Piwi vineyards, Veneto is region No. 1 in Italy in front of South Tyrol and Trentino

At this point, it passed from “wine curiosity” to market reality which is increasingly consolidating as much as among consumers and producers, and with interesting perspectives for the future. These are Piwi wines arising from those “resistant vineyards”, always protagonist of events, deepenings, but also studies. As project Imvibior, a research conducted by “Dimensione Agricoltura” with the Department Territory and Agriforest Systems (Tesaf) at the University of Padua, Agridynamics, and wine company Ca’ da Roman, in collaboration with Association Piwi Veneto.
The “focus” was on the widespread of wines from Piwi resistant wines in Veneto, leader region in Italy in wine production, but also in export. A record also embracing the production of Piwi wines: Veneto leads the classification with 630 hectares cultivated at resistant vineyards, 94 producers, and 173 labels on trade corresponding to 38% of national total. South Tyrol (53 producers, and 119 wines on trade), Trentino (37 producers, and 61 wines), and Friiuli-Venezia Giulia (21 producers, and 41 wines) follow.
The research, carried out on 25 agricultural companies, confirmed, as Agridynamica reports, “the satisfaction of Piwi wine producers for the undertaken path. 96% declared that they would cultivate resistant vineyards again, while 76% intend to increase the number. Environmental and economic advantages are, therefore, significant: resistant vineyards require, on average, 4 yearly treatments against 15/20 necessary for traditional varieties. Despite that, 48% of producers declared to have difficulties in the trade of end product. Therefore, Piwi producers focus more on direct sales (96%), and in HoReCa channel (91%), and entrust, in a limited measure, to mediators, or to Gdo with very low percentages”. New strategies for the “takeoff” of Piwi wines will be needed at a commercial level, and an ad hoc communication could have positive effects.
Not casually, “92% of interviewed producers thinks that communicating the benefits of the product in an effective way is essential for its commercial success. Market trends show an increasingly higher sensitiveness to the themes linked to environmental and social sustainability. However, research highlighted that only 20% of interviewed consumers know Piwi wines. Analyzing purchase reasons, it turns out that 35% of consumers are mainly entrusted to the advice of trustworthy seller, followed by the appreciation after having tasted them (35%), and by the lower environmental impact (34%)”. Daniel Vecchiato, professor of Tesaf Department at the University of Padua, explains that “collected data confirms that wines produced by Piwi resistant wineries are still a niche product, and that, in order to foster the purchase, it is possible to make them easily recognizable throughout logo “Piwi International”, and ensure that their characteristics in terms of sustainability are conveyed to the consumer with a known “signal” such as the organic certification. Also, the Typical Geographical Indication, and the wording “wine produced by resistant vineyards” can contribute to foster the purchase”. Interviewed companies highlighted the necessity of a common strategy: 40% ask for jointed actions among producers, 16% for a major promotion of online sale, and 12% law amendments to include Piwi wines in Dops.