Regional Institute of Wine and Oil

Vinexpo 2013, boom in Asians

Twenty-nine Sicilian companies participated in the great biennial Vinexpo show in Bordeaux, 2013 edition. From 16 to 20 June: five days that unfolded between tastings and contacts with the press and buyers. Of great interest was the seminar, entitled "Journey to discover the wines of Sicily", conducted by the oenologist Barbara Tamburini and included in the official program of events of the important Bordeaux event.

The seminar recorded the presence of more than sixty international buyers from countries such as India, China, USA, Costa Rica, Korea, Russia, Scandinavian countries and Chile. The blind tasting was structured with a general presentation of Sicily and its its territories, to then move on to the description of the native vines and the tasting of nine products, representative of the territory, selected by the Regional Institute of Wines and Oils of Sicily.

“The appreciation was notable – comments IRVOS director Lucio Monte – and many of the buyers who attended also subsequently visited the stand and requested direct contact with the producers. We are therefore satisfied with Sicilian participation in the great event in Bordeaux. The companies obtained many contacts from international operators, laying important foundations for subsequent commercial agreements. This year – concludes Monte – we have committed ourselves with all our strength to promoting Born in Sicily in the world and we are sure that it was the best investment, in the short and long term, that could be made for the sector”.

This year's Sicilian stand was conceived as an open space with a single workstation for each winery. Inspired by the philosophy of the territories, the stand boasted images provided by the Cricd, the Regional Center for the inventory, cataloging and documentation of the cultural heritage of the Sicilian Region. Shots that represented the territories of the companies they belong to. Among the scheduled events, free tastings managed by two professional sommeliers who, if necessary, gave information on the wines, referring them to the companies for further information and commercial contacts. And then the workshops conducted by Patrick Maclart, French wine journalist and blogger: a wine for every occasion, a selection of wines from the participating wineries for each day of the Bordeaux show. Many Asians were present as well as well-known sommeliers, including the European champion.