Feature News

SHANGHAI, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Co-hosted by Veronafiere, Buonitalia, the Italian Trade Commission and Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd. (SIEC), the 11th Vinitaly China will be held on November 5-6 at Le Royal Meridien Shanghai. As part of the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, Vinitaly China returns to Shanghai, presenting wine fans in the city the charms of Italian wines and providing them with a great opportunity to taste various Italian wines.

According to statistics from Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) and ISMEA, Italy produced approximately 4.6 billion liters of wine last year, while this year's production of wine with superior quality and purity is slightly lower than the country's average level in the most recent five years at around 4.8 billion liters. Red and white wine production accounts for approximately 55 percent and 45 percent respectively of the total.

China has been a market coveted by international wine giants. Today, many brands have entered the market. As China's wine market grows, more foreign wine brands will enter the country. According to customs statistics, China imported 160,000 kiloliters of wine in 2008, up 36 percent year on year. Wine imports for the first seven months of 2009 totaled 85,000 kiloliters, an increase of 32.5 percent from a year earlier. Wine is beneficial to health. China's economic, social, and cultural changes have made drinking wine a custom in some large Chinese cities. China has surpassed Japan to become Asia's largest wine consuming country. For a long period to come, the wine market in China will continue to evolve into an important link in the world's wine industry chain. Like consumers in other countries, Chinese consumers are showing enthusiasm beyond imagination for quality, branded wine, based on their deep understanding of wine culture, which is expected to bring China's market energy and potential. Currently, the market is 30 and 70 percent owned by imported and homemade wine, respectively. The market share of imported wine is expected to continue to expand, with the increasing popularity of wine among Chinese consumers and their demand for better quality. China will become a major wine market, as the economy recovers and Chinese people's purchasing power improves.

Vinitaly has been an exchange platform for Italian wines as well as a prestigious event held annually in Verona for the wine industry for more than four decades. This year's event features a net exhibition area of more than 92,325 square meters and attracted more than 4,217 exhibitors and 151,216 visitors from around the world. Vinitaly has become the most prestigious, important and requisite platform for the wine industry. As China's only trade event for professional exhibition of Italian wines, Vinitaly China has interpreted the Italian wine culture for Chinese wine enthusiasts since 1998, and established a business and wine culture promotion platform in China for all personages in the wine industry, including winemakers, Italian international buyers, importers and exporters, distributors, catering service providers, sommeliers, correspondents and wine enthusiasts. It is not only a taste of Italian wine and cuisine but an experience of travel in Italy.

This year's Vinitaly China in Shanghai will bring delicate Italian cuisine and high quality wines. The press conference and opening ceremony of the fair will be held at Le Royal Meridien Shanghai on the evening of November 5, offering media agencies, dealers and guests an exciting opportunity to meet with prestigious wine makers. On November 6, the fair will open to professionals and wine enthusiasts, with 60 wine producers from all of the Italian regions, including Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Apulia, Sardinia and Sicily, showcasing a variety of Italian wines. In addition, two tasting events, The Next Quality Experience seminar organized by the Italian Winemakers Association and a seminar presenting Wines from Sicily hosted by I'Istituto Regionale della Vite e del Bino, will be held.

We look forward to seeing you at the 11th Vinitaly China, a must-visit wine carnival.