July 2, 2015 – The program “Italy in China” continues, as the three-year plan – promoted jointly by Grandi Marchi and the Italia del Vino Consortium – brings Italian wine to the Celestial Empire. July 6-11 27 top wine influencer – sommeliers, journalists, managers and operators – from China and Hong Kong, will arrive in Italy for an educational tours of vineyards and wineries, featuring training sessions and tastings. The goal is increase the proportion of Italian wine through direct knowledge of Italian ‘know-how’ and wine quality. Two tours have been organized by the associations, and they will bring the Chinese ‘ambassadors of Italian wine’ to Calabria, Puglia, Campania, Liguria and Marche, completing their experience of Italian wine at Expo Milan. For the President of the Institute of Italian wine quality Grandi Marchi, Piero Mastroberardino: “This project opens the way for more targeted and effective strategies to improve our position in China, from which we are receiving encouraging signals. The first quarter of 2015 registered a growth in the value for Italian exports of 20.3%, equal to €14.5 million more compared to the same period of 2014. This is an important result that tells us that there is still much work to do in terms of education and information to bring and retain Chinese consumers.” (Red)