Republished from April 2025
Vinitaly 57th edition closeds April 9 2025 at Veronafiere with total attendance of 97,000 and a percentage of international professionals rising to 33% of total: more than 32,000 arrivals from over 130 countries, posting an overall increase of 7% compared to last year’s event. In particular, even more buyers arrived from the top three target markets for Italian wine: United States (+5%), Germany (+5%) and the United Kingdom, leaping forward by 30%, while China posted a downturn (-20%).
There was also very positive feedback in Europe, from France (+30%), Belgium (+20%) and Holland (+20%). Switzerland (10%) and Japan (+10%) also performed well. Attendance from Canada and Brazil was stable. This result is all the more significant given the context complicated by increased tariffs in the US and geo-political tensions.
Vinitaly and the City, the off-show event specifically for wine lovers staged in the historic centre of Verona, itself saw more than 50,000 tasting tickets sold, the same figure as for 2024 despite being one day shorter.
For the first time ever, two European Commissioners also made official visits to Vinitaly: Christophe Hansen (Agriculture and Rural Development) and Olivér Várhelyi (Health). Vinitaly also welcomed several Italian authorities: the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Enterprise and “Made in Italy”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Moreover, ICE Trade Agency contributed to the development of the incoming plan for international professional operators.
“Vinitaly 2025 closes as a successful edition where the world of Italian wine again expressed a sense of unity and ability to react, even in the face of initial difficulties associated with the introduction of US duties,” said Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere. “Verona has confirmed its status as the European capital of wine, thanks not the least to visits by two EU Commissioners, who announced new and effective initiatives to support the supply chain during Vinitaly, together alongside ministers and broad institutional attendance in Verona during the event. A very positive signal at a time when clarity, cohesion and strategic vision are vital. Vinitaly also consolidated its bonds with the United States: After its debut in 2024, the event returns to Chicago 5-6 October 2025 for the second edition of Vinitaly USA. Italian wine has clear ideas as regards this market: continue building a solid and long-lasting relationship with American consumers, who have always been in the forefront of the success of our exports.”
“Vinitaly comes through as a solid brand capable of providing the world of wine with a system-level response to the international scenario,” as the General Manager of Veronafiere, Adolfo Rebughini, explained. New features at this year’s Vinitaly included the debut of Vinitaly Tourism, the format specifically focused on wine tourism, and the inclusion in programme of emerging trends, such as No/Lows, RAW Wine and amphora wines. These initiatives further enhance the trade fair experience, thereby confirming Vinitaly as an event that not only listens to and snapshots sector but also one that anticipates its trajectories. Vinitaly, today more than ever, is a strategic asset in times of such far-reaching changes. Top quality professional operators and exhibitors satisfied by busy meeting agendas highlight the central role of the event in listening to markets and promoting Italian wine on a global scale.”
The next Vinitaly is scheduled 12-15 2026 April 2026.
Prowein 2025 vs. Wine Paris, rising competition?
Republished from April 2025
Many wine professionals expected a business contraction hitting the famous German wine trade-show after its 2024 edition, in favour of the growing rival Wine Paris. The latter’s, visitors figures rising sharply (47,000 for Prowein compared to 41,250 for Wine Paris in 2024).
An operation comparison can be done and seems apparently unfavourable to Prowein Düsseldorf, for instance offering uncomfortable entry access and rising accomodation prices. Nevertheless, Prowein 2025 went relatively well for many producers.
Alessio Fortunato of Conti Zecca, Italy, said that “Prowein is always an exhibition worth participating, although in recent years attendance is shrinking.”
Many wine professionals noted that Prowein’s business matching program seems smart, but unefficient and in need of development. Vinitaly’ business app woks much better, on a comparison.
Overall Prowein 2025 was a trade-show worth attending, especially considering the weight of Germany in the European wine market, but revealing big room for improvement in many aspects and in need to do so, else suffer from other competing events, such as Vinitaly and Wine Paris.
Vinitaly 2025 How did it go
Republished from April 2025
Vinitaly 2025 kicked-off its 57th edition in Verona setting forth the view that Italian wine is ready to face global challenges in its industry and market. This year’s trade-show had 97,000 attendees from over 130 countries and 4,000 exhibiting companies, reassessing itself as a driving force in the wine world. Despite a 20% drop in visitors from China, the overall international presence remained robust. Over 30,000 foreign buyers attended, including 3,000 from the United States, confirming the U.S. as the main market for Italian wine, moreover so considering possible new tariffs.
Vinitaly is organised by Veronafiere (Verona’s trade-show company). Its president, Federico Bricolo, emphasized Vinitaly’s commitment to supporting institutions and businesses abroad. Upcoming initiatives include a promotional event at the Italian Embassy in Washington, targeting U.S. lawmakers (vs. tariffs) and reinforcing ties ahead of the second “Vinitaly USA” meeting in Chicago next October.
However, talks had also difficult subjects such as tariffs, regulatory bottlenecks, and the future of NoLo drinks. Vinitaly 2025 was both a platform of excellence and an arena for worries, strategies, and opportunities regarding the future of Italian (and global) wine.
One of the most debated issues this year was the impact of newly imposed U.S. tariffs on Italian wine. According to Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of the Unione Italiana Vini (UIV), American distributors are refusing to absorb the extra cost, leaving Italian producers under pressure to maintain shelf prices or risk market loss.
The estimated is of around €323 million/year, affecting nearly 480 million bottles. Frescobaldi urged Italian companies to hold on and called for overall sacrifice across the supply chain, including retailers and logistics partners. He also appealed to the Italian government to set forth diplomatic initiatives at the EU level to prevent a repeat of the French scenario in 2020, where similar tariffs led to a 28% drop in wine exports to the U.S.
Faced with this pressure, the urgency for market diversification is growing. While the U.S. remains a pillar of Italian wine exports(accounting for 24% of Italian wine exports), relying too heavily on this export market is a dangerous weakness. Encouragingly, Vinitaly 2025 showed that buyer attendance from the UK surged by 30%, while Belgium and the Netherlands saw increases of 20% each, and Japan and Switzerland rose by 10%. These signals confirm growing demand from countries with mature and premium-oriented consumer bases, offering Italian producers new growth paths beyond the Atlantic.
Now a paragraph on the so-called “No-Lo” (No and Low alcohol) drinks. First of all, to any wine-lover, gourmet and wine expert they cannot be considered as “wine”.
WINE, by definition, history, production method and terroir HAS ALCOHOL!
A certain range of % alcohol.
No-Lo products, therefore, cannot be classified as wine, whatever the marketing and sales propaganda may say or invent. No-Lo may be good dinks and successfully appreciated products, but cannot be considered as wine (and I would suggest nor labelled as such).
That clear, the No-Lo new segment drew major attention at this year’s Vinitaly for its growth potential. Globally, the market is projected to reach $3.3 billion by 2028, led by the U.S. which holds a 63% market share. In Italy No-Lo drinks represent just 0.1% of sales (fortunately). Producers of NoLo expressed frustration over tax ambiguities and space separation rules that make domestic production practically impossible until at least 2026. As a result, leading Italian brands are outsourcing dealcoholization (an industrial process manipulating wine and altering its alcoholic nature, turning it into another drink) abroad, hurting competitiveness and innovation.
Unfortunately, there are several wine producers in Italy and abroad that, thinking to sell more liquid or trying to straighten their languishing economic performances, embrace the NoLo new dogma and turn advocates of these drinks produced from wine alteration. Calls for a clear legal framework intensified during the exhibition, as industry leaders pushed to unlock investment and protect early adopters from reputational risks.
The risk of this industry approach, to me, is to commit business suicide, as NoLo drinks do not necessarily have to possess wine’s unique characteristics and qualities, such as terroir, heritage, history, alcohol. In other words NoLos can be produced more easily than wine, by anyone, anywhere and their input could easily become poor quality wine, reprocessed industrially as a decent NoLo drink, but de facto substituting wine itself. Current wine producers themselves could be easily substituted by big food companies or conglomerates, producing NoLo similarly to soft-drinks. Perhaps in aluminum cans… What would be the cost to the wine industry of such a trend, if successful? I believe it is easily imaginable. Odd is, that wine producers themselves are pushing for this scenario, instead of defending their product, their companies and the future of their families. NoLos will certainly not require so many producers, globally, as currently is for wine as an industry; a few big global players will suffice. And Big drink industry companies know that. Consumer interest seems surging. According to UIV’s Observatory, Italian consumers are increasingly drawn to No-Lo drinks for health, safety, and curiosity, especially among younger buyers. With new regulation, this niche could become a (deadly and suicidal) diversification channel for Italian wineries.
One of the most encouraging signals at Vinitaly 2025 came from the wine tourism sector. The new “Vinitaly Tourism” format and a landmark report by the Movimento Turismo del Vino and CESEO highlighted how wineries are adapting to experiential trends and regional identities.
Italian wine tourism is no longer limited to tastings. Across the country, especially in central and southern regions, wineries are offering yoga in vineyards, vineyard cycling tours, wine festivals with live music, and even art workshops among the vines. Tuscany and Umbria lead regions with premium experiences. Wine tourism is evolving fast and has become an essential driver for brand loyalty and market differentiation. As Violante Gardini Cinelli Colombini, president of MTV, stated: “Differentiation is the key to meeting the needs of the contemporary wine tourist. It’s no longer about just showing the cellar, it’s about creating memories.”
For the first time, two European Commissioners visited the fair, signaling its growing policy relevance. With new trade negotiations and regulatory reforms upcoming, Vinitaly is an industry exhibition where the future of Italian wine is being shaped.
NoLo alcohol wines première at Vinitaly 2025
No-Low alcohol (NoLo) wines officially join the offering at 57th International Wine and Spirits Exhibition scheduled at Veronafiere 6-9 April, 2025.
The announcement was made in Jeddah Saudi Arabia, during a masterclass named: “Italian Grapes Reimagined: An Alcohol-Free Tasting Experience” organised by Vinitaly during the promotional stop-off by the Italian Navy’s training sailing ship Amerigo Vespucci. A prologue event within the scope of the development plan for the Show designed to complete the assets of the only trade fair brand promoting Made in Italy wine.
The President of Veronafiere, Federico Bricolo, commented: “Vinitaly is a crossroads for trends that it has always intercepted, monitored and analysed in order to improve services and content for our exhibitors and the sector as a whole. In this context, NoLo wines will join the exhibition programme for the first time this year to strengthen the role of Vinitaly by welcoming opens new markets and responding to the challenges of evolution in demand.”
“The pilot project ranging from the product to training and dedicated technology,” continued the General Manager of Veronafiere, Adolfo Rebughini, “will be consolidated in the course of coming editions to become a structural part of the event. The aim is to represent a complementary market for denomination wines currently enjoying strong growth on a global scale as well as to improve competitiveness of Vinitaly in times of far-reaching transformation in this sector.”
At present, the alcohol-free programme at Vinitaly 2025 includes two focus areas: “Zero alcohol and market expectations” (8 April) and “Technology 0.0: production and innovation compared” (9 April) developed in collaboration with the Italian Wine Union (UIV) and the support of the UIV-Vinitaly Observatory to interpret the evolution of this market segment. In exhibition terms, Vinitaly 2025 will present a Wine Showcase specifically for alcohol-free wines, with an exclusive serving counter, while NoLo wines will also star in the cocktails in the Mixology Pavilion.
Franciacorta, The Markets Confirm The Brand’s Strategies And Values
The year 2024 closed with satisfying results for Franciacorta, despite an especially complex global economic context. Product quality and the efforts of the producers kept both volumes and values essentially stable, confirming the brand’s solidity.
The data shows that the domestic market generally held up and exports continued to grow in value and average prices, with the United States confirmed as a strategic market whose sales value and volumes are continuing to expand. European markets and some emerging markets also showed positive trends thanks to growing attention to product quality and authenticity. If exports are analyzed by individual nation, Switzerland came out on top, accounting for 22.1% of total exports. The United States came next, accounting for 12.6% of exports in 2024, which is a rise, followed by Japan, Germany and Belgium.
“Franciacorta overcame global challenges with a strong 2024, which closed with stable and encouraging results,”, said the President of the Franciacorta Consortium. “We worked to reinforce our presence on international markets, focusing on quality at all times, an element which enabled us to grow in value and consolidate our position. As a small wine region we are growing constantly, focusing on the right places and opportunities, continuing to concentrate on the quality and authenticity which marks us out.”
2024 closed with estimated sales volumes as a percentage of the total production of estates signed up to the Economic Observatory of 84%, equivalent to 19,128,814 bottles, with average prices increasing. The average price of a bottle of Franciacorta off the shelf, including VAT, was €24.52 in December 2024, a sign of customer appreciation of the product’s quality and identity.
Looking to the future, the Franciacorta Consortium is getting ready for 2025 with a program of events and initiatives designed to further reinforce the brand’s global position. 2025 will see new promotional events and strategic partnerships designed to engage more and more consumers and professionals across the wine world. The year will began with the collection of the prestigious Wine Enthusiast International (Non-U.S.) Wine Region of the Year 2024 Wine Star Awards on 27 January 2025 at Westin St. Francis in San Francisco at a Black Tie Gala.
In March the Franciacorta Consortium will celebrate its 35th birthday with two days of events which will talk about how Franciacorta has evolved in recent years and celebrate the past and future of the wine and its region together with producers, experts and sector professionals from all over the world.
The most eagerly awaited appointments include the Festival di Primavera spring event on 8-9 March, now on its second year, which will celebrate the whole Franciacorta system’s synergy between tradition, gastronomy, sustainability and culture as well as the region’s chefs and wine estates. Franciacorta will also take part in international trade fairs and events including the traditional Vinitaly appointment on 6-9 April with a view to consolidating Franciacorta’s presence on both domestic and international markets and attracting new clients.
2025 will also feature a series of consolidated events, including the travelling Festival Itineranti which will stop off in Ravenna on 9 June and Bari on 20 October to offer visitors the chance to taste the products of the Consortium’s members. September features the Festival in Cantina winery festival from 19 to 21 September. Internationally-speaking the festival will visit Chicago on 7 May, Lugano on 19 May, Hamburg on 16 June and Tokyo in the first week of November.
2025 will also see the Consortium’s partnerships with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, Guida Michelin Italia and USA, the Emmy Awards, 1000 Miglia and Porsche being consolidated. It will also be a year of promotion on digital channels with social media and online platform initiatives reaching an increasingly large and enthusiastic audience.
2025 will thus be a year of great satisfaction and opportunity for Franciacorta with a focus on the internationalisation, promotion and strengthening of the wine and its region. On the strength of solid partnerships with prestigious partners and Franciacorta’s unmistakeable quality, the Consortium is getting ready for another year of success, innovation and growth and a renewed commitment to its twofold role of sector guardian and regional development driver.
Italian Trade Agency and Eataly join forces to promote “Made in Italy”
ITA — Italian Trade Agency — the agency for the promotion and internationalization of Italian companies abroad, and Eataly, the global Italian marketplace and retail concept, partner in a campaign dedicated to “Made in Italy”, showcasing the best of Italian agri-food excellence. From now through December 2025, this joint initiative between the Italian Trade Agency and Eataly takes place in coordination with the Italian Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
For 2025, Italian Trade Agency and Eataly are launching a year-long program dedicated to thousands of Italian companies, with the aim of strengthening the visibility of Italian products in seven key markets: the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, France and the United Arab Emirates. In these markets, Eataly will place over 100 new suppliers selected in collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency, many of which will enter the target market for the first time.
The focus of the partnership will be on the quality of Italian products, their authenticity, and the characteristics that make “Made in Italy” unique in the world. A fundamental pillar of this campaign will be the hosting of a series of events and initiatives across 18 Eataly stores in the target countries, all centered around Italian culture and designed for consumers. The events will be organized in conjunction with leading international fairs and other crucial opportunities to promote the agri-food chain.
These events in Eataly stores will act as a sounding board, creating new opportunities and visibility both for the products already available at Eataly, as well as the new entries in collaboration with ITA — completing the premium assortment Eataly has always been synonymous with.
Customers will be able to deepen their knowledge of Italian products through in-person experiences including seminars, tastings, and opportunities to taste authentic Italian dishes in Eataly restaurants. Guests will also have the opportunity to buy the products and replicate iconic, traditional Italian recipes at home, using the best ingredients and wines for perfect pairings.
Finally, a digital marketing, web, and social campaign will support the work of the stores with a robust program of educational and commercial content. The main objective of the multi-channel planning coordinated by ITA and Eataly is to introduce foreign consumers to concepts such as the Italian art of living, Italian craftsmanship, and the supply chain, while also enhancing occasions such as the World Food Days and La Settimana della Cucina Italiana nel Mondo (The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World).
This greater awareness and understanding of high-quality Italian products will encourage consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions, ultimately boosting exports of “Made in Italy.”
More information on the campaign, products and activities of the initiative will be available in the coming weeks. To learn more, visit the Eataly website eataly.com or the ITA Agency website www.ice.it/settori/gdo-e-ecommerce/gdo/eataly.
About Eataly
Eataly stands as a distinctive brand with a high commitment to elevating the global presence of Italian food and wine excellence. Engaged in the distribution and promotion of premium-quality products, Eataly seamlessly integrates production, sales, catering, and educational components in its offerings. Distinguished as the sole genuinely international Italian food retail company, Eataly serves as an emblem of Italian culinary artistry and, more broadly, the essence of Made in Italy.
Since 2023, Investindustrial, a leading independent investment company in Europe, has held a majority ownership stake of 52% in the Group. Eataly presently boasts a workforce of over 5,000 employees and operates in more than 50 locations across 15 countries worldwide. These include Italy, the United States, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Germany, Great Britain, France, Sweden, Turkey, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. The company is actively executing an ambitious expansion plan, with new openings slated for some of the world’s major cities.
Consorzio Asti DOCG 2024 results
Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti production is positive, with total bottles for 2024 surpassing the 90 million mark, which is in line with the previous year’s performance. This is reported by the Consorzio Asti DOCG, which compiled the production and sales data for the world’s most important DOCG in the aromatic wines segment.
Leading the results is Moscato d’Asti, which closes the year with over 33 million bottles, showing double-digit growth, particularly driven by demand from the United States, Italy, and increasing consumption in the Far East (South Korea and China). The bottling of Asti Spumante shows a slight decline, but exports remain stable (-0.8% volume in the first 9 months of 2024). Shipments to Eastern Europe are on the rise, with Latvia (+5%) and Russia (+49%) accounting for over a third of total exports during this period; the United States shows a slight decrease (-2%), while the United Kingdom grows by 10%.
“We can be satisfied,” said Stefano Ricagno, president of Consorzio Asti DOCG. “Despite market uncertainties, these results show that consumption trends are increasingly focused on low-alcohol products both in Italy and abroad. Moscato d’Asti and Asti Spumante are naturally low in alcohol, and so they are both traditional and modern at the same time, able to capture new trends like those seen in cocktails, which are now found in every corner of the world.”
“The strength of this denomination lies in the potential of the supply chain,” commented Lorenzo Barbero, Senior Vice President. “It allows us to produce and market our wines, penetrating more and more international markets, confirming that our denomination is appreciated worldwide.”
The Moscato Bianco grape, which is the basis of the Asti DOCG denomination, is cultivated in 51 municipalities in the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, and Cuneo, covering around 10,000 hectares within the UNESCO World Heritage wine landscape. Currently, there are 1,013 consortium member companies, divided among 50 sparkling wine houses, 778 wineries, 153 winemaking businesses, 17 wine producers, and 15 cooperative wineries. 90% of the production is exported.
About Consorzio Asti DOCG
The Consorzio per la Tutela dell’Asti is an association that unites all the members of the value chain of the “Asti” controlled and guaranteed designation of origin: from the individual grape growers or vintners’ co-ops to winemakers, spumante makers and bottlers. The production area controlled by the Consorzio extends for 9,900 hectares, includes 51 communes, three provinces (Alessandria, Asti, and Cuneo) and it is cultivated by over 6,800 winemakers. Today, their wine production has reached a total of 102 million bottles, 60 millions of Asti Spumante and 42 of Moscato d’Asti; 90% of which is exported abroad.
56th Vinitaly, how did it go
Vinitaly signed off its 56th edition with overall attendance of 97,000. There was a slight increase in international operators from 140 countries to 30,070 (31% of total), of whom 1200 top buyers from 65 countries (+20% compared to 2023) selected, invited and hosted by Veronafiere in collaboration with ICE (Italian Public Trade Agency).
Fine results were also seen for Vinitaly Plus, the supply and demand matching platform, with business appointments doubling this year to 20,000, as well as for the off-show Vinitaly and the City event, which offered more than 50,000 tastings (+11%).
The President of Veronafiere (Vinitaly’s organizing company) Federico Bricolo, said: “Vinitaly consolidates its business positioning and an increasingly central role in the international promotion of Italian wine. Data for the event, together with positive feedback from companies, confirm the business objectives of Veronafiere’s current governance, with its firm commitment to strengthening our Made in Italy wine trade fair brand around the world. Stronger collaboration with all institutional representatives also goes in this direction, today in the front line with Veronafiere in supporting the internationalization of the sector.”
Maurizio Danese Veronafiere’s Managing Director added: “Profiling operators is among our main strategic objectives. A result already achieved by the previous event as the turning point for Vinitaly, and equally pursued this year as regards domestic demand, especially in the Horeca channel, through communication and marketing initiatives which helped also expand Italian attendance. Over the last few days, we have received positive feedback from companies, consortia and regional group shows. An injection of confidence at a very complex time which sees Veronafiere committed to supporting the main ambassador and trailblazer product of Italy’s agro-food sector all over the world.”
In relation to international attendance at Vinitaly 2024, the United States confirms its ranking in pole position with 3,700 trade operators visiting the Show (+8% over 2023). The next largest groups of attendants, by nationality came from Germany, UK, China and Canada (+6%). There were also more Japanese buyers this year (+15%).
The next events on Vinitaly’s international calendar will be: Wine to Asia (Shenzen 9-11 May 2024); Vinitaly China Roadshow, Shanghai, Xian, Guangzhou (2-6 September 2024); Wine South America in Bento Gonçalves (RS) Brazil (3-5 September 2024); Vinitaly USA (Chicago 20-21 October 2024); Vinitaly @ Wine Vision (Belgrade 22-24 November 2024).
Finally, Vinitaly’s 57th edition is scheduled at Veronafiere on 6-9 April 2025.
A vineyard on the rooftop of Florence airport
About 7.7 hectares of surface with 38 rows of vines will be planted on the sloping roof of the new Amerigo Vespucci terminal at Florence airport in Tuscany. Roof lights 1.2 metres in size will be installed between the vine rows to fill the inner building with natural light. The vineyard will be visible from the sky and from the top of Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral in the city. The architects conceiving this project explained that the green roof will not only serve as a new landmark for the city’s sustainable future, but also as a symbol of the tradition, history and innovative spirit that continue to drive the Italian economy into the 21st century. A local vintner will farm and harvest the “flying vines”. The resulting wines will be made in a cellar built beneath the roof. However, the first plantings are scheduled to occur in a distant future, by 2035, at the end of the project.
Vinitaly 2024 Brussels Preview
On March 19th, more than 100 wine operators, including buyers, HoReCa and media professionals, attended the “Preview of the 56th Vinitaly” hosted in the Residence of the Italian Ambassador to Belgium, H.E. Federica Favi.
The initiative, promoted by Veronafiere with the support of the Embassy and in collaboration with the ICE Trade Agency, the Italian-Belgian Chamber of Commerce and the Italian Wine Consortium, was the preliminary event for the presentation of the 2024 edition of the International Wine and Spirits Exhibition on the following day at the European Parliament.
Vinitaly Previews are part of a programme of initiatives that the new governance at Veronafiere has implemented over the last two years to build, for the first time, a unified team to promote Italian wine by combining the know-how of the brand with input from the Italian Government, the reference Ministries, Embassies, entities and promotion structures to activate an increasingly intense agenda of sharing with players in the sector on a global scale.
“This event celebrates another excellence among the many Italy has to offer: our wine-makers. Italian wine exports to Belgium came to around 220 million euros in 2023, an encouraging result that can still be further improved. By working together, we can reach up to new heights and strengthen ties between our two countries, thereby paving the way for opportunities for shared growth and prosperity,” said Ambassador Federica Favi in her welcome speech.
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