Unlike most trade fairs that have been either postponed or gone digital, the second edition of Wine to Asia organized by Vinitaly and Pacco Communications will return to China’s southern economic powerhouse, Shenzhen, in full force at Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center.
Scheduled from June 8 to 10, the fair has already attracted more than 400 exhibitors from over 20 countries, according to the organizers.
The registration for the three-day wine trade fair is now open, and visitors this year will be greeted with an expanded list of country pavilions, specialized masterclasses, China-focused market seminars and its new Masterlab series.
Wine and trade associations including DOCa Rioja, Wines of Chile, Italian Trade Agency, Wines of Portugal, Wines of South Africa and Wines of Germany have confirmed attendance.
Country pavilions will include France, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Chile, Greece, and Brazil. Additionally, Italy Trade Agency this year will bring along over 100 wineries from Toscana, Veneto, Piemonte, Emilia Romagna, Sicilia, Abruzzo, Friulia Venezia Giulia, Puglia, Lombardia, Campania, Marche, Umbria, Sardegna, Trentino-Alto Adige, Basilicata, and Lazio.
Returning on popular demand, Living Wine, a section dedicated to natural and organic wines will have over 20 exhibitors under its umbrella including Ziran, the most influential natural wine association in mainland China. A masterclass by Ziran and winemakers from the country’s two biodynamic wineries, Silver Heights and Domaine de Aroma, will also be held during the fair.
More Chinese wineries have signed up with Wine to Asia this year. China’s biggest wine producing region, Shandong, will congregate 22 wineries from Yantai. Additionally, some of the country’s most exciting wineries, Silver Heights, Kanaan Winery, Domaine Franco-Chinois will join the line-up, together with more wineries from Hebei and Xinjiang.
More than 20 masterclasses will be conducted by different wine associations and wineries that cover some of the world’s most known wine regions and emerging regions in South America’s Brazil. More details will be announced next week.
The trade fair also partnered with Women in Wine and Spirits Awards 2021 to host two China-focused forums for wineries and exporters eager to expand their footprint in the Chinese market. The first seminar will be on China’s drinks business trends, followed by a forum on consumer insights.
A Masterlab series will debut at the fair, with the first session taking closer look at China’s signature grape Marselan. The second session will pivot to China’s national spirit, Baijiu.
Aside from wine, the trade fair will also feature a Coffee Cocktail Experience with De Longhi in partnership with bar Hope and Sesame, voted Bar of the Year by 2020 Drinks Magazine Awards and one of the top 50 bars in Asia in 2021.
This year, the fair also opened a ‘Taste the Difference’ lounge managed by the number one natural wine bar in Shenzhen, The Weeeknd. During the three-day period, there will be guest sommelier from top wine bars in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu to gust bartend.
More details of the fair on its masterclass and event schedule will be published soon in the coming days. You can register for the wine fair here.
And the representatives of worldwide vineries will stay 21 days in quarantine to have the chance to present their wines?
Do the visitors from outside China need to have been vaccinated with the Chinese vaccine? Do they need to stay in quarantine?