Bordeaux, 8 October 2015 – Vinexpo Hong Kong, the leading international wine and spirits trade show, will be making Italy guest of honour at its next session, to be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 24 to 26 May 2016.

A loyal Vinexpo exhibitor, Italy ranks second only to France as the country most represented at the show. Italian production will be in the spotlight at the next Vinexpo Hong Kong to give more insight into the diversity of Italian wines and spirits. Details of the programme, which will feature plenty of talks, tastings and special events, will be released over the coming months.

“ Vinexpo is the partner of the wine and spirits trade. Its objective consists in promoting the vast range of wines and spirits that exists in the world and to develop business opportunities for the producers on an international scale. ” explained Guillaume Deglise, Vinexpo CEO. “ Naming a country of honour and paying tribute to its production at the same time as helping the country to raise its profile and boost sales is part of Vinexpo’s missions.” he adds.

A key industry player
Italy is a major wine-producing country. It is the world’s leading global exporter of wine by volume, alternates with France as the world’s top wine producer, depending on the vintage, and ranks 3rd in the world for wine consumption by volume.

Italian wine exports have grown substantially in recent years, rising from 197 million 9-litre cases in 2009 to 204 million in 2013 (i.e. 2.44 billion bottles). Its main export markets are northern Europe and North America.

But China is also importing increasing volumes of Italian wine: 4.54 million 9-litre cases are exported to the region every year, making Italy the 5th biggest wine supplier to China and 6th biggest to Hong Kong. Opportunities to develop this market are still considerable. Being in the spotlight at Vinexpo Hong Kong will further raise the profile of Italian wine producers and help increase their market share.