Shanghai Hosts Vinitaly China 2009
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Co-hosted by Veronafiere, Buonitalia, the Italian Trade Commission and Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd. (SIEC), the 11th Vinitaly China was held on November 5th and 6th, at Le Royal Meridien Shanghai. As part of the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, Vinitaly China returned 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 46 million hectoliters (1,215 million gallons) of wine in 2008. In 2009 the production shows superior quality, though it is slightly lower than the country's average for the last five years, with a total of around 48 million hectoliters (around 1,270 mllion gallons). Red and white wine production account for approximately 55% and 45% of the total respectively.
China has been a sought-after market by international wine giants, and today many international brands are present on the market. As China's wine market grows, more foreign wine brands will enter the country. [For more information read the article "Wine and Spring Rolls: A Look at the Chinese Wine Market," by CRCC Asia Ltd. analyst, Yuebai Liu.]
According to customs statistics, in 2008 China imported 1.6 million hectoliters (about 422.67 million gallons) of wine, up 36% over the previous year. Wine imports for the first seven months of 2009 totaled 8,500 hectoliters (about 224.54 million gallons), with an increase of 32.5% over the first seven months of 2008. The perception that wine is beneficial to health, along with China's current economic, social, and cultural changes, have made drinking wine a custom in some large Chinese cities. In fact, China has surpassed Japan and it is currently Asia's largest wine consuming country. There's the justifiable expectation that, as Chinese consumers acquire better understanding and more familiarization with wine culture, China's wine market will energize and bloom. Currently, the market is split between 30% for imported wine, and 70% for national products. As wine educated Chinese consumers increase their demand for better quality, the market share of imported wine is expected to expand further, and China is poised to become one of the major wine markets in the world.
The press conference and opening ceremony took place on November the 5th, offering Chinese media agencies, journalists, distributors, buyers and wine experts the exciting opportunity to meet respected Italian wine makers.
This year's Vinitaly exhibition area was over 92,325 square meters, and featured 60 wine producers from various Italian wine regions, including Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Apulia, Sardinia and Sicily. In addition to the walk-around tasting, a seminar organized by the Italian Winemakers Association, entitled 'The Next Quality Experience', and a guided tasting featuring 'Wines from Sicily', hosted by I'Istituto Regionale della Vite e del Vino (Regional Institute of the Vineyards and Wine), took place.
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