compagnia and Palazzo Vecchio, in Florence ( Events Only for accredited press). The inaugural gala dinner will be in the “Salone dei Cinquecento” hosting all of the Consortiums and the Region. Various events will be held until March 25th in Florence and the different territories, highlighting tastings and presentations of Chianti (“Chianti Lovers”, March 20th), Chianti Classico (“Chianti Classico Collection”, on March 21-22 ), “Preview of Vernaccia di San Gimignano” (March 22-23) and the “Preview of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano” (March ). The grand finale, on March 25th, in Florence, “L’Altra Toscana” (“Another Tuscany”), will star the 10 Consortiums (Carmignano, Chianti Rufina, Colline Lucchesi, Cortona, Maremma Toscana, Montecucco, Orcia, Terre di Casole, Terre di Pisa, Valdarno di Sopra) that protect 13 denominations.