The 50th edition of Vinitaly has just ended, and the important anniversary was celebrated with a great success of visitors and exhibitors. The numbers leave no doubt: 130,000 attendees in five days; 4100 exhibitors from 30 countries; 100,000 net square meters of exhibition space.
A success that rides on the excellent health of the Italian wine sector, which in 2015 saw exports grow by 6.5% reaching a turnover of €5.4 billion, of which €1.8 billion went to the Chinese market. The 2016 edition of Vinitaly was certainly the best ever, in fact the organizers have managed to solve some long-standing problems typical of the Verona kermesse, let's see the main ones.
Audience.
It's okay that getting drunk at Vinitaly is not at all difficult, but fortunately this year there were no more of those unseemly spectacles of small groups of kids and adults slumped on the floor at five in the afternoon. This result was perhaps due to the price of the entrance ticket that arrived at 80 euros, which created a better selection at the entrance.
Fivi+Vivit=Wow.
The eighth was the pavilion of every wine lover's erotic dreams and the flagship of Vinitaly 2016. Wine in purity and simplicity, leaving design stands, porn star hostesses and gadget hunting out the door. A return to the origins and the true nature of Italian regional winemaking that has gained wide appreciation from the public and the trade.
The outhouse.
At last, a real integration between Vinitaly and Verona was seen. One of the most beautiful cities in Italy was waiting for nothing more than to be enhanced during this kermesse as well. The schedule of events was certainly perfectible, but already with this format the result has been achieved, and from the next edition onward it will only get better.
On some things, however, there is still work to be done, in that order:
- the quality of the catering inside the fair (sandwiches that could only be chosen in two flavors: pressed cardboard or rubber sole);
- traffic in and out of the fairgrounds area (more like stationary than chaotic);
- club and hotel prices (the "Pluck the chicken now!" mentality endures indefatigably);
- the toilets (still unworthy of a civilized country, though slightly less disastrous than in the past).
This was a summary of the best and worst of Vinitaly 2016. We hope that next year will go even better, because we are convinced that the potential of Italian enology is still not fully exploited and understood, both abroad and at home.
Sources:
Slowfood.com/
Correttainformazione.it
