Vinitaly 2025: mission is to relaunch the future of Italian wine, looking beyond the tariff threat

Coming after the 2024 export record for Italian wine (8.1 billion euros, +5.5%), but also in the midst of the storm caused by the dispute over U.S. duties, the world’s leading wine market and Italy's first foreign partner, Vinitaly 2025, staged at Veronafiere in Verona April 6-9. Where the goal, as always after all, will be to enhance the work of companies, the quality of Italian wine, and to look to the future beyond contingencies, focusing not only on conjunctural issues, such as that of duties, precisely, but also on structural ones, from the theme “wine and health,” with a focus on the new products that will arrive on labels, where the approach, it is hoped, will be more informing than frightening, and which will be discussed at Vinitaly in the presence of EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhely, to European wine policies, which will find a new framework after the “Wine Package” that Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen, also present in Verona, will present in the coming days (and whose draft WineNews previewed here). All this in the presence of 4,000 companies, and thousands and thousands of operators from Italy and 140 nations. In particular, it aims to confirm the contingent of 30,000 buyers of international demand, including the United States, for what is the largest “business agenda” of made in Italy wine. This is the picture of the only international exhibition dedicated to Italian wine taken, today in Rome, during the presentation at Palazzo Montemartini.
Among the objectives that characterize all the initiatives put in place this year by Veronafiere are consolidating those of promotion and internationalization, while aiming to further grow the content schedule, with Vinitaly evolving from an observer of trends to an incubator of them. “We are expecting a great Vinitaly”, said Veronafiere president Federico Bricolo, “the numbers tell us so, thanks to the great work of the Vinitaly team throughout the year. Also confirmed is the entire American delegation, which is an important signal. There is a lot of enthusiasm, and especially today it is a great sign of strength and unity of Italian wine. We will open up to wine tourism, with a dedicated space, of which we are first in Europe, but we can still grow a lot, making beauty, art and the uniqueness of Italy come alive. There will be two European Commissioners for the first time, Agriculture (Christophe Hansen) and Health (Olivér Várhely), an important presence for confrontation with businesses and all their representations, for which we have to thank very much the Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida. A few days ago we were in Brussels for a Vinitaly promotional event, we saw so many MEPs from all sides, demonstrating how wine has no political color, but is supported by the united Italian System, especially at this time”.
For a sector, that of wine, which, however, net of the concern about duties, is living a good moment, recalled the Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida (whom WineNews interviewed). “We are going through a positive phase in any case, the data”, the minister stressed, “tell us of record exports in 2024, a good starting point to be able to grow further, Italy is an excellence and has no reason to stop, it is in demand, it is a symbol of quality food when consumers are informed, and this will be our focus. At Vinitaly we promote quality, the world of wine businesses, but there is much more. We cannot not talk about the subject of tariffs, of course. But, not as of today, there is a complex tariff system, businesses know that. Clearly, we fear any aggravation that complicates things, but we are not as terrified as it appears today, in building a dynamic that we hope, in its outcomes, will be less dramatic than they say. Italy is a protagonist in Europe, which is delegated to negotiate: we help with privileged relations we have with the U.S., we make it clear that we care more about some sectors, but it is normal, in the 27 countries there are those who care more about one sector and more about another. Wine is more important to us than to Northern European countries, it is normal, just as it is normal to say that our privileged relationship with the U.S. can help in this diatribe. We will talk about wine, at Vinitaly, with an attitude that needs to be found in the EU, because the main problem is not duties, but the demonization of wine, which risks doing structural damage that goes far beyond the potential damage of duties. The EU Health Commissioner, Várhely, along with the Italian Ministry of Health, will talk about it, along with the Italian Ministry of Health, they will tell their vision, to “notch up” a market distortion wanted by some lobby that harms us and that we must fight. We will also have Agriculture Commissioner Hansen, who has recognized Italy's central role in changing the vision of EU agriculture, who will also tell us his perspective on wine. Remember that a few years ago there were those who wanted to cut promotion to red wine and red meat, Italy abstained from the vote, we said no. We have to make it clear that our system provides welfare for all. I say, however, that pessimists die every day, optimists only once, and distrust we have to overcome, because it penalizes consumption beyond real difficulties. Let's not just think about the negative, we come from records that we have to celebrate. If duties come, to mourn, we will have time, if they do not come we will have consolation with a glass of wine, but let us wait, for now let us not give in to despair. Wine is part of a strong system, with our cuisine, Italian Cuisine for which we are continuing to work for UNESCO recognition, putting the beauty and goodness of Made in Italy in the spotlight at many moments. As we will also do at Vinitaly”.
Which is one “among the most important fairs in the world for wine, the most important for Italian wine, with which we are doing great work internationally. With Veronafiere”, Ice president Matteo Zoppas recalled, “we created among other things Vinitaly USA, we understood that there was this need by also putting in contact buyers who come to Italy, with companies, also thanks to the support of the government. Ice is an important system, those who used us in the many initiatives in the world grew 5% more than others”.
And another important network that helps Italian wine in the world, recalled Veronafiere president Federico Bricolo, is that of the restaurant industry, “with 600,000 restaurants in the world that with their wine lists make exports grow. This is why we decided to give more space to fine dining at the fair, also hosting the No. 1 of the great Italian chefs, Massimo Bottura, to whom we will present a special award for 30 years of Osteria Francescana”. A Bottura who will be present at the fair, together with the Emilia Romagna Region, to give body to the enhancement of the food-wine combination. “A proposal that I immediately accepted as soon as the Emilia Romagna Region proposed this idea to me,” said Bottura, in connection from Casa Maria Luigia, “it is right to be there and to communicate that wine, the dining room experience is worth 50% of the restaurant experience, there is not only the cuisine. We will not only be there with Osteria Francescana, but with the whole Francescana Group, every day with a different menu, with the exception of the Tortellino del Tortellante with Parmigiano Reggiano cream, a project that brought together the most marginalized categories, grandmothers and people with genetic syndrome, which will always be there. By enhancing the typical products of Emilia Romagna, Parmigiano Reggiano, Zampone, Balsamic Vinegar, and by pairing our dishes with the wines of Emilia Romagna, of the whole region, from Piacenza to the sea. Italy has a unique potential, we just need to systemize and be united in communication, Italy probably needs to produce less wine and produce better, and continue in that growth that has made all wine grow, even the less famous wine of Tuscany and Piedmont”.
But there will be many themes and innovations at Vinitaly, as explained by Veronafiere managing director Adolfo Rebughini (also interviewed by WineNews): “there are 1,200 top buyers accredited and hosted in Verona. A profiled selection from 71 countries, six more than last year, which hit the target of replicating the 2024 record. A result not taken for granted given the continuing geopolitical tensions”. Among the most numerous delegations of selected super operators from the non-EU area, in pole position are those from the U.S. and Canada, followed by China, the U.K. and Brazil, as well as India, Singapore, Japan and South Korea. While, for the European Continent, Germany, Switzerland, Northern Europe and the Balkan area excel. From markets to trends, Vinitaly represents an incubator of trends that it has always intercepted, monitored and analyzed in order to enhance services and content for exhibiting companies and the industry. “They go in this direction”, continued Rebughini, “the project dedicated to NoLo wines that enter for the first time in the program of the event both at the exhibition level in the Mixology area and in terms of content. There are in fact two focuses on the calendar: the first on market expectations and the second on 0.0 technologies. Space will also be given to Raw Wine and Amphora Revolution wines, which will be part of the program. Also among the novelties is a specific one on wine tourism. In fact, Vinitaly Tourism number zero debuts, with the participation of domestic and foreign specialized tour operators from the United States, Spain and Germany. A project that, in perspective, could also enter the schedules of the event's foreign stages in Asia, and South and North America, without forgetting OperaWine, on April 5, an exclusive event together with “Wine Spectator” with 131 selected wineries, and a focus on the U.S. market more important than ever.” But also the now established formula of business at the fair and wine lovers in the city with “Vinitaly and the City”.
And in particular, of the focus on wine tourism, professor and expert, Roberta Garibaldi spoke: “In Verona we will present new research on wine tourism conducted with Data Appeal. The analysis of digital footprints indicates a general appreciation of the main wine-related destinations and tourism offerings that welcomed about 18.5 million arrivals and 62.3 million presences. Sentiment was found to be 87.8/100 for the year 2024, 0.6% higher than that of the entire Italian tourism offer. Piedmont and Tuscany excel in this ranking. Langhe-Barolo, Chianti and Montalcino are the Italian wine destinations with the highest approval ratings: with 91.1/100, 90.4/100 and 90.3/100, respectively, values increasing on 2023”. Excellence of a varied world, that of Italian wine, which is richness, typicality, excellence and territory, which will be the protagonist, as always, at Vinitaly.