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On 12th of February at Paris La Défense Arena, after the high-level competition between three finalists, Raimonds Tomsons from Latvia became the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023. Oleksandra Hryhorieva, Drinks+ Editor and Project Lead at the Wine Travel Awards, was invited to the final to share the course of events with our readers.

The festive music is playing. The Defence Arena is welcoming the public: 4,000 wine professionals and wine lovers coming from different countries, as well as students involved in the wine programs accompanied by their professors from all over France. After the welcome words are said by ASI President William Wouters and USDF (L’Union de la Sommellerie Française) President, and event organizer, Philippe Faure-Brac, 68 candidates are appearing on the stage under the spotlight. Here is the moment when we get to know the names of three finalists. Nina Jensen (Denmark), Raimonds Tomsons (Latvia), and Reeze Choi (China) keep competing for the title of ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023.

The first finalist Reeze Choi from China is ready to perform. To imitate true scenes at the restaurant, tables, a cocktail and wine bar are installed directly on the stage. Even a professional bartender is invited to assist. Who are the clients? Of course, they are members of the jury committee sitting at the tables and making their orders, meaning scrutinizing and evaluating every move and word of the sommelier.

The first table is ordering two cocktails, Margarita and Old fashioned, and sparkling wine for a big celebration. This is the first contest of such a prestigious level for Reeze Choi, so he is quite nervous. However, the public is very supportive. Within three minutes, Reeze helps the bartender to prepare cocktails and serves the champagne elaborating on the vintage. Moving to the other two tables, Reeze has 14 minutes for a service. The second table asks for Château D’Issan 2016 (Margaux, magnum) which needs to be decanted. At the same time, the third table goes for Dom Pérignon Brut 2013 served immediately. One of the judges also requests a sommelier’s professional opinion on a red wine from Beaujolais they would like to serve at the corporate evening. This is an incredible scene to observe which gives you an impression to be at the theater and watch a performance of professional actors.

In her turn, the second finalist Nina Jensen from Denmark serves confidently and gracefully. She uses every minute of her time in order to provide more details on wines and suggest possible pairings. We can say that she is juggling ideas. She is open and smiling. So, it is not surprising that the public immediately fell in love with her.

Raimonds Tomsons from Latvia is performing the third. He is pretty well put together. He is polite and attentive to his clients. He is the only one who apologizes to the second table for waiting in order he can immediately serve the champagne to the third table. To reduce the tension, he adds some hints of humor: “Yeah, what a night here!” or “This is a Macaron decanter, almost like Macron, but a bit different.”

Sommeliers do not have to be good bartenders, but they have to be able to work in the restaurant environment with colleagues and to collaborate together. The first task is designed to check exactly those skills, as well as knowledge of service and drinks, in particular cocktails for which a guest can have different preferences.

The second task is a blind tasting where the candidates need to identify four white wines for 4 minutes. This appears to be tough as the finalists confuse Riesling with Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon with Chardonnay. The stress from a big responsibility reminds of itself. So, the four white wines are Nik Weis Goldtröpfchen G.G 2021 Mosel, Germany, Dom. Wachau Riesling Federspiel Loibenberg 2021 Wachau, Austria, Alheit Vineyards Monument Semillon 2021 Franschhoek, South Africa and Riccitelli Semillon 2021 Rio Negro, Patagonia. Straight after the tasting, the finalists need to associate two pieces of rock with two of the wines in front of them.

The next task is a food pairing. Chef Anne-Sophie Pic asks candidates to pair the proposed wines with the menu at her 3-Michelin-starred restaurant in Valencia.

The fourth task concerns the knowledge of the wine market. In the list of 12 wines, there are mistakes to be identified. All three finalists spotted some mistakes in vintages. For example, Krug Clos du Mesnil 1978 Champagne, France (the first vintage was in 1979), Vega Sicilia Único 2001 Ribera del Duero, Castilla y Leon, Spain (2001 vintage was not released). Some prices also contained errors: Château Margaux 1983 Margaux, Bordeaux, France cannot cost €250 (there should be one more zero) and this wine should be more expensive than Château Margaux 1982 Margaux, Bordeaux, France with the price of €1600 in the list.

The fifth individual task is a blind tasting where the sommeliers should, firstly, provide full organoleptic characteristics of a proposed red wine on their left and, secondly, identify the vintage and sell to the audience a red wine on their right. What is interesting here is that the two wines are Château Pétrus Pomerol but of different vintages, 2012 and 2003 respectively. This fact is not noticed by the finalists, however they easily define that the second wine is older with aging potential.

As each of the finalists passes all the tasks within 45 minutes in their turn, they do not actually see the performance and do not hear the answers of each other. However, they are gathered together for the final task. They are shown a series of images due to which they have to guess the wine. The earlier they guess the more points they gain. There are 5 wines in total to guess. Some are not obvious as in the case of Jean Louis Chave Ermitage Cuvée Cathelin.

Now it is done, all the tasks are accomplished, the finalists did their best. The audience froze in anticipation of the announcement of the winner. And the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023 becomes Raimonds Tomsons from Latvia. What emotions and a large round of applause! Raimonds is thrilled: “I cannot believe! I am extremely happy!” In his speech, there are many words of gratitude to all his supporters, coaches, trainers and family.

Raimonds Tomsons is a Board member at the Latvian Sommelier association, wine director at Barents Wine collectors (Riga, Latvia) and owner of Wine Consulting Ltd. Raimonds Tomsons. He is A.S.I. 3rd Best Sommelier of the world 2019 (Belgium), A.S.I. Best Sommelier of Europe and Africa 2017 (Austria), 3 times Best Sommelier of the Baltics, Vana Tallinn Grand Prix competition, 3 times Best Sommelier of Latvia.

Of the competition, ASI President William Wouters says, “it took more than 30 years for this contest to return to Paris. It was worth the wait! From the first day candidates arrived, they were treated to the hospitality and amazing gastronomy of France. As for the contest itself, it honoured the commitment of our candidates by being both challenging and fair. It is with great pride that we announce Raimonds Tomsons as the winner. I have no doubts they will be a fantastic representative of ASI, and an inspiration to our global sommelier community.”

Nina Basset, FIH Hotelier, who must have watched dozens of competitions, but for the first time in Paris in the status of ASI General Secretary was also sitting at the table in the restaurant installed on the stage. In our conversation, she noted the high level of preparation of candidates despite the stress that they experienced while passing all the tasks. This year, Nina Basset joined the Jury Committee at the Wine Travel Awards where the winner of the Ambassador of the Year category will be awarded with the Gérard Basset Prize “Ambassador of the Year”. Sommeliers are more than welcome to participate.

Drinks+ expresses its congratulations and warmest wishes to all the candidates and to the winner Raimonds Tomsons. Sommeliers put a lot of effort, time and money in order to learn different angles of the profession, travel to different wine-producing regions, taste many wines and develop their receptors. It inspires respect and admiration. Bravo!

In the following material about this year’s contest, we will shed light on the participation of the Ukrainian candidate. In the interview with Maryna Revkova, you will learn about her preparation to the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023, her impressions and personal favorites, as well as plans for the future and projects she is involved in.

Photo: ASI & HRVPROD

On 12th of February at Paris La Défense Arena, after the high-level competition between three finalists, Raimonds Tomsons from Latvia became the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023. Oleksandra Hryhorieva, Drinks+ Editor and Project Lead at the Wine Travel Awards, was invited to the final to share the course of events with our readers. […]

The columnist D+ asked Iryna Bystrytska, international consultant of European donors projects aimed to support the wine industry in Ukraine, former Deputy Director of the National Office of Vine and Wine (ONVV) in 2018-2021, about the process of formation of Wines of Ukraine and the prospects of the Ukrainian industry, which is suffering from Russian aggression.

Iryna, your mission is very serious, so it is probably worth starting the conversation by what areas of your activity are addressed to the wine industry of Ukraine. 

In May 2021, we started to work with Ukrainian small businesses in the fields of viticulture and winemaking, as this industry has experienced a significant economic decline in recent years.

We provide technical assistance to small winemakers of Ukraine in the development of an integrated approach to the development of the industry. As part of our activities, multiple trainings are held. They are dedicated to the technological features of the production of natural grape wines in accordance with international quality and safety requirements. We organize events to raise winemakers’ awareness of sustainable development, provide consulting assistance in planning a development strategy, in particular, we have developed a Roadmap for Ukrainian winemaking sector.

Please provide more details about the Roadmap.

I was lucky enough to work with international expert Marco Tiggelman (Netherlands) on its development. And finally, exactly one month before the start of the war in Ukraine, on January 25, 2022, we presented the Roadmap for the development of winemaking in Ukraine to the industry representatives. The Roadmap includes the strategy for the development of Ukrainian viticulture and winemaking, and also outlines the difficulties faced by industry enterprises. The document includes the analysis of the current market situation, consumption and export statistics, the results of research into the state of the industry in Ukraine and other countries, the structure of the main players, as well as a number of recommendations and the action plan for the period until 2030. But, of course, the events in Ukraine made adjustments to our plans.

Can you share the most important domestic consumption and export figures – both positive and negative – from this document?

Let me show you the dynamics: if in 1996 the area under vineyards was 144,000 hectares, then in 2017, only 43,000 hectares remained. Production in 2020 amounted to 5.6 million dL. At the same time, in the same year, consumption in the domestic market reached 9.5 million dL. The share of imports reached about 43% of the total consumption, i.e. – 4.1 million dL. Instead, exports amounted to 244,000 dL, which corresponds to only 4% (according to Your Total Market). That is, local production satisfies only 50% of the market’s consumer demand, moreover, it has a tendency to decrease, primarily due to the annual decrease in the area of ​​vineyards. So, Ukraine, in principle, has a significant potential for the growth of the wine industry only at the expense of the domestic market. Even without considering export opportunities. But, of course, under the conditions of a stable increase in the quality of the produced wine – both for local consumption and for international markets. 

Is it possible to compare Ukraine with any other country that has followed a similar path?

Probably, it is worth comparing with Moldova, Georgia and Armenia – countries with a similar recent history and similar needs to transition from the mass production of the Soviet period and to reorganize the industry with a focus on quality and export. At the same time, there is a key difference between Ukraine and these countries – a capacious domestic market, while the wineries of Moldova, Georgia and Armenia are extremely dependent on exports. According to the ratio of exports and domestic consumption, it is probably more appropriate to compare Ukraine with Romania, a traditional wine-producing country, where exports do not exceed 10% of production.

What are the most important recommendations you make in the Roadmap?

I would like to start by saying that the Roadmap identifies four main strategic opportunities, each of which is a separate and significant area of ​​effort:

1. The growth of consumption in the local market should be considered as the main opportunity for the Ukrainian wine industry.
2. Another favourable factor for the Ukrainian wine industry may be the growth of exports and the diversification of export markets.
3. The consequences of climate change should also be considered as a long-term perspective for the Ukrainian wine industry.
4. The country’s wine tourism potential is another powerful prospect. 

As for the recommendations, there are more than 20 of them in the Roadmap, they are laid out in five main sections: “Viticulture”, “Production”, “Quality and compliance with standards”, “Structure of the industry”, “Promotion and communication”. Of course, from the point of view of the management of the industry, it is difficult not to notice a rather strong lag behind neighbouring countries, outdated and confusing legislation, the lack of a clear quality control system, primarily of imported products, and most importantly, the lack of a structure directly responsible for the industry and its development. An urgent recommendation is the integration of Ukraine into the world wine market, adaptation to international standards in production and legislation, membership entry into the international wine organization OIV, creation of the national Register of Vineyards and the Wine Office responsible for the promotion and health of the industry.

Let’s proceed to Wines of Ukraine. The situation around this concept seems strange to us and we are not sure that other countries experienced the same. After all, in our country there are several associations of producers who, independently of each other, promote and use this name in their activities. There are even a couple of sites whose domain names include this concept. Please comment on the situation and give your vision: how things should really be if we are talking about a civilized wine-making community guided by the rule of law.

Yes, indeed, the number of different associations, most of which are nominal, surprised us. Many of them compete with each other and do not make any contribution to the development of the industry, but rather create incomprehensible obstacles and additional difficulties in cases where they have been rejected around the world. For example, there are no longer legally prescribed recipes for wine anywhere, but in Ukraine they exist and associations deal with their coordination with the ministry, instead of seeking their cancellation. I had to communicate with wine associations of various countries, both state and public (For example, Australian Winemakers operate without state participation). However, everyone mentioned how difficult it was at the very beginning to unite producers and even difficult to simply sit down at a common negotiating table. But, as they say, the path will be overcome by the one who walks it. And the experience of different countries will help us in this.

What measures and who should implement them so that the concept of Wines of Ukraine finally becomes a reality?

Currently, we are working on the possible structure in Ukraine that should represent this brand. Of course, it cannot belong to a single association or individual. There are many possible options, we consider the formats of offices in different countries, prescribe the functionality of this structure, which we will later discuss with the industry. God willing, we will come up with the format that will suit Ukraine. If we talk about the financing of this structure, then in the first years it can also be international donor projects. In fact, Wines of Ukraine, like the rest of Wines of …. or identical brands of countries – rather needed for promotion in foreign markets and better for countries – new players in the wine world. For example, have you heard a lot about Wines of France? But you probably know the associations of the regions of France and specific wine brands that are not interested in acting under the umbrella brand of the country, they are world famous or too strong for it. The same logic works in the domestic market, where the consumer buys a specific brand, not Wines of Ukraine. To begin with, I would advise you to brainstorm and carefully understand what the umbrella state brand is for and how it works, and then take on the ambition of owning it.

Then maybe let’s talk, at least briefly, about the principles of the state brand Wines of…? During your work in the management of the National Vine and Wine Office of Moldova, you dealt with this concept, because it has been working successfully in Moldova for a long time. What are the mandate and objectives of Wines of…? As far as we understand it, the brand relates to the scope of issues of the National Office. In general, can it belong to a state institution? What could it look like in Ukraine?

A national brand, any, in this case in the field of winemaking, must belong to the state or the industry. That is, the right holder of the brand can be the state or a structure that represents the state and the industry. For example, in Moldova, the right holder of the Wine of Moldova brand is the National Vine and Wine Office of Moldova – the structure based on private-state partnership and acting under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture. It is an umbrella brand under which all wineries participate in exhibitions and various events. At the same time, according to the law, all wineries pay mandatory contributions to the vine and wine fund, depending on the volume of their sales. To the funds collected from the private sector – 50%, the state adds another 50% of its own. The resulting annual budget is spent on supporting and promoting Wines of Moldova both on foreign and domestic markets, for example, on the organization of the National Wine Day. Wine of Moldova was launched 7-8 years ago, not so long ago, and the National Vine and Wine Office was founded in 2013. What it should or can be in Ukraine  should be decided by the industry itself, in any case, Wines of Ukraine should represent the interests of all producers, and first of all the big ones, which will be the country’s visiting card and have a significant export volume.

How important do you think it is for emerging wine markets to have national, or if the country is lucky, international level media that would carry information to export markets about the country’s businesses and tourist destinations? Today, the world is watching what influence the mass media can have if they are supported at the state level. Are there any support programs for existing industry media?

I believe that a wine-producing country must have both professional journalists with education in the wine industry and a specialized press. This is one of the indicators of the level of wine culture in the state. For example, there are dozens of such editions in Great Britain or France, they organize international competitions and are doing well. Ukraine definitely needs media specialized in alcoholic beverages and the industry in general. Of course, today it is difficult to talk about any support from the state, but in the future, of course, industry support for the specialized media should be considered. Your editorial group has gone beyond the borders of Ukraine a long time ago, you can rather be called a regional or even international media, taking into account your long-standing presentations of Ukrainian winemakers at international expo hubs or the new Wine Travel Awards project, etc. I am expressing my sincere respect and admiration for the resilience of your team in these difficult times.

Thank you very much. Iryna, listening to you, a natural question arises: this complex field of industry management with integration into state institutions, even in the context of different countries, requires special experience, perhaps certain education or skills and knowledge. What path did you take to become an international expert of this level?

My career developed and grew in parallel with the economic development of the markets of Ukraine and Moldova. I started as a manager in large international companies, where I was responsible for a group of brands, then I worked as the head of the export development department in a company that was the leading alcohol producer in Ukraine, at that time we were the #2 vodka in the world and exported drinks to 82 countries. I was invited to work at the National Vine and Wine Office of Moldova by the project under the auspices of USAID. At first as a consultant on a number of projects, then I was offered to become a Deputy Director and, in addition to administrative activities, to directly deal with the international development of the industry and the national brand of Wine of Moldova. Hence, I got my experience and knowledge. That way turned out to be the best university.

Allow me to note that Moldova, as a wine-producing country, has really done a miracle over the years: it is not only united, not only performs brilliantly on the international arena, it (everyone understands that this is the achievement of the National Office and the people who worked on it!) managed to break the stereotype regarding the quality of Moldovan wine. So, for Ukraine, this is an example that nothing is impossible. We are sure that soon Ukraine will win and free its wine-growing regions from the invaders. What prospects await them, outlined by the Roadmap you have developed?

Despite the war and all the difficulties, we are focused on the future and are already conducting a number of programs and trainings for Ukrainian producers aimed at improving the quality of wines. These programs touch on important issues of production and sustainable development. Active consultation is currently underway with the sector and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food  regarding the recommendations of the Roadmap and the creation of the Wine Office, we are discussing important issues of the industry’s vitality in military and occupation conditions, as well as relationships with retail chains and how to maintain focus on national producers. We are working on the expansion of assistance to the wine industry and the involvement of various donor organizations for its support. I would not like to announce everything planned now, because we live in unstable times. But we look at the prospects of Ukrainian winemaking with great optimism, efforts are being made, so I will be happy to tell you more during our next meeting.

In view of the war that is being waged in Ukraine, what are the immediate plans of action?

For winemakers, in addition to trainings, we are planning study visits to Georgia and Armenia at the end of 2022 to exchange experience with associations of producers in different countries and to facilitate cooperation with leading scientific institutes

Thank you, Iryna, both for your work for the good of Ukraine and for the meaningful conversation!

The columnist D+ asked Iryna Bystrytska, international consultant of European donors projects aimed to support the wine industry in Ukraine, former Deputy Director of the National Office of Vine and Wine (ONVV) in 2018-2021, about the process of formation of Wines of Ukraine and the prospects of the Ukrainian industry, which is suffering from Russian […]

This year, one of the slogans of the world’s largest exhibition of wine and spirits was Same But Different, and ProWein fully confirmed this statement: the event’s immensity and grandeur which are usually associated with this meeting of the industry of professionals in viticulture, production, trade, and gastronomy have remained unchanged, but there were innovations and surprises, too: from the dates when events were conducted, to premieres and shows held during the exhibition. However, we are going to tell you about everything in the right order: as always, Drinks+ was in the heart of events, and we are ready to share these impressions with our readers.

Let us start with the fact that the long-awaited meeting of wine professionals in Düsseldorf took place after 2 years of forced “downtime” caused by the pandemic, so exhibitors and visitors came to Germany with special feelings and hopes. This year, more than 5,700 exhibitors from 62 countries took part in the exhibition, and the hospitable Messe Düsseldorf opened its doors to 38,000 visitors from 145 countries of the world.

All three days long, 13 exhibition pavilions were filled with positive energy, which we, Drinks + journalists, could not help feeling. Large wine-producing countries – France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Austria – traditionally, had separate halls for wine connoisseurs from specific countries and regions: for example, the French wine-growing regions of Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Loire Valley and Corsica and other had large areas.

The pavilion, where the countries of the New World exhibited their products, caused a great sensation: the overall interest in wines produced outside the traditional regions of Europe, has recently become a general trend in the wine world. So it is not surprising that the stands of winemakers from the United States, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia have always been crowded.

Another popular “attraction” of this year’s ProWein was the pavilion of organic and biological wines. The global environmental agenda launched this trend some time ago, and year after year, despite the fact that the share of such wines is still quite small in total (for example, organic grapes are now cultivated by just over 2,000 wineries worldwide), the winemakers’ and wine professionals’ interest in such wines is constantly growing. We would like to distinguish two giants of this trend, which had their stands on ProWein: the German Federal Association of Organic Viticulture ECOVIN with ten wineries that are forming it, and the French organization Vignerons de Nature, which unites 30 winemakers introducing organic and biodynamic practices. Incidentally, France is a leader in this trend: on its terroirs, approximately one half of all global organic wineries have been operating.

The pavilion of craft alcohol, beer and cider was interesting: it was probably the liveliest area of the whole exhibition, a meeting place for young creative representatives of craft winemaking and bar culture. Loud music, light shows, clothes which are far from being formal, and relaxed style of communication among exhibitors and visitors, as well as their relatively young age – all this suggested that you are not in the exhibition pavilion, but rather in a nightclub.

Naturally, our team’s representatives spent most of their time in pavilion No.11, where the products of Central and Eastern Europe were exhibited, because this is where the stands of our numerous friends and partners who had participated in the first international wine tourism award Wine Travel Awards launched by Drinks+, were located. Our journalists brought to Düsseldorf an exclusive PR catalog of nominees and winners of the Wine Travel Awards Guide 2021-2022. We are proud that our catalog “kept good company” with other world publications about wine at the press stand of the International Trade Press, where visitors of the exhibition had an opportunity to review it for free.

In addition to the printed version, it was possible to scan the catalog electronically using QR-code on posters that were placed in different areas of the exhibition.

Incidentally, everyone can review the electronic version of the WTA Guide even now: it is posted on a special online platform Digital: online trade press stand of the website prowein.com, which is a new digital offer from Messe Düsseldorf.

Thus, among the participants of ProWein were WTA participants and sponsors, many of whom are long-standing friends of our editorial board: in the first instance, it is Dr. Ricardo Nunez, owner of Vinos de La Luz group of companies, whom we met in the pavilions of the exhibition. We are expressing sincere gratitude to the Doctor for his kind words dedicated to our project, in which he participated as a member of the jury and sponsor of the nomination Wine & Food Influencer. We should add that the brand ambassador of the international company Vinos de La Luz Nataliia Burlachenko received a special prize – Judge’s Choice Award, so we are waiting for her and Dr. Nunez at the Wine Travel Awards Ceremony at the London Wine Fair, which will take place at 12.30-14.30 on June 8, 2022 at the Industry Briefing Room.

We are giving you heads up: there were many pleasant meetings of such kind in the ProWein pavilions: for example, we had an opportunity to meet the legend of the wine world Robert Joseph, who is a member of the WTA judiciary board. We are proud that Mr. Joseph, having received a copy of the WTA Guide, appreciated the results of our work.

Incidentally, our meeting with Robert Joseph took place at the stand of Moldovan winemakers, where he was holding a master class. The participation of the Moldovan “wine team” in ProWein was organized by the National Bureau of Grapes and Wine of Moldova: Parascovia Ignat, head of marketing department told us that this year, 37 companies presented their products under the brand “Wine of Moldova”. Despite the fact that the Moldovan stand had a record size – 224 square meters (!) – this time, not everyone had an opportunity to be represented at the world’s largest wine exhibition. So we can expect that next year the stand of Moldovan winemakers will be even larger. Well, this trend is quite natural, giving due consideration to rapid growth of the quality of Moldovan wines and their recognition in the world.

Several Moldovan winemakers had separate stands, including Vinari Purcari, which won in the category: Brand – the visiting card of the country.

It should be emphasized that the winemakers of this company are very supportive of Ukraine: the company’s premises have become a refuge for our fellow citizens who are fleeing the war in Ukraine and coming to Moldova, and their exhibition stand was decorated with a poster depicting the wine called Freedom Blend: a drink created by combining local grape varieties of three countries that have been attacked by Russia in recent decades: Rara Niagre (Moldova), Bastardo (Ukraine), and Saperavi (Georgia).

Incidentally, Georgians were also widely represented at this exhibition: a joint stand of Georgian winemakers was organized by the Georgian Wine Association with the support of the National Wine Agency of Georgia. It was also crowded, and we could hardly get to one of the winners of the WTA – The Shumi Winery, which won the public vote in a record number of nominations, and also became the best in the Magnet of the region category. We look forward to seeing the Shumi Winery at the official Wine Travel Awards ceremony in London, where they will receive “Oscar” in the field of wine tourism.

Another country that acted within the “united front” at the exhibition in Dusseldorf is Armenia. 20 Armenian winemakers had a joint stand organized with the support of the Vine and Wine Foundation of Armenia.

It should be pointed out that this trend – to participate in large profile events under a single national brand – was very clear at ProWein: we saw stands uniting winemakers from Croatia, Ireland, Hungary, Slovenia, Tunisia, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries.

Unfortunately, this year, visitors of the world’s largest wine exhibition did not see a joint stand of the Ukrainian winemakers: the war and related difficulties – from funding problems to the inability of men to cross the Ukrainian border during the martial law – did not allow Ukraine to be properly represented at such a respectful and prestigious event. We do believe and hope that next time the circumstances will be more favorable for our winemakers, who, along with other fellow citizens, are facing difficult challenges.

Nevertheless, the Ukrainian flag was still available at the exhibition in Dusseldorf: in the first instance, a group of our winemakers managed to hold a small presentation and tasting of their wines despite all difficulties faced by our country.

Secondly, SHABO, another winner of the Wine Travel Awards in the Must Visit category (The Visiting Card of the Country nomination), presented its products at ProWein on its own.

It should be emphasized that a pleasant surprise was that foreign companies, having nothing to do with Ukraine, displayed our flag on their stands just to show that they are on the side of good – the side of kindness, truth, civilization, on the side of Ukraine. The Italian company Savio Trading, which produces and imports alcohol, is among such companies.

The entire world has been supporting us, so we hope that this year will be victorious for Ukraine, and 2023, when the next ProWein is scheduled to take place on March 19-21, will bring victory for the Ukrainian wines.

This year, one of the slogans of the world’s largest exhibition of wine and spirits was Same But Different, and ProWein fully confirmed this statement.

This year, Albeisa Consortium brought to the winewalk the star wines of their regions – both premiere and retrospective vintages.

In 2022, Nebbiolo Prima, which had been first held in 1996 at the initiative of Albeisa Consortium to present Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero DOCG wines, was held for the 26th time. Due to the invitation of relevant consortia and AB Comunicazione, our editorial staff was lucky enough to join the large-scale tasting (the tasting took three days, and more than 300 samples from 180 winemakers were involved) of regular releases of famous wines: Barolo DOCG 2018 and Riserva 2016, Barbaresco DOCG 2019, Riserva 2017, Riserva 2019, Riserva 2019, Roero DOCG 2019, and Riserva 2018. And there was a cheery on the cake: retrospective Barolo DOCG 2008/2006 Riserva, Barbaresco DOCG 2009 Riserva, Roero DOCG 2008 Riserva.

First, we would like to express our gratitude to the organizers for the invitation and apologize for the delay in publishing the material, which was caused by the start of the war in Ukraine; it forced Drinks+ journalists to leave their homes and work places simultaneously. In fact, Nebbiolo Prima was our last pre-war event, the last major event of peacetime…

Indeed, the premiere, which brought together wine journalists from all over the world, was extremely friendly and emotional. Every night, after a busy day of rhythmic blind tastings, the international journalistic community would gather in the hotel lobby for private meetings with Piedmont winemakers, scientists, oenologists, ampelographers and more. These wine parties were respectfully chaired by Marina Marcarino, President of Albeisa Consortium, who took care of each guest. This was followed by gastronomic dinners with the Lange star wines, which were artfully emphasized by the performances of the famous Italian opera stars, and that greatly adorned our round-the-clock stay at the hotel in Alba, due to the then pandemic restrictions.

Today, through the prism of the war imposed on us, the wines premiere is remembered with a special sense of nostalgia for a peaceful life, when friendly discussions about wines prevailed.

However, on the average, a high quality of all presented sets did not cause many differences among the journalistic community, so there was nothing to argue about. The general opinion is that despite some seasonal natural anomalies of certain vintages, the vast majority of samples are ready to go to the world arena.

Thus, let’s look at the premiere wine sets through the prism of natural circumstances. To all appearances, the vintage Barbaresco DOCG 2019 and Roero DOCG 2019 were formed in all areas in very favorable conditions, though somewhat agitated by prolonged winter colds, mid-summer peak temperatures, and September hail. So, Nebbiolo 2019 was harvested with almost classic characteristics, and observers almost unanimously declared vintage as “traditional”, marked by decent quality, overall elegance, though emphasized its slightly reduced quantity. All samples, with very rare exceptions, were assessed by us as almost ready for the table. Although most of them will reach their prime time within at least five years.

To adequately assess the vintage 2018 Barolo DOCG and Roero Riserva DOCG, it should be noted that the year began with prolonged rains, which lasted throughout cool spring and until early June. However, by the blossom time, the weather had improved, and a period of stable optimum temperature commenced and lasted until September. If we compare Nebbiolo with terroirs Barolo and Roero, the vegetative period of the latter seemed shorter, but it did not affect the ripening of berries. Yields decreased slightly, but quality remained high. At the same time, in Barolo and Barbaresco areas, sugar levels increased, and phenolic maturation accelerated. In general, vintage showed a good balance of acidity with some deviations in Roero wines. Generally speaking, we could observe a solid territorial identity, a tendency to long aging.

Vintage 2017 was presented at the premiere by Barbaresco Riserva DOCG. After a mild winter, Piedmont experienced sudden frosts in April and thereupon summer heat. Well,  Lange’s winemakers expected terrible consequences, but as previous tastings show, the vintage of Nebbiolo from the Barbaresco area turned out to be unexpectedly promising. Spring frosts could damage the early buds of grapes, but went through the valleys, bypassing most of the slopes. The summer heat relieved the local growers of the need to resort to excessive cultivation of vines, and the ideal temperatures in early autumn provided a slow ripening of berries and a fairly harmonious balance of Barbaresco Riserva, as well as a tendency to long aging.

At the preview, vintage 2016 was presented by Barolo Riserva DOCG. And here, we should remind that Nebbiolo variety requires the longest growing cycle, and 2016 met this requirement as best as possible. From the second half of winter, the weather was mild, with little rainfall, but it rained until the end of March, which provided good soil moisture. Low spring temperatures turned into an advantage, due to which it was possible to avoid vine diseases. Summer was balanced, and the beginning of autumn was comfortable for ripening berries, which gave a healthy and high-quality harvest with a harmonious balance. The 2022 premiere of Barolo Riserva 2016 demonstrated a pleasant average quality and noticeable freshness. If I allow myself generalizing, it appears that organoleptic profile of the presented samples corresponded to my idea of the typical Barolo.

Harmony reigns within the set – we saw wines with a perfect balance between structure and acidity, and they obviously come up to the expectations of the highest level of elegance and premium quality. If we are detailing about the natural circumstances under which the vintage presented to the journalistic community was formed, it should be noted that the harvest seemed generous, which gave excellent wines, including those of extraordinary class. The bouquet usually showed richness of the gamut, and the taste was distinguished due to juiciness, spectacular tannins. Undoubtedly, each sample revealed its own particularities.

Tasting notes

Day one.

Barbaresco DOCG 2019

In my opinion, the most captivating wines were those produced by the following producers.

7. Luidgi Diordano. The aroma is light, fruity, the taste is quite balanced, with a hint of tannins, light, harmonious sweetness that does not overshadow freshness, quite finished.
8. Moccagatta. The first nose reveals a perfume, barely perceptible notes of freesia, then tobacco leaves and tones of wood appear in the bouquet. The body is light, tannins are noticeable, astringent flavor with a hint of balsamico, good potential.
9. Cascina Morassino. The flavor is characterized by summer honeysuckle, red fruits, light body, tannins are fresh, but are not yet quite mature. It may appear to be a very good “ladies’ wine”. For strong ladies with a touch of style)).
10. Cortese Guseppe. It already reveals itself well in the aroma dominated by fresh red fruits, quite friendly tannins. Relatively finished.
11. Саscina Luisin. Red fruits and berries, lemon notes and freshness, juiciness in aroma and taste, the shade of ripe raspberries dominates. Elastic body.
12. Musso. Elegant pomegranate color, red plum in aroma, slightly noticeable jam, pleasant, distant shade of prunes, tannins still young, but quite ready to be served on the table.
13. Poderi Colla. The first nose reveals animal notes, but distant, non-irritating tannins are noticeable, the taste is balanced, it is better to wait one year before use, great potential.
14. Giacosa Fratelli. Minerality and fruit in aroma, charming taste with balanced sweetness. Slightly astringent tannins, but polite, docile. Good wine!
15. Adriano Marco e Vittorio. The light honey sweetness in the aroma evokes magical memories of a summer garden strewn with juicy red berries. The second nose reveals grassy tones, a distant aroma of honeysuckle, and a slightly astringent taste. I recommend waiting for its prime time before drinking this wonderful wine.
16. Cascina Vano. A pleasant combination of aromas of soft tawed leather and fruits. Balanced in acidity, noble sweetness breaks through young tannins. Very potential!
17. Pietro Rinaldi. Tobacco leaves break through the basket of ripe fruit, adding a bouquet of originality, the taste reveals barely perceptible tactical jamming, the body is silky, tannins are almost smoothed, but I would still wait another year or two.
18. Cecilia Monte. Aroma of barberry, the taste reveals fruits and freshness, it is a wine on the rise, with excellent potential, light tannins in the taste, we would prescribe a couple of years of aging to enter “adulthood”.
19. Paitin. Bright fruit, a kind of cherry orchard, with a light but elegant color of young pomegranate, the taste is quite dense, well-formed, but tannins are noticeable.
20. Ca’ del Baio. The wine is completely ready for consumption, tannins are subdued, only a little noticeable – distant, quite pleasant trace, the wine is fresh, the acidity is high but restrained, the aroma is red ripe plum, a little jam. Good wine.

Roero 2019

80. Cascina Lanzarotti. Fruity aroma with a distant jasmine note. The taste is fresh, wonderful, with a slight interference of tannins – literally within a year it will turn into a wonderful wine.
81. Deltetto. The aroma is a boiled fruit mix with an emphasis on dried pears. The taste is fresh, fruity, tannins smoothed, rounded. It is a wine ready for drinking.
82. Socré. Pleasant multi-component aroma, elegant, unfolded in a luxurious multifarious aftermath with barely recognizable animal tones, later dominated by jasmine. Tannins are ripe, rounded.
83. Punset. An outstanding example, a luxurious, layered aroma. Herbal and balsamico notes, juicy dark cherry, shaded with chocolate, wilted rose petals, delicate, elegant taste, tannins are already soft, docile.
84. Mustela di Iuorio Giuliano. Bouquet with a hint of balsamico, herbs, it reminds vermouth, beautiful and elegant body, almost mature tannins, complex taste, also with great potential.

Day two.

Barolo 2018

118. Marengo Mario. Aroma of precious leather accessories, with a delicate note of tobacco. The taste is typical, harmonious, with obvious tannins. Great potential.
119. Voerzio Martini. Sophisticated noble aroma, deep elegant color. The taste is fresh, with a good balance, begins to round, but the tannins are young.
120. Aurelio Settimo. Elegant, well-developed wine, but still in the process of maturing. The aroma is interesting, with tertiary notes of salty breeze from the coast.
121. Dosio Vigneti. Elegant, well-developed wine, but still in the process of maturing. The aroma is interesting, with tertiary notes of salty breeze from the coast.
122. Diego e Damiano Barale. Noble aroma of barolo, light shades of jam, which flow into a powerful aftermath of noble leather, soft and rounded in general. The taste is harmonious, typical of barolo, although the aftertaste is quite short, and tannins are still irritating.
123. Roberto Sarotto Az. Agr. Pleasant complex aroma of leather, tobacco, with a distant note of spices, including pepper. Spices are felt and tasted; tannins are “courteous”. This is a very potential, good wine.
124. Diego Morra. Expressive aroma, this wine represents the best example of barolo: leather, tobacco, with distant notes of sweet aroma produced by making cream with chocolate, pleasant taste, freshness, tannins are noticeable.

Day three.

Barolo DOCG 2018

221. Anna Maria Abbona. Wonderful fresh aroma of barolo, precious, delicate leather mixed with a fruit bouquet, balanced taste, harmonious balance of acidity. Some vivid tannins, but conditionally finished.
222. Agricola Gian Piero Marrone. Expressive aroma of precious leather, taste is elegant but expressive, tannins are orderly.
223. Podere Ruggeri Corsini. Deep color of pomegranate, summer aroma of red fruits, but restrained, balanced, taste with light astringency.
224. Barale Fratelli. Beautiful, dignified aroma, in a “masculine” style, soft leather and cherry stone, taste with a distinguished emphasis on juicy dark cherry, smoothed but noticeable tannins.
225. Costa di Bussia Tenuta Arnulfo. Beautiful, elegant color. The aroma of a night flower breaking through, a pleasant taste where tannins still win.
226. Parusso (Mosconi). Bright aroma with a distant note of exotic fruit with typical Baroque tones in the background. Tangible identity and taste, still young tannins. Potential.
227. Parusso (Perarmando). Complex elegant aroma, with an emphasis on the passion fruit, quite stable. Maybe atypical, but attractive. Unfortunately, the acidity in the taste prevails a bit, and the tannins are bravura, although they promise to calm down soon. Too light body, in my opinion. However, with lapse of time, it can give an interesting result.
228. Principiano Giuseppe e Francesco. Already ripe formed aroma, good balance of taste, tannins are still young. We can talk about a good prospect in an elegant style.
229. Giovanni Rosso. Berry note in aroma, mild taste with harmonious acidity, slightly young tannins. Apparently, another year or two before joyful drinking.
230. Revello Fratelli. Red plum in aroma, pleasant taste, round, playful and still vivid tannins. In my opinion, it will be an outstanding wine with lapse of time.
231. Boasso Franco. Beautiful, elegant deep dark pomegranate color. Formed body. The first nose reveals pectusin. A little alcoholic, the taste is pleasant, plum, young tannins creak.
232. Pira Luigi. The aroma is expressive and warm. Remote tobacco leaf. The taste is fruity, expressive, with a note of dried fruits.
233. Giovanni Rosso. The aroma is typical, tender, the taste is harmonious with a good balance of acidity. Tannins are young, but potentially it is a very good wine!

Day three. Retrospective.

The retrospective tasting turned out to be spectacular and generous: 47 samples of aged wines from the Lange star areas.

Roero DOCG, 2008 Riserva

Malvira. A complex bouquet of aged wine, slightly overripe, the taste is harmonious, the wine is absolutely in its prime time, it is the time to drink it, and there is no need to wait any longer.

Barbaresco DOCG, 2009 Riserva

5. Giuseppe Cortese. Aroma of ripe fruit, warmed by the sun, and May jasmine. The taste is light, fresh, pleasant, fruity. Tannins are vivid, but polite.
6. Grasso Fratelli. Dark pomegranate color, complex aroma of licorice, sweet fruit, a bit high-alcohol, rich. The taste is round, with good balance, pleasant, astringent.

Barbaresco DOCG, 2007 Riserva

14. Castello di Neive. The aroma is complex, jam with spices, the body is formed, mature, the taste is pleasant, expressive, tannins are vivid.

Barolo DOCG, 2008 Riserva

15. Marchesi di Barolo. The color of precious stones, the body is beautiful, the aroma is complex and elegant. The taste is moderately rounded, pleasant, the balance of acidity is perfect, the tannins are fast, but nice. The aftertaste is long.
16. Curto Marco. Luxurious aroma, characteristic of barolo, complex, beautiful. Bouquet decoration – fragile violet. The taste is appropriate, pleasant, with a prolonged aftertaste.
17. Revello Fratelli. If you come across this wine, I advise you to buy it without hesitation. A real masterpiece! A complex, powerful bouquet, reminiscent of paintings by old Italian masters: the same dark, deep colors and tones. A range of precious spices, sandalwood, rounded taste, soft, complex, with a distinct aftertaste.
18. Mauro Molino. Friendly aroma with typical tones of adult barolo: treated leather, roses, later – licorice, tobacco leaves. The taste is decent, the tannins are vivid, the wine is in its prime.
19. Silvano Bolmida. Sophisticated luxurious aroma, jam notes, spices. The taste is fresh, pleasant, slightly astringent with a noticeable note of high-quality chocolate, long aftertaste.
20. Agricola Marrone. Deep, elegant color of the royal mantle. Mature body, with velvety blinks, the taste is complex with a noticeable fruity accent, as if you taste juicy spirited fruit, in dark premium chocolate. Pleasant, rounded taste. Wonderful wine!

Day four.

Barolo Riserva DOCG 2016

The last day was dedicated to the culmination of any event in Piedmont – Barolo successful vintage 2016.

288 bis. Virna Borgogno. The aroma is expressive, complex, harmonious. The first nose reveals leather, light fruity notes. The taste is fresh, harmonious with vivid but good tannins.

289. Brezza Giacomo e Figli. Notes of red berries appear, then leather, coffee beans of high-quality roasting. The taste is somewhat astringent, the balance of acidity is good.
290. Cavallotto. Expressive, surprisingly beautiful aroma, complex: soft leather, spices, light notes of spring jasmine. The taste is round, fresh, a bit atringent, but a very decent example.
291. Giacosa Fratelli. Bright example, worthy of attention of connoisseurs. Expressive, complex, luxurious aroma of the famous barolo. Blackberry notes in the first nose are thereupon emphasized by tender well-treated leather, and in the second by sweet fruity notes. Very mature but fresh wine. The taste is also expressive, fresh, with a noticeable aftertaste.
292. Cascina del Monastero. Complex expressive aroma of beautiful leather, chokeberry. The taste of chokeberry, too. The aftertaste is long, pleasant.
293. Aurelio Settimo. Very elegant aroma with hints of berries in the first nose, then leather, tobacco leaf. The taste is great, balanced, vivid tannins.
294. Cascina Sot. The aroma is typical, elegant, the body is mature, beautiful, the color of a ripe pomegranate. The taste is balanced.
295. Livia Fontana. Very warm, expressive aroma, complex and soothing: red summer fruits, spices, leather tone. The taste is also expressive, balanced, with a fresh, slightly astringent taste.
296. Costa di Bussia Tenuta Arnulfo. To all appearances, it is the best example in today’s set due to its aroma. Precious spices, leather, sweet blackberries – all in a complex, colorful, but harmonious bouquet. Exquisite wine for special events. The color is appropriate: deep pomegranate with playful highlights, beautiful body, formed. The taste is expressive, round, fresh. Noticeable tannins.
297. Sara Vezza. Deep warm elegant aroma of dark chocolate, spices, prunes in chocolate. In the future, boiled berries, and a light shade of wild mushrooms. The taste is balanced, pleasant, fresh. The aftertaste is a bit herbal.
298. Famiglia Anselma. The first nose: animal tones, but pleasant, good and worthy wine, then fine spices. The taste is expressive, fruity, slightly astringent.
299. Schiavenza. The first nose is a little perfumy, of the “for men” type: sandalwood, spices. The taste reveals tannins, but already ripe and smooth.
300. Paolo Manzone. Ripe, pleasant aroma with a sweet light fruity note, a little spicy. The taste is fresh, fruity, pleasant. Tannins are a little more vivid than we would like them to be.
301. Palladino. A striking example in all respects. The first nose reveals berries, thereupon leather. Tannins are noticeable, but moderate.

D+ Files

In our view, Albeisa is a unique association that became a consortium in 2020. It originated as a means of promoting the territory and wines of Lange in a very specific way: the marketing flagship and symbol of Albeisa is a characteristic bottle with a specific design and a high level of aesthetics. This bottle ensures the identity of the wines of certain areas. Its history dates back to the 18th century, when winemakers around the city of Alba wanted to have unique bottles for their wines, such as the famous bottles for Bordeaux and Burgundy. Their ambitious plan was entrusted to masterful glassblowers, who created a shape with an instantly recognizable contour of the shoulders. Bottles were made only manually, and immediately became an elegant decoration on the tables of the nobility. Subsequently, their popularity declined, but in 1973, due to the collective dream of 16 producers from Alba region and in response to the ideas of Renato Ratti, the Albeisa bottle was recreated, and its use is regulated by an unprecedented charter protecting and defining its use.

The real innovation, unique in its category, was not the reproduction of the old bottle itself, but its combination with the territory where grapes are growing. The new version of the bottle from 1973 is called literally similarly to epaulets: by referring to four places on the shoulders where they could be worn. Associazione dei Produttori dell’Albese has been protecting the right of use, clarifying the rules, in particular, for which grape varieties and DOC/DOCG names it may be used. Since 2007, the Albeisa bottle is also available in a lightweight version, which weighs about 30% less than the traditional model. Manufacturers are increasingly using this alternative, and demand for it has grown from an initial one million bottles in 2007 to more than five million a year. This innovation means reduction in the consumption of energy and raw materials for the production of the bottle, as well as a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions. Albeisa is a progressive and large-scale, internationally renowned project that covers the craftsmanship of the winemakers, the natural and gastronomic delights of the regions, the preservation of the environment and a truly unique oenological heritage. Today, it includes about 300 producers who export nearly 18 million bottles of fine wines to wine lovers around the world.

This year, Albeisa Consortium brought to the winewalk the star wines of their regions – both premiere and retrospective vintages.

From the 13th to 14th of April, Lake Garda again became a meeting point for wine professionals, buyers and wine writers from all over the world. Veronika Busel, Managing Partner at the Wine Travel Awards, joined this year’s Italian Taste Summit.

Professional wine community came here from different parts of Europe, United States, Asia and Middle East to discover new Italian explorations in order to bring new wines to their home countries, exchange knowledge and stories with their network.

The 5th edition of the Italian Taste Summit was hosted by the Masi Tenuta Canova (Lazise, Verona) and Le Possessioni Serego Alighieri (Sant’Ambrogio di Valpollicella, Verona) wineries, which have historical tight connection to Garda and Valpolicella. It should be noted that the Italian Taste Summit event is closed to the public and is accessible only by invitation and only to operators of the sector previously confirmed. The concept and organization of the event was done by a team of Italian and foreign professionals from the Wine Global Aspect – Miro & Co. agency, with the leadership of the guiding star Joanna Miro. The main partner of the Summit was a local bank Crédit Agricole FriulAdria – a banking partner specialized in services to the wine supply chains.

50 wineries of excellence, selected among the most representative in Italy, such as Masi Agricola, Endrizzi, Maeli, Onepiò, Ermacora, Panizzari, Ronco Margherita, Briziarelli and many others, in a private and stylish atmosphere, did their best to demonstrate their strong points and craftsmanship. All these wineries expressed high appraisal for their regions and terroir.

And this is a perfect way to differentiate yourself in competition in a post-pandemic reality! 

On Wednesday 13th, an intense morning of wine degustations and seminars was elevated by the highly anticipated Bubble Party in the Sala Fruttaio, Masi Tenuta Canova, responsibility of chef Giacomo Sacchetto, who is now at the helm of his La Cru di Grezzana, about twenty kilometers from Verona, where he gives life to a cuisine that he defines as “refined, local, concrete”. Love and respect for the area and its products have led it to obtain a Green Star alongside the classic Michelin Star, awarded to restaurants that stand out for their attention to sustainability. Giacomo Sacchetto is the executive chef of the Masi Wine Experience.

The menu, strongly linked to the region and it’s raw materials, was created in combination with each of the 6 wines: Sauvignon Friuli Colli Orientali Doc di Ermacora, Piancastello Brut Riserva Trento Doc Classic Method by Endrizzi, Party Lugana Doc Spumante Extra Dry by Onepiò, Dilì Moscato Giallo Igt Veneto organic by Maeli, Quaranta Lune VSQ Classic Method Millesimato Extra Brut by Panizzari.

On Thursday 14th April, the B2B meetings and technical tastings with wine sector guides continued. At the same time, organizers encouraged a dialogue involving local producers and international stakeholders, and this laid the groundwork for future collaborations. 

For Drinks+ and the Wine Travel Awards, the Italian Taste Summit is an event not to be missed, not only to learn about Italian wine and to meet the professionals behind it – an event full of meetings, seminars and tastings was expected, but also to invest in new cooperation opportunities! 

During the event Veronika Busel – WTA Managing partner made a pitch presentation of the Wine Travel Awards project and spoke with guests on perspectives on wine tourism in the post-pandemic world. The WTA team is ready to welcome on board new members of the WTA Community for the second year of the campaign, 2022-2023!

From the 13th to 14th of April, Lake Garda again became a meeting point for wine professionals, buyers and wine writers from all over the world. Veronika Busel, Managing Partner at the Wine Travel Awards, joined this year’s Italian Taste Summit.

The most eagerly-awaited business and promotion event in the wine sector returned with attendance in person after two years on the side-lines: Veronafiere at last hosted Vinitaly again from 10-13 April.

Impressive, large-scale, uniting, tasty, welcoming, ambitious, reputable and many more… All this is about this year’s Vinitaly; in fact, as always! Numerous beautifully dressed, sometimes even glamorous, visitors were quickly moving between the halls in order to fulfill their intense programs and not miss a single scheduled meeting. In total, there were 17 halls (identified by a number from one to 12 and A-F letters of the alphabet).

The 54th International Exhibition of Wines and Spirits featured 4,400 companies from 19 countries, more than 30 conferences and 76 super-tastings on the schedule. An integrated system with the online VinitalyPlus b2b platform, with more than 17,000 labels uploaded in digital format by producers. Vinitaly 2022 set a new record for attendance by international foreign buyers as a percentage to total admissions: 25,000 operators from 139 countries in fact represent 28% of the total number of operators attending the event (88,000).

Innovations in the 17 show halls – over and above the ‘fourth colour of wine’ area focusing on Orange wine – included “MicroMegaWines – Micro Size, Mega Quality”, the new section specifically for niche and limited edition production of the highest quality, the Organic Hall implementing the offering by Vinitaly Bio, and the Mixology section making its official debut with its own format.

Vinitaly also offered space for international exhibitors in the International Wine Hall set up exclusively for international wines from France, Brazil, Slovenia, Argentina, Spain, Serbia, Macedonia, Lebanon and South Africa, as well as international media where Drinks+ welcomed visitors at its own stand.

In the evening of 9 April, when the night was falling on the city of Verona, Vinitaly 2022 was officially open! The magic of opera and the largest theatre under the stars in the world were the protagonist of the first act, together with creations of chef Davide Oldani and wines selected by VINITALY.

Awards ceremony for the 2022 International Vinitaly Prize and announcement of the IWSC The Wine Communicator of the Year (Sarah Heller, the youngest Master of Wine in Pacific Asia) took place this evening as well.

The Vinitaly program was diverse and intense, raising such questions as emergencies and competitiveness of Italian wine at the conference organized by Coldiretti, biodiversity in the Italian Constitution, Italian autochthonous reds, the strength of lightness (Grand Tasting), organic wine and its trends and challenges, etc.

One of the brightest discussions of the first day – “Iconic Women in Italian Wine” – was hold by two leading international female journalists Monica Larner of Robert Parker Wine Advocate and Alison Napjus of Wine Spectator, the female managing director of Vinitaly International, and seven renowned Italian women wine producers:

• Chiara Boschis of E. Pira & Figli in Barolo
• Elisabetta Foradori from Trentino
• Arianna Occhipinti from Sicily
• Marilisa Allegrini of Allegrini Estates
• Elena Fucci from Mt. Vulture in Basilicata
• Albiera Antinori from Tignaello
• Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta with her legendary Sassicaia.

The event followed by the wine tasting focused on personal stories, camaraderie, and the aspiration all these women hold for the future of Italian wine.

The second day of Vinitaly opens under the banner of solidarity for Ukraine. As a media communication group who always represents and promotes the Ukrainian wine industry, Drinks+ cannot help but mention some events and discussions in support of Ukraine that took place in the course of this large-scale exhibition. Thanks to our partner “Ukrvinprom” in cooperation with Italian team from Tony Sasa, two Ukrainian wineries, WTA nominees, Beykush Winery and Château Kurin were presented at Vinitaly 2022.

The international exhibition of wines and spirits, scheduled at Veronafiere until April 13, has chosen to allocate all the proceeds of the 76 super-tastings and all the paid masterclasses to Caritas initiatives in support of the populations affected by the war in Ukraine. The amount, estimated at 80 thousand euros, will be entirely donated to the reception of refugees and, in particular, Ukrainian families.

In the afternoon of 11 April, in hopes of the war’s imminent ending, the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG in collaboration with the Consortium of Chianti Classico DOCG and the Consortium of Bolgheri and Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC joined forces to bring to life a charitable auction for the people of Ukraine. 33 impressive lots of prized bottles and vintage wines offered by the member producers of each Consortium were bid both online and in the hall. Almost all bottles had a volume of magnum (1.5 l) or Jeroboam (3 l).

The auction “Wine for Peace” started with an opening speech of the President of Vinitaly and proceeded with words of support from representatives of consortiums. The organisers noted that nowadays we are used to doing charity silently, but we cannot help but use such a big and well-known platform as Vinitaly to voice the devastating war taking place in Ukraine and thousands of ruined lives. Ukraine and its people should feel supported by the world of wine!

Dr. Ricardo Nuñez, an owner of Vinos de La Luz, a big friend of Ukraine and a sponsor of Wine Travel Awards (WTA), actively participated in the auction showing once again his support to Ukraine. “Ukraine is my country,” he said.

Talking about our innovative project in the wine tourism industry, Vinitaly turned out also to be a place where we could reunite with the WTA nominees and partners, as well as build bridges and develop our international community even further.

Photos: Ukrvinprom, VINITALY

The most eagerly-awaited business and promotion event in the wine sector returned with attendance in person after two years on the side-lines: Veronafiere at last hosted Vinitaly again from 10-13 April.

Why do imported products, available in the stores and bars, prevail over the Ukrainian domestic beverages?

Recently, wine and spirits produced by small businesses – small wineries or distilleries – have become more popular among connoisseurs of natural products. But, unfortunately, for small producers, the procedure for obtaining a license to produce alcoholic beverages is very complicated, and the mandatory receipt of a wholesale license for the sale is even more difficult for the producers of craft products.

According to a survey conducted by Rating Group at the end of April 2021, among the most popular alcoholic beverages specified by respondents (1,500 people over the age of 18) were:

• wine – 36%;
• beer – 29%;
• vodka – 20%;
• cognac – 17%;
• home-made wine and tinctures – 14%;
• champagne and sparkling wines – 12%;
• whiskey – 7%;
• moonshine – 6%;
• cider, rum, vermouth, cocktails, gin, and liqueurs – 1-2%.

However, according to experts, Ukrainians more often prefer foreign alcohol brands.

Mykola Puhachov, Deputy Director of the National Research Center “Institute of Agrarian Economics”, Academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, said that for each type of beverage, the main suppliers differed: beer was imported from Mexico, Germany, and Belgium, wines – from Italy, France, Georgia, and Spain, whereas strong alcohol was purchased in Great Britain, Georgia, Ireland, Germany, and Armenia.

AgroPolit reports that in 2020, the import of alcoholic beverages with an alcohol concentration of less than 80% (primarily cognac, vodka, whiskey, liqueurs, and sweets) to our country amounted to approximately 74 thousand tons worth $ 227 million, grape and other wines – almost 91 thousand tons worth $ 224 million, malt beer – 70 thousand tons worth $ 67 million.

“Currently, the ratio of imports to domestic alcohol in our pubs is about 70% to 30%”, – Svitlana Yastrubenko, owner of the Docker Pub rock pubs chain, said. She adds that Georgia used to be the leader, but now, products from Italy and France are more often ordered, and Ukrainian wines account for a small part of the orders. According to Svitlana, this share may increase, because Ukrainian winemakers have recently been given the “green light” due to legislative changes. As concerns strong alcohol, Svitlana Yastrubenko emphasizes that instead of the usual classics, Docker Pub guests want to taste alternative drinks. Foreign tourists are also interested in local strong craft products, and in order to commemorate Ukraine, they bring some of the drinks to their homeland: this is the best way to promote domestic products. “But in order for us to be able to add Ukrainian craft products to the menu, we need an ad-hoc law and excise tax. Then, we will be able to change the figure from 70% of imports, that is attributable to the current period, to 70% of the Ukrainian products. “

According to Ivan Bachurin, President of the Association Sommelier of Ukraine, whiskey is the leader in the segment of strong alcohol in Eastern Europe. But it is only imported whiskey, which is available on the shelves of domestic stores. According to Bachurin, the development of small craft producers of alcoholic beverages represents a global trend. However, in Ukraine, it is difficult to operate in the market, and compete with large commercial brands in the absence of relevant legislative changes.

“Ukrainian products are quite competitive, there is a demand for both craft products, and those from a more commercial producer,” – Oleksiy Bondar, WineTeam’s brand ambassador emphasized. – That is why the stands intended for Ukrainian wines are available in our network. We welcome producers of craft products, but you need all necessary permits and tasting samples to sell these drinks at WineTeam.

“The number of imported products available in the outlets prevails over domestic beverages. For example, [the available] whiskey is only the one imported from other countries, but this does not mean that Ukrainians are not able to make it”, – Kateryna Lavrenova, Head of the Ukrainian Craft Distillers Association, said.

The expert claims that domestic producers, especially those from the craft products segment, can be represented in almost all segments of alcoholic beverages. This is confirmed by the national and international awards that Ukrainian wines and spirits gain at prestigious professional competitions.

Kateryna Lavrenova assures that Ukrainian craft strong alcohol is able to surprise more than the imported one. “Domestic craft distillers produce numerous drinks with interesting flavors, from natural ingredients, and high-quality ones. Some beverages, especially fruit and grape distillates, can compete with imported brands. However, the Head of the Ukrainian Craft Distillers Association emphasizes that in order to be available on the shelves in stores and start working with bars, cafes, and restaurants, small distillate producers are lacking sufficient changes in legislation, and they are unable to lawfully operate in the existing conditions.

The experts state that currently, the production of alcoholic beverages is governed by Law of Ukraine No. 481, which does not expressly define fruit, grain distillates, and alcoholic beverages based on them. In the valid laws and standards, fruit and grain distillates are referred to, in most cases, as auxiliary or secondary raw materials, rather than high quality products (this how they are defined in many other countries). This complicates the procedure for applying for, and issuing, the necessary permits.

One of the main goals of the Ukrainian Craft Distillers Association is to ensure introduction of amendments into the laws, which will allow craft distillers to operate on lawful grounds. In 2020-2021, the Association participated in preparation of the necessary draft laws. Currently, two documents have been registered in the Verkhovna Rada:

The draft law “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Pertaining to Simplification of Terms for the Production of Distillates by Small Businesses” (dated July 14, 2021) was submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine under registration number 5762.

A draft law initiated by a number of people’s deputies under registration number 5311 “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On State Regulation of Production and Circulation of Ethyl Alcohol, Cognac and Fruit Alcohol, Alcoholic Beverages, Tobacco Products, and Fuel” (for small distillates) (dated March 29, 2021).

At III All-Ukrainian Forum-Exhibition “Strong Craft 2021 – Craft Ukrainian Distillers & Vendor”, which was held by the Association, MP Maryan Zablocki noted that the State intended to create fair and competitive terms for operation of small distillates in the near future.

“We really need this in order to be able to take our place in the market of alcoholic beverages in Ukraine in different segments”, – Kateryna Lavrenova emphasizes. “The Ukrainian Craft Distillers Association will make every effort to ensure that the Parliament passes one of these bills in 2022”.

Why do imported products, available in the stores and bars, prevail over the Ukrainian domestic beverages?

Winemakers, striving to create the perfect wine, can pay maximum attention to caring for the vines and experimenting with technology. But the time and effort spent getting the blend flawless will be wasted if you fail … the label design.

Oleksandr Andreiev, co-founder of the Reynolds and Reyner agency, which has been engaged in wine design for more than ten years, both for Ukrainian and foreign products, told us about the peculiarities of creating labels for wine.

The buyer loves with their eyes

No matter what, but people tend to judge a book by its cover. And, of course, the label acts as the “cover” of wine. Wine.net recently surveyed 2,000 buyers about what influences their wine choices. The researchers asked to clarify what factors were most important for them in their choice: the visual of the label, the shape of the bottle, familiarity with the wine itself, the variety or the vineyard. And during the experiment, it turned out that 82% of respondents made their choice only on the basis of the appearance of the labels.

The subtleties of wine design

Every brand manager or company owner should know that wine design is a separate area of ​​design, it should not be ordered from those who have never done it, for example, from web designers or identity designers, and even from those who deal with packaging of other mass market products. Wine design has its own world with its own rules and subtleties. It is necessary not only to feel the category, but also to understand the properties of paper, effects, technical limitations, why capsules are needed, and the rules for gluing labels depending on the shape of the bottle and the characteristics of their storage.

As for the visual part, it should be noted that each wine brand is unique. Therefore, the general rules and trends that can be found on the Internet will not suit it. You need interesting solutions to stand out on the shelf filled with a huge number of competitors. Placing photos of vineyards, wineries, terroir or barrels on labels is a long-worn solution that no longer works. It is necessary to search for a deeper idea, which is vividly visualized on the label.

When a new effective design is created

If you are creating a new brand or line of wine, you should make an effort to carve your niche on the shelf. A well-thought-out brand strategy will help you find your way to stand out and become noticeable: why you need a product, who will buy it, how to attract consumers, and most importantly – how we will be different and stand out. With the theory out of the way, you need to start practicing and create a visual feature for the label.

One of the most recent works by Reynolds and Reyner is the design for the new Shabo Special Edition line. The main element of the label is the image of a swallow. The idea was based on the fact that it is a positive image, a bird that is loved in Ukraine and welcomed with joy in the spring. This is an easy to remember and noticeable image. The buyer will not pass by.

For this collection, two types of labels were created: one with a large contour image of a swallow, which is read from a distance, for semi-sweet wines. And a swallow on the label in the form of a small print – for dry wines of a slightly higher price category.

Why evolution is important in redesign

If a brand has already existed for 3-5 years, it was originally made with high quality, but the question arises of redesigning the label – there is no need to radically change it. The design must evolve, improve, but remain recognizable and carry the brand’s DNA. Take a look, for example, at the Marengo sparkling wine that Reynolds and Reyner worked on and see how the label design has evolved over time.

1 photo. Old label, roughly 2015: complex configuration, many geometric elements – figured corners, strokes, arched logo writing in compressed font.

2 photos. Slightly updated label, 2019: after the redesign of Marengo vermouths, sparkling wines were also partially updated – the main elements are similar to the old ones, but they have become simpler, the brand spelling already has a weaker curvature, fewer strokes and a simpler font.

3 photos. Completely new label, 2021: a laconic and simple die-cut shape, the brand logo is now centered and has been removed from the bend that previously prevented a simpler label shape design.

We take two designs – an old one and a new one and see if it’s better. Has the branding become more visible, but at the same time has not lost its recognition? The answer is obvious. Moreover, the new label did not come as a shock to the consumer, as he had been accustomed to it for many years. Plus, the design has become more modern and elegant, and your favorite wine is now visible on the shelf even better than before.

What’s inside? The packaging will tell you!

Each wine category has its own unwritten design rules. We are all accustomed to the fact that still wine has one bottle shape, and sparkling wine has another. This is understandable most often even without labels. But sometimes sparkling drinks can be packaged in a different format for sale – for example, in cans. And in this case, it is important that design tells the buyer what exactly is inside. After all, cans contain beer, juices, and drinks.

Working on the case for the Landini carbonated wine drink, Reynolds and Reyner created a design where all lettering and background elements are composed of bubbles. Thanks to this design, the buyer immediately understands that this is a sparkling drink. In addition, the back of the can shows a map of the country of origin – Italy. It identifies a clear place where this drink is actually produced.

We can safely say that label design is just as important as the skill of the winemaker. A wine label needs to grab people’s attention, generate interest, and convey a series of important messages to drive purchasing decisions. Therefore, its creation must be approached with a deep understanding and knowledge of all aspects of wine design.

Photo: marengo, np_landini9, shabo, zamR1

Oleksandr Andreiev, co-founder of the Reynolds and Reyner agency, which has been engaged in wine design for more than ten years, both for Ukrainian and foreign products, told us about the peculiarities of creating labels for wine.

Drinks+ Communication Media Group has become an information partner of IWINETC after presentation of its new international project Wine Travel Awards (WTA). In its turn, IWINETC has become the Official Partner of the award as a sponsor of the prize fund, which will provide the winners of the 2021-2022 WTA with the opportunity to attend this leading wine tourism conference next year.

Veronika Busel, WTA Managing Partner, attended the event and shares with the readers of Drinks+, what happened at the event held in the first year after the lockdown.

Despite serious concerns about the possibility of holding the event offline – bearing in mind the last year’s October experience, when the conference was urgently “moved” to the virtual space instead of the planned event in Trieste (Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Italy) – the event did take place, and the 2021 slogan sounded like this: “Bouncing Back!”, which means “We are recovering!” or “We are returning to normal!”

For many guests who follow the diverse geolocations of IWINETC, this is a truly long-awaited event. It should be pointed out that in addition to admitting new players, since 2009 around IWINETC, a community was being formed during the next 13 years, and in fact, now it is a club of more than 700 wine tourism professionals from 45 countries, whose members do not miss a chance to meet each other face to face.

Exclusive wine trip

On October 25, the IWINETC team hosted a welcome reception for guests from all over the world – an exclusive one-day tour around the authentic Portuguese Ribeira,  with wine tasting in Calem cellars. The speakers and delegates were exploring the old cellars together and enjoying various styles of port wines.

After a busy day, the participants were invited to a private event held that evening in the cellars of one of the oldest wine houses in Portugal – Ferreira; it was accompanied by a light dinner and tasting of local wines from Algarve, Madeira, Alentejo, Douro, Vinho Verde, Dão. It should be emphasized that it was a real wine journey led by a renowned wine expert in Portugal. We should add that the event took place to the accompaniment of traditional Portuguese fado music.

Speeches by experts, bright events, and one-to-one business meetings

On October 26-27, during the two days of the conference, the participants had many opportunities to learn more about the world’s leading wine tourism destinations and their products, get access to professional and educational seminars, and make new connections with representatives of the wine tourism sector. The conferences and trade event were organized at the newly opened 5-star luxury hotel overlooking the Ribeiro – The Lodge Wine & Business Hotel.

During two busy days of the conference, 17 presentations and panel discussions were held.

The opening ceremony included welcoming speeches by Anthony Swift, Director of IWINETC, Ricardo Valente, Vice Chairman of the Porto and Northern Portugal Tourism Board, Filipe Silva, Member of the Portuguese Tourism Council, and José Guilherme Aguiar, Member of the Gaia City Council.

The Porto and North of Portugal Tourism Board opened the conference program with a plenary session consisting of two lectures: “Porto and North of Portugal as a wine tourism region” and “Porto and North Portugal wine routes”. Thereupon, wine tastings, including the wines from these regions, were held.

This was followed by inspiring presentations from industry experts such as Chris Torres, who presented the results of his research on wine tourism consumer trends that will be relevant in the coming years and how to use this knowledge to promote the companies’ own products and initiatives. … Carlos Brito, who spoke about the role of branding in wine tourism and territorial development, Felicity Carter (nota bene: one of the 12 judges of the Wine Travel Awards), who spoke about overcoming consequences of the pandemic for the food sector by positioning and finding one’s own uniqueness, Judith Lewis, who shared her ideas regarding rebuilding the food industry after the pandemic by resorting to digital technology, with an emphasis on SEO and unique content, Adrian Bridge, winner of the Wine Personality of the Year award, who examined “under a magnifying glass” the strategy of the 2020 largest European tourism project of 105 million euros – the World Of Wine project, Peter Syme, who analyzed the wine tourism industry in the post-Covid era and shared what digital changes we need to be aware of, how technology will change the society, what, in turn, will change the approach to wine tourism, and how to work with it long-term. Renowned experts: Andrea Kaiser, Roberta Garibaldi, and Federico Ceretto, during their speeches, emphasized the need for sustainable regional development and innovation. And we named only a few of the many forum speakers!

It is interesting that the speakers were representing the group of invited experts, but a separate competition was announced for public wine professionals, who are a little less renowned, but could participate in the forum in order to present their ideas.

One of them, whose report I found particularly interesting, was António Pé-Curto. His presentation focused on trends in wine tourism (“Four Key Areas of Experience in Wine Tourism”), and the findings were based on years of research work at the Iscte Business Research Unit in Lisbon.

After attending the presentations, the delegates witnessed the Rabelo boat regatta on the Douro River from Gran Cruz, Rozes, Sogrape, Sogevinus and Fladgate Partnership, which demonstrated the traditional way of transporting port wines. This colorful performance took place right in front of the IWINETC venue under the bright Portuguese sun.

Within the framework of the event, stands were also organized as mini-exhibitions, where it was possible to find wines and proposals for wine tourism from developing industry players, for example, such as Israel and Armenia. Similarly to previous  events of IWINETC, this year, a large B2B workshop was organized: it included half a day of one-to-one business meetings and a comprehensive business networking program. The format resembled the American speed dating films: the participants sent in advance their inquiries to the business representatives, which were of interest to them, via an online application, in order to negotiate during the subsequent offline workshop. During a short period of time, each participant had an opportunity to communicate with several dozen of potential partners, business representatives and more than 30 agencies specializing in wine and/or gastronomic tourism, which allowed both parties to establish promising business ties. An individualized system of meetings enabled the participants to share their experience, get to know each other, and replenish their catalogs.

Every evening, the IWINETC team organized networking events at the most luxurious restaurants in Porto such as World of Wine (WOW) and Vinum in the Grahams cellars, giving a breathtaking view of Porto at night.

Tour around the Portuguese wineries

On October 28 and 29, trips to the wineries were organized – experts, journalists, international tour operators, and agents were invited on a two-day tour implying a lot of visits, around the four wine regions forming the Porto-North of Portugal Wine Route, in particular Douro and Porto, Vinho Verde, Tavora-Varosa and Traz-ush-Montish.

Among wineries and wine route sites, IWINETC members visited Quinto do Seixa, Quinta da Roeda, Vintage House, Sandeman, and Taylor’s.

In the morning on Saturday, October 30, the delegates were invited to the World of Wine (WOW) complex, a newly opened wine attraction worth over 105 million euros.

Porto and wine routes in north of Portugal

The choice of Porto as the venue for the 2021 event was not accidental – in 2020, a large-scale project was created here: the World of Wine, which was recognized as the largest investment in tourism in Europe in 2020, and already in 2021, Porto & North of Portugal Tourism Board launched a new route within the Visit Portugal project – the wine routes of Porto and the north of Portugal, connecting four regions: Douro, Vinhos Verdes, Távara-Varosa, and Trás-os-Montes.

Luís Pedro Martins, President of the Porto & North of Portugal Tourism Board proudly noted: “The quality events like IWINETC 2021 bring to the region exactly what we strive to achieve by comparing ourselves to other wine tourism destinations. Especially at a time when we are still facing the effects of the pandemic around the world. And that gives us the strength we need to prove internationally that the region has absolutely everything we need for a great experience, including the ability to provide the security that everyone is looking for. The wine and gastronomic tourism event is absolutely in line with our strategy for the wine routes that we have developed, and we decided to launch it exactly during IWINETC 2021: in fact, this is our first marketing event, a B2B event for this route. Therefore, it is with great pleasure and joy that we welcome each participant of this outstanding conference to Porto”.

Anthony Swift, Director of IWINETC, shared his emotions about the event: “Today, we see that the wine tourism industry is booming, and it is a great niche market. Many wine regions around the world are investing into wine tourism, thereby developing their territories. The future looks bright to me, and everyone should understand that wine tourism is an opportunity for business and entrepreneurial activities on a sustainable basis.

Each year, the main goal of IWINETC is to invite and direct the spotlight to the enogastronomic tourism professionals, so that they come together, share their ideas, study the best practices, and gain knowledge and inspiration for new achievements, establish contacts and business relationships. We are glad that this year, the event was attended by more than 140 industry professionals.

As a team, we are focused on creating and delivering the quality experience, because in the end, only one thing matters: that the participants leave happy and take away valuable tools and contacts that are useful for their careers and businesses.

I am very grateful to all our partners who helped us make this event so successful”.

Veronika Busel, Managing Partner of the Wine Travel Awards: “I am very pleased that such influential international players demonstrating the highest standards, will join the Wine Travel Awards, an initiative that was born in Ukraine, but continues to extend its presence globally.

Through IWINETC, which sponsored the WTA prize fund, we plan to provide the winners in 2022 with great opportunities for new experiences, learning and networking. I think this is the very place that can combine educational, business, and playing formats. Most importantly, IWINETC is an excellent platform for business contacts and development”.

Drinks+ Files

The International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC), organized by Wine Events Worldwide, is the most respected global event for the wine and gastronomic tourism industry. At the end of October 2021, IWINETC took place for the second time in the city of Porto (Portugal).

In addition to Portugal, over the years the event was held in Italy, Spain, France, Hungary, Georgia, and Croatia (the organizers also shared with Drinks + that they hope to hold an event in Ukraine in the future).

This year, the main partner and sponsor of IWINETC was the Porto & North of Portugal Tourism Board, which, right during the event, announced for the first time its new program of Portuguese Wine Routes. However, the event could not have taken place without the support of a number of international and influential wine companies, such as Sogrape Original Legacy Wines, Fladgate Partnership, Symington Family Estates, etc.

IWINETC 2021 video:

Drinks+ Communication Media Group has become an information partner of IWINETC after presentation of its new international project Wine Travel Awards (WTA). In its turn, IWINETC has become the Official Partner of the award as a sponsor of the prize fund, which will provide the winners of the 2021-2022 WTA with the opportunity to attend this leading wine tourism conference next year.

The 8th edition of wine2wine Business Forum happened on the 18^th and 19^th of October 2021 in Verona as a part of the VINITALY Special Edition program event.

The focus of the 2021 edition was reflecting on the multiple limits imposed over the last year. First of all, geographical borders: the advent of COVID-19 restricted import-export opportunities on a global scale, and in order to effectively restart activity, understanding the situation is of primary importance.

This year’s 2 full days’ hybrid format gave two different participation types to choose from: online, from the comfort of your home or office, or onsite, from the Palaexpo of Veronafiere.

On the 18^th of October, 2 speakers presented Ukraine’s wine business landscape in the session: “Ukraine – the treasure island of Europe”. As the event was in a hybrid format this year, a part of the audience participated onsite, the other had an opportunity to follow the presentation online.

Representatives of the most reputable companies in their industries Pavel Glazov, Import Director of the importer and distributor Vinfort Ltd., and Veronika Busel, Managing Partner of the Wine Travel Awards, an international wine tourism award founded by Drinks+ Communication Media Group, had an impressive reception to their topic at the wine2wine Business Forum 2021.

Drinks+ Files:

Pavel Glazov, the Import director of Vinfort Company – one of the leading distribution companies in Ukraine. Having a legal background, Pavel joined the company more than 20 years ago and in 2008 progressively developed his career becoming the import director. With more than 20 years of experience in the Industry, Pavel has a deep expert knowledge of the Ukrainian and International wine and spirits market.

Veronika Busel is a Wine Marketing Manager, Wine Writer and a Managing Partner at Wine Travel Awards. She finished her Master’s Degree at the University of Bordeaux in Wine Marketing and Tourism, after that she has been collaborating with internationally recognized wine companies in Spain, France and Portugal. Parallelelly, Veronika became a wine writer and columnist for the leading wine specialized media groups in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

The speakers told the international audience about the situation on the Ukrainian wine market and about new tools that help to overcome the consequences of the pandemic.

This is an extraordinary story of a market with some categories growing 5 times in the last 5 years. During the presentation, the audience was introduced to some impressive trends and tendencies in the Ukrainian wine market, as well as insights and market specifics from the experts. No one left the presentation without the answer to why Ukraine is the Treasure Island of Europe.

The name of the topic was chosen to underline the unique features and great potential that Ukrainian wine market brings to multiple international partners. At the same time, the presentation was not pretentious, it invited to discussion, addressing the multiple opportunities that appeared in the market in recent years.

Looking back, we must say that this strategy did work, as the presentation stimulated long discussions with the onsite B2B audience.

Market overview

“Why treasure Island? Or Eldorado? Ukraine, indeed is a country of wonders, a country of adventures, a country of challenges. Getting to the market looks like a gold rush – no guarantees, not always perfectly logical, but could become a key to the richness and prosperity. So, what are we about?! This is really the “treasure island” of Europe, this is Eldorado, you can win it all, or you can lose it all,” – said Pavel Glazov.

Ukrainian market is not perfectly logical: while the GDP per capita and population numbers are going down, like from 45 mln in 2013 to 41 in 2020. If to talk about wine consumption it is 0,2 per capita in 2019, if to compare this numbers to Italian it is 4.5-4.6 (L. of pure alcohol) – it is almost nothing. If to check numbers of inflation and devaluation you can have a heart attack J always going up, increasing year-to-year. The figures of wine consumption are small, but stable, and the consumption of spirits are going down. (2014-2020).

After showed figures the normal question would be: why should I go to this market? What for?

And here some cons appeared, still illogical, but surprising and worth attention. When we see the imported wine trends, both for still and sparkling wines, everything goes up, and at a great rate. If to look at figures of imported still wines in 9LK , in last 5 years, from 2016 to 2020, the volume grew double, and right now it is 4,7 mln. 9LK. Talking about sparkling wines, the growth more than 5 times in 5 years. Started from 591 9LK in 2016 now it is 3,411 mln. 9LK. And this is impressive result to have a wine category that grew 5 times in the last 5 years.

The best news to Italian producers, numerous of those joined the presentation, is that Italian wines are driving this trend. For still wines, it is more than 2,5 times growth in the last 5 years, for the sparkling wines happened something new, that never happened before: today we must state that sparkling wine category from Italy bypassed the local sparkling wine category. This situation is very different from a general trend in the Ukraine wine and spirits market: as usual, if there is a local product, it would be sold better that the imported one. There are only two exceptions: sparkling wine at the moment, and for the long time it was a vermouth category, specifically represented by Martini. Summing up, the Italian wine category is growing, even booming, and we expect that this trend will stay.

Consumption trends

“Why Ukrainian wine consumers are so much fond of Italian wines this is very complex question. For many years we observe this interest in post-USSR countries in general, this aspiration by Italy as a destination, rich in wine tourism offer, Italian products, specifically wine and gastronomy, and its lifestyle,” – said Pavel Glazov.

Speaking about consumers and trends, unfortunately, there are not much researches going on on this topic, for the last 5 to 10 years, it could be related to number of crises that Ukraine had in this period. What we can see from the numbers of available analytics is that the consumption is changing. People are more interested in wines and wine consumption is growing. And some of the reasons behind are that boomers and generation X, who before used to drink more spirits, now are more interested in lower alcohol content products, so they switch to wines. The similar trend is among young generation, that prefers and switches to lighter and lower alcohol level drinks. The other trend among young people is drinking less, as sometimes they are also limited with their purchasing power. However, though they do drink less, but they do it with more quality. And these facts also give high perspectives on the future of the wine industry in Ukraine.

Distribution channels

*Hereinafter are statistics on distribution and sales channels for Italian wines in the Ukrainian market, however trends are similar on all imported wines.

The majority of the market is operated by traditional importers. The market is quite open: no specific restrictions, no complicated license procedure, or quotes, like in neighbor country Belarus for example. Still there are number of specifics, f. e. if you import wines in Ukraine you have to adjust tax stamps, and you have to adjust them in advance before coming to Ukraine, which means that you need to have a partner in the country to help you with the procedure.

But now it is differentiating between traditional importers and distributors, who do the national distribution and cover up to 65% of the market, and the direct importers to supermarkets or specialized retailers – with coverage around 21% of the market. Moreover, the share of specialized retailers in the total import is 15%, which is a lot. And what happens is that sometimes the biggest importers of Italian wines are specialized retailers, that is why you should keep them in focus.

“For producers who decided to penetrate Ukrainian market the decision on distribution strategy is one of the first priority. Or you go to traditional importer, and then you will get some national coverage, but knowing distribution system it will take some time, or you can find good and professional modern retailer who would very easily make you good volumes, but then you would be limited to this specific retailer,”– said Pavel Glazov.

The other important side note is cancellation of the import duty. This is something that have been prepared and actively discussed in the professional community in the last 5 years. Since the beginning of 2022 we are going to have a full free trade agreement with European Union, which means that all alcohol import duties are going to be cancelled. Especially it matters a lot for the sparkling wine category, because before the import duty was 1,5 eur per liter, so the difference is quite high, but that was reducing for the last 5 years in equal parts, and honestly speaking for consumers it won´t change much, because majority of operators have already adjusted their prices in the shelves, so now they will just recover their margins. But you have to keep in mind that since 2022, Italian wines immediately, especially the sparkling category, will have a huge advantage over the New World wines.

Sales channels

The modern trade is the biggest part – 43.5%. It includes the direct import, and also the best well -known names are distributed by the traditional importers. The share of specialized trade is huge – 34,2% (Italian wines), so lots of Italians wines became successful through this channel. HoReCa-10,3%, is recovering and growing again, not as much, like in the other Eastern European countries the share of HoReCa is quite small. Traditional trade – 7,7%, but it is only entry-level wines – and then what is important is the E-Commerce – 1,5% which could be perceived a small, but 2 years ago it was nothing-up to the end of the year it could easily grow to 3 to 5%. It growth hugely, especially triggered by the Covid-19 era.

“E-Commerce is becoming a great tool for wine promotion; we need to keep watching this trend!”– said Pavel Glazov.

Future and perspectives

“So, I must say that Ukraine is quite a developed market, the one you should have in mind. The potential is huge. Italy has a great image of being a wine producer and wine tourism destination. Italian wines are driving the category. Italian wines are in fashion. The market is relatively open. All kinds of wines are developing – entry level and premium, still and sparkling, everything is growing, and the potential seems very bright. The bad news is that many producers are already in the market and the competition is growing,” – said Pavel Glazov.

Speaking about innovations, future perspectives and positive trends and projects that appeared in the market in last year, Veronika Busel, the Managing Partner of Wine Travel Awards, introduced the project for the first time to an international audience as an efficient tool to regenerate from the Covid-19 outbreak.

This global initiative, was supported by our partners, Vinitaly Special Edition and to the Italian audience the warm feedback was received by the news that Olga Bussinello, well-recognized Italian wine industry leader joined a Wine Travel Awards as a partner and a member of jury panel member.

The project details and nominee registration procedure you can find in the official www.winetravelawards.com site.

Photo: wine2wine Business Forum 2021

The 8th edition of Wine2Wine Business Forum happened on the 18th and 19th of October 2021 in Verona as a part of the Vinitaly Special Edition program event.