F&BWG WeChat Mini Program Officially Launched

To visit the group's new WeChat Mini Program, scan the QR code below:

The China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC) together with its Food & Beverage Working Group (F&BWG) held the webinar “After the Harvest: the Future of Italian Wine in China” on October 19th, 2022.

The webinar was attended by around 40 people who brought a lot of questions about Italian wines in the Chinese market.

Cristina Corsini, Coordinator of the F&BWG and CEO of Good Italy Group, opened the discussion with a presentation of the Food & Beverage Working Group, while Davide Fassari, Vice Coordinator of the F&BWG and CEO of Dynamigs, officially launched the new F&BWG mini program.

The webinar was moderated by Edward Liu, Vice Coordinator of the F&BWG and President of Sinodrink.

The discussion began with an analysis of the pros and cons of moving the harvesting and production processes of Italian wineries directly to China. While this could be a good way to cope with the restrictions on imported wine, it might not be the best solution in the long term: not all kinds of grapes are suitable to be grown in China and the quality of the final product is extremely important to the customers. Chinese customers’ awareness of quality foreign wines has also increased in the past years, so in order for Italian wines to stand out among the great variety of Chinese local wines the best course of action would be to focus on quality and be consistent with it, increase the brand awareness and be persistent with a long term mindset.

"One of the strengths of Italian wine is its diversity: learn to communicate this uniqueness and make it a sales opportunity." - Denise Cosentino, Technical Manager at Domaine de Long Dai-DBR Lafite-Rothschild

It was noted that the increased product awareness of Chinese customers is also of great significance. When Italian wineries presented their products ten years ago, the customers didn’t know much about foreign wine; today however the market is more mature and customers are younger and more knowledgeable about Italy; they actively look for the wineries and want to know the winemaker, sometimes they even ask for varieties Italians are not familiar with. The best-selling varieties of Italian wine in China seem to divide between famous and popular brands and the varieties from South Italy with a soft and sweet aftertaste. Customers have also been increasingly switching from cheap brands to more expensive wines with added value. Despite the difficult situation, this might be the right time for Italian wine.

It’s important to have a good strategy, believe in the Chinese market and keep trying. Companies should keep alternating between digital and offline events and focus on working smaller, smarter, and more efficiently.

"This is one of the most challenging times ever for the wine and spirits industry in China. The role of Veronafiere/Vinitaly is to be close to the wineries and the importers. Together with the Italian Trade Agency and CICC, we need to find smart ways to help the business and be ready when things start to be better." - Simone Incontro, General Manager Greater China of Verona Fiere S.p.A.

Once the Covid situation finally passes it’ll be crucial to be present on the market and have good business partners to help navigate the Chinese market. Working with professionals who live and understand China and, most importantly, Chinese customers, is the key. Foreign companies mustn’t try to change the market but adapt to it and add value to their products while learning and respecting the Chinese culture. 

"We must stop painting the Chinese market as an Eldorado. Because today doing business in China is more complicated than ever. This means fewer opportunities for everyone but also great satisfaction for those companies will make it!" - Enrico Palmentieri, General Manager and Co-Founder of Interprocom

"One of the challenges is more a cultural matter, from my personal point of view, and it is for us to convince the local consumers to combine Italian wines and Chinese food. Once we achieve this, we have a big chance to sell a lot of Italian Wines in China." - Cristiano Bernardi, CEO & Founder of F5

JOIN THE F&B WECHAT MINI PROGRAM!

The Food and Beverage Working Group (F&BWG) of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce has developed a WeChat Mini Program dedicated to the companies that are part of the group.

The main goal of the WeChat Mini Program platform is to allow the F&BWG Members to virtually showcase their brands and products, offering links to external websites for e-marketing or sale.

To learn more about the Mini Program and find out how to join it, contact us at infoshanghai@cameraitacina.com