Apr. 8 – “In ten years of joint activities, we traveled almost 800.000 kilometers to promote Italian wine in the world. It is as if we went twice to the moon. But traveling is a key component in making our wine go truly global. It’s easier to accompany the wine you’ve produced for centuries abroad and introduce it with the right words and passion to potential buyers,” says Piero Antinori, president of the Institute of Italian Wine “Grandi Marchi,” which is currently participating in Vinitaly to underscore the institute’s longstanding engagement in internationalization policies. Antinori was representative to the Scientific Committee of the Wine Pavilion at Expo 2015. The 19 wineries represented by Grandi Marchi invested, in the past ten years, about €60 million in promotion, of which €18 million from CMO funds in the last 5 years. On top of these, € 5.15 million were jointly invested in common shares of the Institute. The promotion activity was carried out “through the construction of the image of Italian wine in emerging markets,” (as stipulated in the Institute’s Articles). More specifically, Grandi Marchi carried out 248 international missions in 18 target countries, and held almost 50.000 targeted meetings with buyers and journalists. It has also organized hundreds of initiatives (75 walk around tasting, 74 seminars, 39 gala dinners, and countless press conferences). “Among the most significant actions that we pursued, there is the partnership with the Institute of Masters of Wine, the London academy composed of 312 international members trained to become the most qualified and influential experts in wine. It is no coincidence – continued Antinori – if this year their four-year symposium will make its debut in Italy, Florence, on May 15-18. This is an event strongly supported by Grandi Marchi, which will bring Italy to the attention of the most influential international circles.”
