Nov. 19 – It starts today in Japan and it ends in four days time in Thailand. Grandi Marchi Institute is touring Asia with a series of events dedicated to Italian wine: Tokyo, Osaka, Shanghai, and Bangkok.
If Japan and China are already well-established stages for the Institute, Bangkok – an emerging market with strong potential where Italian wine is increasingly becoming a status symbol – is the new icon for 19 Italian wineries. These 19 firms, represented by Grandi Marchi Institute, cover the wine production of over 12 regions and express a total turnover of €420 million, of which 60% export sales account for nearly 6% of the export value of Italian grapes. Piero Antinori, President of the Institute, “the Thai market offers great opportunities for Italian wine. 10% of the population consumes wine and this only represents 3% of the market for alcoholic beverages in the country. However, while the number of consumers has increase, internal taxes are still limiting factors for growth. The consumption of wine imported from European countries has a long history in Thailand but in recent times there has been a strong penetration of wines from Australia and South America at very competitive prices.”
Italian wines are still the most popular after the French. However, the price remains the determining factor for consumer choice, alongside the packaging and labeling.