For the wine world, this is one of the most difficult periods it has ever experienced. Vinitaly will help understand whether this is a structural crisis or whether there is room to overcome it, perhaps all together.
From April 6 to 9, there will be Vinitaly in Verona, as there is every year. It is the Italy’s most important wine fair and one of the largest in the world. More than 4,000 producers, mostly from Italy, will exhibit their wines, and there will be visitors from all over the world.
This year falls at a very difficult time for Italian wine. There is a sales crisis not witnessed in years for many reasons that form a deadly combination. On the foreign side weigh inflation that was determined in 2023 and is still carrying overhangs, the possible duties especially from the U.S. (we will know more on April 2 when they are expected to take effect) and the economic crisis which is affecting countries that are very important for the export of our wines, such as the United Kingdom and Germany. I just want to mention that these three countries, Usa, Germany and the UK, account for about half of our wine exports, accounting for a turnover of nearly four billion euros, a quarter of the total industry turnover.
From us especially the renewed road law, which does not substantially change the previous rules, has, however, had the effect of frightening many consumers because of the penalties and especially the significantly increased controls.
Result: a slump in wine consumption in restaurants.
Then, there are the stances of the WHO and the European Union. The former tending to argue that even moderate consumption is harmful to health, the latter threatening very strict rules on labeling, with possible phrases such as “seriously harms health” already on cigarette packs. Both of these things evidently discouraging for wine consumption.
Still, the phenomenon of “dealcoholic” wines is increasing in some countries, such as the U.S. and UK, and from January it will be possible to produce them in Italy as well. Some stands at Vinitaly will be dedicated precisely to them.
Finally, prices in some cases greatly increased, and a great difficulty in selling of many “fine wines” not only in Italy.
In short, we are witnessing the end of a “magical” period for wine, which, starting in 1986, the year of the methanol tragedy, had revived the image of Italian vitenology in the world and had led wine to be one of the main elements of “made in Italy” quality food.
At Vinitaly we will be able to see concretely whether there will be a “rebound” or whether the crisis will be evident in all its structural scope.
However, it is good to be there, right now, to discuss and try to imagine how it will be possible to remedy a situation that is becoming more worrisome every day, for producers and also for the supply chain, including the restaurant industry.
Much will also depend on the international relations, on the hoped-for end to many conflicts, and also on the communication that the wine world will be able to do to make its image, which is somewhat tarnished at present, more positive.
Then, at Vinitaly itself, there may be an opportunity for many operators to discover new wines from perhaps lesser known and famous areas, and which therefore have significantly lower prices. Especially Southern Italy, but not only, is certainly able to offer a lot of them.
We will be there.
As every year since 2011 we will have a booth that Vinitaly entrusts to us and it will be called as always Vinitaly Tasting – The DoctorWine Selection. There will be a beautiful selection of wines that can be tasted from the dispensers of Wineemotion and we will be organizing as many as 11 tasting seminars, led not only by yours truly but also by leading DoctorWine contributors. Admission will cost 15 euros, to be paid online at the Vinitaly website, and there will be 8 to 12 wines for tasting. The list can be found below. We look forward to seeing you at the Hall 10, C2.
Sunday, April 6, 2025
10:30/11:30 – South Tyrol and Trentino, mountain wines
13:00/14:00 – In the world of Supertuscans
15:30/16:30 – Barolo and its brothers
Monday, April 7, 2025
10:30/11:30 – Great whites straddling the Apennines
13:00/14:00 – Proud and sunny Sicily
15:30/16:30 – Mediterranean reds
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
10:30/11:30 – On the trail of the Black Rooster
13:00/14:00 – Italian Perlage
15:30/16:30 – Towards Classese: the future of the cradle of the Italian classic method
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
10:30/11:30 – Brunello & Co.
13:00/14:00 – From Friuli to Veneto
