Shenzhen, 15 May 2026. From Shenzhen to Southeast Asia. The 4th edition of Wine to Asia organized by Veronafiere Asia Ltd was inaugurated yesterday at the Futian Centre in the Chinese metropolis with a focus on the area's emerging markets as a strategic lever for the international growth of the wine & spirits and extra virgin olive oil sectors.
More than 400 exhibitors from over 20 countries are taking part until 16 May. The Italian delegation of 50 companies represents by Piedmont, Veneto, Tuscany, and Puglia promoted in collaboration with ITA-Italian Trade Agency. Around 15,000 professionals are expected to attend from Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Hong Kong and Macao area, thanks to a targeted incoming campaign specifically aimed at buyers, HORECA operators, and major importers in Asia, such as Zefiro, KC, All in Wine, GVS, Globally, and Green Magnolia, all of whom have already been accredited. Analysis by the Uiv-Vinitaly Observatory indicated that Asian buyers are expected to resume purchasing, with orders for wine expected to increase by 0.5% through to 2029.
«Wine To Asia today is the landmark for the Chinese market and the main countries in Southeast Asia, areas that are currently decisive for the growth prospects of Italian wine. The event is part of the international programme developed by Veronafiere with the Vinitaly brand, alongside current operations among others in Brazil with Wine South America, and Vinitaly.USA in New York in October. The objective is to strengthen the positioning of Italian companies on international markets, create new business opportunities and consolidate relationships with qualified buyers and operators selected and subsequently invited to Vinitaly itself in Verona», said the President of Veronafiere, Federico Bricolo, at the opening ceremony of the exhibition. Other speakers included the Italian ambassador to China, Massimo Ambrosetti, the President of ITA-Italian Trade Agency, Matteo Zoppas, and greetings by Haobo Yang, Deputy Director of CCPIT Shenzhen, the most important trade body in the country and the metropolitan area with a population of nearly 80 million people.
Wine To Asia is Vinitaly's outpost on this market, boasting a dynamic and contemporary format ranging from wine to spirits, NoLo and mixology, combining business with a schedule of events and international guests. The programme includes Lorenzo Antinori of Bar Leone, Hong Kong, number one in the World's 50 Best Bars 2025; Ring Zhao, founder of the renowned Bar Choice and curator of the Asian Tea Cocktail Bar section of the event; Vivian di Papuwa, one of Chengdu's best-known bartenders and Adrian Xu of Bar Bruma in Shenzhen. The Raw Wine area also makes its debut, with more than 60 producers from 15 countries, also attended by Isabelle Legeron MW, the first French woman to earn the title of Master of Wine and founder of the international community dedicated to natural, biodynamic, and low-intervention organic wines. The schedule is completed by well over 20 events, including master classes and experiences led by Masters of Wine Wei Xing and Pedro Ballesteros, together with wine communicators JC Viens and Filippo Bartolotta.
The focus in Shenzhen is also on extra virgin olive oil with SOL Expo Asia. The extra virgin olive oil event (scheduled at Veronafiere 28 February-2 March 2027) returns to Wine to Asia with a dedicated area and a non-stop tasting programme of 16 olive oils winning Sol d'Oro Awards in 2026 led by Marino Giorgetti and Na Xie, respectively President and member of the competition's international jury. In the meantime, the Greater Bay Area Wine Week will accompany Wine to Asia until 17 May with a wide-ranging calendar of events and tastings specifically for enthusiasts and new consumers. This off-site event will involve some of the trendiest restaurants and venues in the nine cities of Guangdong province, as well as the Hong Kong and Macau areas.
This offering meets the great attention for made in Italy products among Chinese consumers, as confirmed by the Italian ambassador to China, Massimo Ambrosetti, in his speech: «Italy is perceived very positively in China, as confirmed by the recent meeting of the Italian-Chinese Joint Economic Commission in April with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. This constructive and forward-looking cooperation helps promote Italy to the rapidly growing Chinese audience, both socio-economic and culturally. There is keen interest in Italy: this is demonstrated by the constant expansion of Chinese tourism and growing attention on local social media, where Italy and its territories are increasingly well-known. Chinese travellers seek authentic experiences, even outside the main iconic destinations, and wine is an extraordinary magnet since it interprets the excellence of our regions. Our commitment is to make Italy as a whole increasingly known - and now is the right time to do so: there is fierce competition, but results can be very important if we work in the right direction. In this context, Vinitaly and its Wine to Asia event is an example and success story that has grown over the years. This is the third time I have spoken here, and I can clearly see a path of continuous development, with significant impact for our traditional trade sectors».
This is why promotion becomes strategic and must be coordinated in the best possible way, as Matteo Zoppas, President of ITA-Italian Trade Agency, pointed out: «China is a strategic market, not the least because it is becoming increasingly open, with a growing segment of its enormous population now having the spending power to purchase Italian products. We must therefore stay ahead of this phase and be more active. Wine to Asia today is an occasion with enormous potential: and it is precisely why we have doubled the number of companies in the ITA group show compared to last year. Italian cuisine is a fundamental asset - recently recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO - that can be a crucial vehicle for introducing Italian wine to local consumers through our restaurants abroad. At the same time, it is also important to work on pairings with local cuisines. We must promote the culture of our labels, because other gastronomic traditions and their specific pairings are increasingly starting to welcome Italian produce - and not just wine - into their food pairings».
The opening ceremony of the 4th Wine to Asia event in Shenzen until 16 May was also attended by the Consul General of Italy in Guangzhou, Valerio De Parolis; Director of ICE Beijing with responsibility for China and Mongolia, Francesco Pensabene; Director of ICE Guangzhou, Andrea Maccanico; President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China, Gianni De Giovanni; Danijel Nikolic, Assistant Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Republic of Serbia; Yaacov Lopez, Consul General of Israel in Guangzhou; Daniel Dominguez Cantu, Acting Consul General of Mexico in Guangzhou; Ana Baqueriza, Vice Consul of the Argentine Republic in Guangzhou; Andrea Myles, senior trade commissioner of Austrade and Deputy Consul General; Ken Chen, Agricultural Marketing Specialist with the Agricultural Trade Office U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou; Sally Chan, Secretary General of the Wine and Spirits Section of the Guangdong Provincial Alcohol Industry Association; Hu Guang, Secretary General of the Shenzhen Liquor Association, Christopher Beros, Director of Greater China and Southeast Asia at the California Wine Institute; Gao Haining, Deputy Director of Yantai Convention and Exhibition Service Centre.
The 59th Vinitaly is scheduled to take place at Veronafiere from 11 to 14 April 2027.