The Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG Consortium is launching an international promotional tour, targeting key markets in the United States, Japan, and China. These initiatives aim to enhance the product’s recognition and image through a series of events involving producers, journalists, industry professionals, and wine enthusiasts.
CONEGLIANO VALDOBBIADENE PROSECCO TAKES ON AMERICA
The tour begins in Washington, D.C., selected for its vibrant and dynamic international community and high interest in wine. The next stop is Houston, a crucial Texas market known for its significant purchasing power and demand for high-quality products.
Both cities will feature identical programs: industry professionals and the press will attend a late-morning masterclass led by award-winning sommelier Taylor Parsons and the Consortium’s Director. They will present 12 wines from the denomination, highlighting tangible and intangible values. From 12:30 to 2 PM, a walk-around tasting will showcase 11 producers of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore PDO. Public events, including themed aperitifs and dinners at top locations in Washington (Maxwell and Parachute Pizza at Union Market) and Houston (Ostia and Rosie Cannonball, run by Master Sommelier June Rodil), will further engage wine enthusiasts.
The U.S. tour continues with the Consortium’s participation in the Aspen Food & Wine Festival, one of America’s premier culinary events, from June 14 to 16, 2024. The 41st edition of this festival will attract over 3,000 wine lovers and 400 industry professionals, buyers, and journalists. The Consortium will showcase 20 labels of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore PDO already available in the U.S. market during the Grand Tasting and Global Fire events.
EXPANDING INTO JAPAN AND CHINA
On June 24 and 26, the promotional tour will move to Tokyo and Osaka. These events will feature open tastings and masterclasses led by the Consortium’s Director, alongside Shigeru Hayashi, a prominent sommelier in Japan and advocate of Italian wine.
The tour concludes on July 3 in Beijing at the Italian Cultural Institute, where the Consortium will launch the Chinese edition of Director Diego Tomasi’s book, “The Power of Terroir: The Case Study of Prosecco Wine.” This event, organized in collaboration with China Agricultural University Press, aims to promote the Conegliano Valdobbiadene wine region, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Italian wine culture in China. The Beijing program will include a masterclass and walk-around tasting for industry professionals, as well as a lecture on the terroir of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco at Peking University’s Faculty of Agriculture.
“The international market is becoming increasingly vital for Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG. We are seeing sales growth abroad that outpaces the domestic market, with a 258.2% increase internationally from 2003 to 2023, compared to 124.9% in Italy,” says the Consortium’s Director Diego Tomasi. “Today, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG is available in over 150 countries, with the United States leading among sparkling wine importers, accounting for 21.7% of market value.”