Nov. 25 – After Hong Kong, Veronafiere’s tour continues to promote Italian wines abroad. This time the destination is Moscow, where today and tomorrow the Swiss Hotel Krasnye Holmy will host the 10th edition of Vinitaly International Russia. The event will see the participation of a delegation of Italian producers to meet the local press and operators. The objective of the mission is more ambitious than ever: strengthen the appreciation of Italian wine on the Russian market, which, according to the International Wine and Spirit Research, will become within three years the 7th country for consumers, with 1,053 million liters of wine consumed each year. Vinitaly is thus a precious opportunity for Italian producers, already in the lead as exporters of sparkling wines (17 000 liters sold in 2012) and only second for volume of exported bottled wine (44 000 liters in 2012). The goal will be to maintain the lead in the first and gaining a bigger market share in the second; but to do so, the Italians have to deal with a stifling bureaucracy and the recent ban on alcoholic beverage advertising. These obstacles , make it increasingly difficult for foreign producers to communicate and promote their wine products. “The Russian market is experiencing a revival – said Ettore Riello, President of VeronaFiere – and today the population is willing to spend more. They are not buying wine, but rather the whole mix of history, tradition, quality and lifestyle associated with it. Working for and with our producers and exhibitors in the name of Italian wine helps strengthen this position in the Russian market, benefitting the whole country we represent.” ” After the more than positive experience in Hong Kong, where the number of exhibitors tripled and we got an amazing response from the public, Veronafiere is ready to concretely support Italian producers – said Giovanni Mantovani, Director General of VeronaFiere – with a mission to the heart of the Russian market. The event will target Russian specialists, and we will speak with a single voice, making contacts and developing the system know-how. This way, we offer our exhibitors an important opportunity for the promotional and commercial insertion into a market that has lots of potential, but that is very difficult to approach.”