Italian wine focuses on the markets of Estonia and Poland, and not just for economic reasons

In these times of uncertainty, all markets are important. Especially those in Eastern Europe, considering that countries such as Russia and Ukraine are blocked, even for the wine trade, due to the tragic events of the war. Therefore, since these markets were already growing before the war, it has become even more essential to cultivate markets in countries such as Estonia and Poland, targets of the "Simply Italian Great Wines Eastern Europe Tour 2022”. The tour is organized by IEM, International Exhibition Management, one of the longest-running agencies that promotes Italian wine, led by Marina Nedic and Giancarlo Voglino. The tour will make a stop in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, on June 21st, and then on June 23rd it will stop in Poland’s most important cit, Warsaw (with wine companies such as the Sicilian Principi di Spadafora or the Friuli Cantina Produttori Cormòns, as well as two of the most important Tuscan consortiums, namely Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, just to name a few). The value of these two markets goes far beyond just numbers.
In Poland, 25% of imported wine is Italian, according to ISTAT data analyzed by WineNews. In 2021, they imported Italian wines for 88 million euros, and between January and March of 2022, a total of 22.1 million euros. on the other hand, Estonia, (which is worth 20% of the market, behind France), closed 2021 in Italian wine imports for a total of 16.1 million euros, and opened 2022 at 4.3 million euros in the first quarter.
There are also other characteristics also make these two markets attractive. Poland’s wine market, for instance, is growing + 5% per year, at a positive trend, and turnover has grown from 249 million euros in 2016 to 324 million euros in 2020. Per capita consumption is growing, mainly due to the spread of wine culture among consumers, especially young professionals, as well as paying more attention to health and the conscientious consumption of alcohol (proof, for example, is the decrease in vodka consumption). Estonia, instead, besides having significant growth potential (the wine consumption level per capita per year is around 15 liters, ed.), is historically also a country that exports and re-exports wine to its neighboring countries, such as Latvia, Finland, Lithuania and Russia, thanks to low excise duties and a very efficient logistic channel. Further, it is also a very attractive tourist destination for Finnish consumers in the Helsinki area, as it was for the Russians, before the onset of the Pandemic and then the war, especially in nearby St. Petersburg, pushed to go "wine shopping" in the cheaper Tallinn. Moreover, in this recent period, IEM explained, one of the most important Italian wine promotion agencies, led by Marina Nedic and Giancarlo Voglino, has registered very good growth rate for the number of new Italian restaurants that have opened, especially in the Tallinn metropolitan area. In addition, the number of new independent importers has also increased, focusing specifically on wine and food products from the so-called Old World, Italy in first place. And the trends are clear, such as growth of organic products and everything that is “natural” and sustainable. The two main appointments of the "Simply Italian Great Wines Eastern Europe Tour 2022”, organized by IEM have been set up so Italian producers can meet directly with local professionals (importers, sommeliers, HORECA channel), to enhance and communicate the value of Italian wine, including seminars, guided tastings and workshops.