Market analysis, business, worldwide tastings: here is “Wine2Wine” 100% digital

The impact of the pandemic on the Italian wine markets, in the world and in Italy, in catering and large-scale distribution, the relationship of young people with the nectar of Bacchus, the online reputation (to be built and defended), the opportunities that despite everything open up in countries such as the USA, Canada, China, Russia, but also in South Africa, for example: these are the trump cards of Wine2Wine 2020 by Veronafiere and Vinitaly, regularly on the calendar from November 21 to 24, but in a 100% digital edition after the restrictions on events imposed by the Government to oppose Covid. And so, the entire Wine2Wine Exhibition becomes “digital” (WineNews is a media partner) and with the more than 50 Wine2Wine Business Forum seminars, together with Operawine, is fully transferred to the already active dedicated platform “VeronaFiere Plus” (here is the link to register for the platform, while “tickets” to follow the events can be purchased here).
A necessary change (after the Dpcm issued by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, on Sunday, October 24), which sanctioned the cessation of all trade fair activities in attendance until November 24. The three events in one, created to bring together business, content, meetings, training and ideas, are therefore transferred online, without, however, failing to support the relaunch of the wine market and the Italian system.
“We have developed the maximum possible interaction - explains Giovanni Mantovani, CEO of VeronaFiere - for an event that had to be transferred online. Added to this is a schedule of content and business attendance of the highest quality. A service event designed to support the sector, for this we would like to thank the many partners who are betting compactly with us for the restart of Italian wine. Wine2Wine will also be able to bridge the gap between operators from all over the world, thanks to business-to-business meetings, webinars, workshops and the expansion of the wine tasting program schedule, with remote tastings from Europe, China, United States, Japan and Brazil”.
Confirmed the program of events, including previews on Saturday, November 21. To open the proceedings, at 10.30 am, the International summit on “The future of wine: different visions, unique perspective. Current scenarios and possible challenges for the next decade”. Sponsored by Unicredit, the event will see the participation of international and national players in the sector, institutional representatives, from Director Ismea Raffaele Borriello to President Ice Carlo Ferro, and the Minister of Agriculture Teresa Bellanova. The meeting will present a research, carried out by Nomisma Wine Monitor for Osservatorio Vinitaly, which will provide market data in the most complex year ever and will illustrate a survey conducted on Italian companies to trace the profile of the wine business in the post-Covid era. Among the interventions, those of managers and producers such as Ettore Nicoletto (Bertani Domains), Riccardo Pasqua (Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine), Lamberto Frescobaldi (Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi), Marco Nannetti (Cevico), Josè Rallo (Donnafugata) and Dominga Cotarella (Cotarella Family), but also those of importers and market operators such as the USA, UK, China, Japan, Germany and Russia, oenologists such as Donato Lanati, as well as the founder of Vivino Heini Zachariessen. In the afternoon, instead, at 3.30 p.m., “OperaWine” will be the protagonist, with the presentation by “Wine Spectator” (with Alison Napjus, Bruce Sanderson and Thomas Matthews) of the 100 top 2021 producers selected by the most important American wine magazine (which, together with the 2020 selection, from what WineNews learns, should be all together for tasting in Verona, in the traditional preview of Vinitaly 2021, editor’s note).
Sunday, November 22, instead, from 10 a.m., there will be the Congress of Assoenologi, where, under the direction of President Riccardo Cotarella and the guidance of the journalist (but also a producer in Puglia) Bruno Vespa, they will talk about wine and health, with doctors such as nutritionist Giorgio Calabrese, cardiologist Vincenzo Montemurro, the head of San Raffaele Alberto Zangrillo, but there will also be an in-depth examination of the “Prosecco phenomenon” with, among others, the producer Franco Adami (one of the best brands in Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, ed), researchers Diego Tomasi and Vasco Boatto, the presidents of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia Luza Zaia and Massimiliano Fedriga, the president of the Wine Committee Michele Zanardo.
On Monday, November 23rd, at 11 a.m., focus on the channel that has been fundamental to the collapse of consumption in the catering industry, or “The wine market in large-scale distribution and the restart after the emergency of the pandemic”, where with the moderation of Luigi Rubinelli, director of RetailWatch, will speak Virgilio Romano, Business Insight Director Iri, Mirko Baggio (Villa Sandi and Federvini), Enrico Gobino (Mondodelvino Group and Unione Italiana Vini), Gianmaria Polti (Carrefour), Alessandra Corsi (Conad), Francesco Scarcelli (Coop Italia) and Fabio Sordi (Selex Group). Also on November 23rd, at 12.30 p.m., the focus widens to “Wine in the changing global scenario: the challenges of the supply chain”, with the dg Veronafiere Giovanni Mantovani, and the top Ice and representatives of the wine supply chain (Federdoc, Unione Italiana Vini, Federvini, Alliance for Cooperatives, Fivi-Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti).
Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th, great space to internationality with 12 wine tastings reserved for foreign buyers in connection. On Monday 23, in particular, focus on the USA (with a tasting, signed by WineBow, with Baron Pizzini, Suavia, Pico Maccario, Tasca d’Almerita and Grattamacco, and one by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Chicago and Italia del Vino Consorzio, with wineries such as Drei Donà, Terredora, Gruppo Italiano Vini, Marchesi di Barolo, Di Majo Norante, Medici Ermete, Casa Vinicola Sartori, Librandi, Gruppo Santa Margherita) and the United Kingdom (together with Bellavita and the Prosecco Doc and Asolo Consortia, with producers such as La Marca, Le Rughe, Masottina, Piera 1899, Ponte 1948, Cantina Sociale Montelliana, Conte Loredan Gasparini, Montelvini, Val d’Oca and Villa Sandi). On Tuesday 24th, instead, there will be a great tasting signed by Veronafire, the Italian Embassy in Japan and Ice, in collaboration with the “Settimana della Cucina Italiana” of the Farnesina, with Ambassador Giorgio Starace, dg Veronafiere Giovanni Mantovani, top names of Italian wine like Antinori (with Renzo Cotarella), Ferrari (with Marcello Lunelli) and Donnafugata (with Antonio Rallo) and the guide of the expert Isao Miyajima. Also, from Amsterdam, focus on South Tyrol, in collaboration with Bellavita, the Consorzio Vini dell’Alto Adige and wineries such as Cantina Bolzano, Castelfeder, Girlan, Glassierhof, Franz Haas, Weinhof Kobler, Messnerhof, Pfitscher and Cantina Tramin, while in the afternoon there is a return to the USA, from Washington, with Winebow and producers such as Zardetto, Tramin, Castellare di Castellina, Tenuta San Giorgio, Castello Di Bossi and Damilano, and from New York, with the communication agency Colangelo and the Consorzio Vini d’Abruzzo, and wineries such as Codice Citra, Codice Vino, Feudo Antico, Torre Zambra, Tenuta Secolo IX, Tenuta Terraviva, Talamonti and Fontefico. From Wine to Asia, in Shenzen, China, instead, will be live the “Franciacorta Tasting”, with the Consortium of Franciacorta Wines and the Consulate General of Italy in Chongqing, and also, in collaboration with “Wines South America”, will be on stage a tasting to discover the wines of Brazil.
Among the many focuses, workshops and webinars. On Monday 23rd, at 11.45 a.m., the one on young wine consumers in the world with Wine Intelligence, or at 11.30 a.m., the curiosity case history on the wine business in the Caribbean of the Santa Margherita group with Beniamino Garofalo and the entrepreneur Giacomo Marzotto, while at 12 noon, 30 we talk about international grape varieties in Italy with Professor Attilio Scienza of the University of Milan and the producer Alessio Planeta, but also about the big date US market, at 15.45, with Vinepair, concluding with the “teachings” of the pandemic with Stephanie Gallo and Kristina Kelley, at the top of the US Colossus E. & J. Gallo Winery, at 18.00. Tuesday 24, instead, we talk about Covid and Fine Wine in China, with the Master of Wine Jeannie Cho Lee and Sara Heller, at 9.15 am, but also the social side of awards and wine competitions with journalists Robert Joseph and Polly Hammond, at 11 am, and again focus on Pinot Grigio in the U.S., with Wine Intelligence at 5.15 pm, the same time when the theme of “Me Too” and gender differences are shaking the wine scene in the USA, with Laura Donadoni and Tatiana Livsey, but also of the Canadian market with Michaela Morris, at 6 p.m., while at the same time it will be reflected on “How Italian immigrants have spread the Dolce Vita in the world”, with Laura Catena, great-granddaughter of Nicola Catena, from the Marche region who emigrated to Argentina in 1898, and the testimonies of many women working in the wine sector in the world. Just some of the more than 50 sessions in the program schedule.
Without forgetting, of course, the business side: the virtual exhibition area of “Wine2Wine Exhibition Digital”, provides wineries the opportunity to promote their brands and products, all indexed with tags for a quick search by registered visitors, through filters and automatic suggestions. For a great digital and worldwide event of Italian wine.