The Verona fair may help us understand whether the crisis facing the wine world, both Italian and international, is a conjunctural crisis or whether it is a structural issue.
As you know by now from April 14 to 17 there will be Vinitaly in Verona, the most important wine fair in Italy and among the largest in the world. An event that falls in a very delicate moment for wine in general and for the Italian sector in particular.
The reasons are those related to the international political and economic conjunctures, of course, of which wine is one of the markers more precise. Wars, post-pandemic, inflation, although declining. Then a general disaffection with wine, especially on the part of the younger generations, who drink far less than their peers of 20 years ago. For them, wine is just one of many options. Mixed drinks, soft drinks, beer, lately even spirits, which are on the upswing, are the order of the day. There are a variety of reasons for this, ranging from a disaffection with the lifestyles of fathers to health and eco-sustainability issues.
What’s more, in various producing countries, France as well as Italy and the United States, the anti-alcohol lobby, much of it supported by specific scientific research, is challenging some fundamental points that have in the past made wine a very important product for the Mediterranean material culture, and therefore for “made in Italy” agribusiness.
What will or, rather, what can Vinitaly tell us about issues like these?
Meanwhile, if we are facing an cyclical crisis or whether it is a structural issue. This will be told by the attendance of international importers and buyers, who have been buying less recently than in the past, especially in key markets for Italy, such as the US, Germany and the UK.
Then they will flourish conferences various ones that will address the issues I have just outlined to you, and we will see what the major
players
of Italian wine and our country’s agricultural policy makers. For three days there will be a lot of talk about wine even on generalist platforms, which is quite rare and especially a rather controversial field lately.
We will have an idea about the pulse of the situation, and whether the sick person is recovering or not, in short. Especially if wine continues to play that role of symbol of territories and traditions that good or bad had in the post-methanol scandal period. For the first time since then it will not be taken for granted.
