Gastronomy and Wine Portal

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.

Dr. Caroline Gilby is a Master of Wine, freelance writer and a consultant, specializing on Central and Eastern Europe. At the International Economic Forum 2021, where Drinks+ was a media partner, she was talking about the usage of native grape varieties in building a marketing narrative.

Why does lack of varieties matter? The varieties matter a lot in Central and Eastern Europe because they offer point of difference in the world looking for the next big thing. The old world be done, the new world is the interpretation of the old world. CEE is s vast huge area with the authentic long history with wine. And grapes that have evolved been selected for the place where they are.

It means if you get people connect select grape that is yours, it connects purchases to your country or your wine region as well. And then it can be used for building a part of a regional story based on an authentic history and a point of difference in the world.

Honestly, stories matter because winemaking nowadays is genially pretty good, the quality of wine is great and that applies in CEE as well. So, what makes you stand out from the mass is the stories. And people like people, they remember the stories about the people behind the wines. Wine is a part of the place as well, of a culture, a history and the people who shape the wines.

The downside of this is of course less well-known, hard-to-pronounce, hard-to-spell grape varieties, maybe with too many accents or not enough vowels. It can be quite challenging, particularly if you try to promote a grape variety from a country nobody ever heard of.

Apart from that, in countries that have strong domestic market such as Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, the young generation of people coming into wine actually sees the international grape varieties as a glamourous thing. They are not the things that their parents used to drink. So, building a marketing story of local grape varieties to them too is quite important. This is because the volume basing the domestic market earns wineries a lot of money.

In contrast, there are other markets where it is quite impossible, for instance, North Macedonia, Moldova, where the domestic market is so small, that it is all about export. There is a dichotomy, a balance required between what the domestic market wants and what the export market wants.

The other problem is local grapes – not all of them have quality potential. And even when they do have quality potential, most of these grapes have only been being five, ten, maximum 30 years in a new era. So, there is still a question of work in progress for some of them.

If you want to flagship grape, what must it deliver? It must deliver quality; it must be able to reflect a sense of place for that connection to the region and the country and be planted in reasonably substantial quantities. There is no point in trying to develop a flagship grape if it is planted on 10 or 30 hectares. In addition, it hasn’t got to be too difficult to grow and vinify because that does bring challenges, as well as not too hard to spell and pronounce whatever language.

It also helps to have a track record to show it is not just a flash in the pan. The connection to history, to a renowned wine, a reputation over decades, if not centuries, is quite helpful in building a story.

Caroline Gilby was asked to talk about Romanian grape varieties that might have a potential to become a flagship based on the data of full recent plantings of key local grape varieties. She highlighted the potential of Feteasca Neagra leading over the way – over 3,000 hectares, grown all over the country and there are a few examples of even great wines appearing here and now (however, lots of progress in terms of quality is still required). And it does willing blends, it can age. Feteasca Neagra has the potential to be a flagship for Romania.

“Other local grape varieties can be really interesting, deliver a point of difference, make attractive wines, but I don’t think any of them, at the moment, can be flagships. They can be flagships through a winery and a region, a part of the mosaic of what the country is all about,” noted Ms. Gilby.

It is important if you are going to promote an indigenous grape variety to use an authentic name, even though it might be difficult to pronounce or spell. Translating, for example, Feteasca Neagra to Black Maiden makes it sound detached and doubly. “I would not personally translate,” remarked Ms. Gilby.

Key learnings from Ms. Gilby’s hands-on experience are the following:

• Work out if it is a great variety or is something else.
• Plan strategically – build awareness from momentum over 7 years. Think about diverse but linked themes, so you’re not just repeating the same story over a year.
• Make sure the wineries commit to their own money and their personal engagement.
• Think about the audience – is it trade, are you building awareness, do you want press coverage, do you want to have more distributors to sell your wine?
• Don’t forget to track the outcomes and what you are going to achieve. Do you want to bring wines to the audience or the audience to you? Don’t rely on government money because it comes with politics. It really helps if you can build wine specific and credible PR in the country with people that really know the market, who the key people are, and so on.
• Show a united front, even those who are behind the curtains, work together. This is what Wines of Macedonia, Wines of Moldova do brilliantly, and many other wineries.

Photo: hungarianwines.eu, mastersofwine.org, villamelnik.com, revino.ro

Dr. Caroline Gilby is a Master of Wine, freelance writer and a consultant, specializing on Central and Eastern Europe. At the International Economic Forum 2021, where Drinks+ was a media partner, she was talking about the usage of native grape varieties in building a marketing narrative.

Drinks+ joined the 5th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism the focus of which was on the contribution of wine tourism to social and economic regional integration and its great potential to generate development opportunities in remote rural destinations.

The second day of the 5th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism hosted the panel discussion “Wine pairs with…Food”. It raised the question of how wine tourism can become a specific local experience for which people will be eager to come all over the world.

Mauro Carbone, General Manager, Ente Turismo Langhe Monferrato Roero (Italy), notes that the region of Piedmont is visited by many tourists from different countries, and they come mainly to taste our food and wine. One can ask why they come specifically in Piedmont if they can have its wines everywhere in the world?

“85% of our top-level wines – Barolo, Barbaresco, Asti Spumante and now also Barbera that are typical for our region – are exported and tasted all over the world. So, why do the tourists come to us to taste the same wine they have in their city?” wondered Mr. Carbone.

“We need to offer the same food with the same wine, but not the same atmosphere, not the same emotions.”

The same question concerns food. If an American from New York wants to have a delicious Italian pasta, he doesn’t need to make thousands of kilometres to come to Italy for this purpose. So, what should we do?

“We need to have skilled people to perform miracles. We need to offer the same food with the same wine, but not the same atmosphere, not the same emotions,” convinced Mauro Carbone.

In his turn, Chef Diogo Rocha shared what the importance and challenge of building such a brand as Mesa de Lemos was. The geographical accessibility may be considered a challenge because the restaurant is located in the district of Viseu (Portugal), outside of a big city. However, the advantage is it traditionally proposes other kind of concepts and gastronomy and historically known as “a good food”. It demonstrates the authenticity of Portugal.

“When we opened Mesa de Lemos, we became probably one of the few Michelin star restaurants that used our own produced wines as we are in the middle of winery. That builds the connection regarding rural development. I think wine tourism is also pottery, sausages – everything that we put on the table. And wine will taste completely different because we are in that environment,” noted Chef Rocha.

“I think wine tourism is also pottery, sausages – everything that we put on the table.”

It is important to identify resources that make one unique from all points of view – destination, gastronomy and wine, culture. Enjoying all the aspects makes one’s model of wine tourism successful.

Mauro Carbone highlighted two necessary aspects – rural and cultural because there is a problem of accessibility. To go in the wine region without understanding its wine and food phenomenon seems like “someone read a very good book for me but in a language that I do not know. The experience is extremely important because it permits me to understand what I am eating and drinking.”

To have a wow experience with wine and food, you need a good storytelling. Moreover, there is a need of different storytelling, different offers, and experiences for different people. This requires a well-organized tourism strategy and access for wine experiences which means a work with producers, institutions, public and private representatives.

Diogo Rocha added: “What I do not want is that my client feels the same as the one sitting next to him. Customization is the right way, especially in wine tourism which relates to the quality. We are talking about something more than an experience – about feelings and emotions that are transmitted through wine tourism. The emotion is our reaction on what we eat and what we drink.”

Drinks+ joined the 5th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism the focus of which was on the contribution of wine tourism to social and economic regional integration and its great potential to generate development opportunities in remote rural destinations.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Visit Portugal and the city of Reguengos de Monsaraz organized the 5th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism. It has been holding on 9-10 September 2021 in Reguengos de Monsaraz (Alentejo), Portugal, as well as in an online format.

On September 9, Drinks+ joined the 5th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism online and ready to highlight the key points of the first day to our readers. The wine tourism issue seems topical and important for Drinks+ Communication Media Group, and the launch of the Wine Travel Awards is a proof of it.

The Conference is organized under the theme ‘Wine Tourism – a driver for rural development’ and focuses on the contribution of wine tourism to social and economic regional integration and its great potential to generate development opportunities in remote rural destinations.

In the session “Wine Paris with…Innovation”, answering the question what the role of Portugal wine industry in the world is, Adrian Bridge, CEO of The Fladgate Partnership, made a focus on a global level:

“For me, with the World of Wine, I will count success when we are on the bucket list of everybody in Asia or from Brazil or much more far from the places. We see we are going to attract people who come over for a long weekend, but I think it’s absolutely possible to have people who will fly from Asia and go specifically in Porto in order to visit the World of Wine. And in order to achieve that we have to be excellent in every single thing we do. And I think that is what Portugal can deliver.”

His panel colleague, Florence Maffrand, Marketing and Partnership Manager in Cite du Vin, highlighted the importance of the intercultural connection in the wine world: “Opening doors and realizing that wine is much more than just a product, that it is cultural, what we share among all the countries – is essential.” She emphasizes that it is important to build bridges between the wine regions in order to communicate the message better.

After the session, the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between UNWTO and Tourism Innovation Center Portugal (NEST) took place.

André de Aragão Azevedo, Secretary of State for Digital Transition, Portugal, stated: “With this MOU, we are talking about promoting innovations and researching this area with all the stakeholders involved, fostering entrepreneurship, taking advantage of the startups’ capacity and attract more talents to our country, as well as promote sustainability.”

The EU defined a minimum threshold of investment in digital transition of 20% of the recovery funding, however Portugal has decided to go above this amount. This is what may become possible – to coinvest in this project. “We will be investing 3,75 million in the coming five years to materialize this project and to be able to fulfil this important strategy,” continued André de Aragão Azevedo.

After the MOU signature, the session “Brave people face up to challenges” followed. At the beginning, Paul Madray, CEO of Pixwine (USA) shaped new post-Covid tendencies for wine industry. According to McMillan, before COVID-19, online sales represented 2% of total sales for an average winery. By November 2020, those sales soared to an average of 10% of total revenue. By 2030, online sales could grow to 20% of the average winery’s revenue.

Mr. Madray is sure that the money the industry make should be invested in the industry itself to make it only better. “The only constant in this world is change. And as a result of Covid, we are now in the industry that adapting in ways we have never been before,” he concluded.

If we recall wine industry before Covid, it was all about getting people to the winery, making them the best welcome possible, offering services that are more as an experience rather that simple wine tasting, and sharing the story of your winery, culture, company. It was important to make sure the visitors would remember not only your wine, but your “heart” – the story, the experience they had. Storytelling made you different from your neighbour and other wineries.

“In Portugal, we started to build the wine routes around 25 years ago, however they “died” from natural causes, because people were not ready at that time, they were not professionals working in wine tourism. They did not open their wineries on weekend, they did not answer the calls for reservations,” recalled Frederico Falcão, Chairman of Viniportugal. In contrast, tourism, as well as enotourism has been booming in Portugal for the last few years.

The study done by Viniportugal shows the strong connection between foreign tourists traveling to Portugal and the Portuguese exports to those countries. There is huge interdependence between the wine tourism Portugal has from Brazil or the USA and its increasing wine exports to those countries.

The interesting tendency the Covid brought is domestic wine tourism, in particular going to the countryside. For example, people all over Argentina travelled to Mendoza to taste its beautiful wines. As Catherine Leparmentier Dayot, Managing Director, Great Wine Capitals Global Network, remarked:

“People went much more to the countryside than to the big sea resorts. Last summer, 30% of people in France went on holidays, vacations to the countryside. That is how people feel safe. Small groups in wineries, outside wine tastings, outside activities in the vineyard are easily provided. Accommodations in the vineyards are mainly guest houses – 4-5 rooms at maximum.”

This is what people expect and this is what wine industry can offer – safe activities. Wine tourism is a beautiful niche of tourism and people will come back faster to it than to any other.

There are many more interesting to share about the 5th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism, so Drinks+ is diving into the second day of the conference which takes place on September 10.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Visit Portugal and the city of Reguengos de Monsaraz organized the 5th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism. It has been holding on 9-10 September 2021 in Reguengos de Monsaraz (Alentejo), Portugal, as well as in an online format.