Light, funny and bubbly, of course! In just two years, the “Pink Wine” from Apulia – also known by its Italian name Puglia, pronounced “pulia”- triumphed in New York City. This is what the Summer Fancy Food 2022, the largest U.S. show devoted exclusively to specialty foods and beverages, tells us. In three days, a crowd of guests, foreign buyers, specialized press and wine lovers – more than ten thousand – could taste and fall in love with the rosé made in Apulia.
Regione Puglia, together with Puglia in Rosé Association, Donne del Vino (Wine Women) and Movimento del Turismo del Vino, supported a series of exclusive events, both off and within the Summer Fancy Food, including a cruise around Manhattan with a spectacular wine tasting on the Hudson River, to promote around 40 wine producers, with their excellent white, pink and red wines and some local olive oil producers.
“Puglia Wine World showcased an outstanding action plan in this period of great recovery and growth of American tourism in Italy. Productive capacity of wine in Apulia is incredible, and that is one of the reasons for this success,” said Fabrizio Di Michele, the Italian General Consul in New York, during one of the off-site events at the acclaimed restaurant “Il Gattopardo”, especially renowned among New York businessmen. “The American market is still somehow influenced by the ‘French monopoly’, but it is giving increasing value to the wine made in Apulia, especially to the rosé, that is the flag-bearer for the promotion of Italian wines abroad. This is a very important challenge for us, even more so in a city as sophisticated and demanding as New York City,” said Di Michele.
Challenge accepted for the Italian pink bubbles, eager to compete with their famous French cousins on the other side of the Alps, and to make headway in those generations looking for light, funny and bubbly experiences; in other words a light, comfy, lively and vibrant wine. Those generations are the ones setting new trends for the industry, especially in the American market, Antonino Laspina, executive director of ICE, Italian Trade Agency, explained.
“Three years ago, our contribution was negligible, compared to the French rosé wine. In just a few years our market share has grown considerably, thanks to educational activities and to the Apulian wine makers, well versed in shaping their work according to market trends. We are definitely looking at a favorable period for those products that can meet the expectations of Millennials, Gen Z’s and the so called “Perennials”, those who are enjoying a more affluent and longer life span, allowing them to splurge on Italian products. Industry experts say that the trend of rosé is meant to persist for a long time”.
These and other encouraging data coming from the export industry, show a 26% increase in the exports in 2021 compared to 2016, with a major advance of rosé wines in the last three years, achieving a 53% increase compared to 2019. Among extra-European markets, the United States is the top one for demand of Apulian wines, according to Winemonitor. Indeed, there has been a 75% increase in demand of wines made in Apulia in the USA in 2021, compared to 2016, followed by Germany and China.
Those results are a reward for the competence and technology; but most importantly, for the variety in our wine panorama, Gianluca Nardone, head of department of Agriculture, Puglia Region, said at one of the Summer Fancy Food events.
“Our wines are excellent. We have 500 wine producers, with a wine growing area as large as that of Australia, and sixteen native grape varieties. We have many small producers with specific products that are in strong demand, and also many new and innovative ones offering organic and natural wines, aligning themselves with current trends. Thanks to all of this and to the authentic experiences offered by our culture, Apulia makes the difference in Italy and in the world”. So, let’s raise our glasses and cheer this new Italian “vie en rose“: life in the pink.
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