Now is the season when I make the round of my clients in Italy and we sit down and look at our market and media strategies for the year ahead.
And this time around, I have an urgent message for all my clients: Americans need your partnership more than ever and now is the time to step it up. BIG TIME!
The news from across the Italian wine spectrum is bad.
Western governments are publishing more and more warnings and guidelines about the dangers of alcohol consumption; the new generation of would-be wine drinkers is focused on cocktails and is avoiding alcohol in general; the American restaurateurs and retailers who made it through the pandemic and ensuing financial crisis are barely hanging on.
Anecdotally, distributors reps have been telling me that 2023 was their toughest year ever since the historic financial crisis of the aughts.
As boring it is to read a bunch of blowhards complaining about the good old days, I highly recommend that everyone in our industry read this interview published Tuesday by WineBusiness.com, “Wholesalers Discuss Biggest Changes in the Industry.” Weak title but worth the read.
Italians, we are facing a now-or-never moment in our industry when those who have the right attitude will thrive; those who don’t will flounder.
The Italian wineries who are going to make it through to the other side of American wine sales are going to be those who: 1) invest wisely in marketing; and 2) spend time working, physically present, in the market.
Please keep in mind that the challenges are not insurmountable. Think of Angelo Gaia, Piero Antinori, and Piero Mastroberardino who came to the U.S. in the early 1980s when Italian wine was considered a benchwarmer. Those dudes rolled up their sleeves, heard “no” for an answer more than once, and they turned the world on to the magic of great Italian fine wine. Think of their legacy today. Think of Michele Chiarlo sending his importer a container of Moscato d’Asti on spec!
Let those visionaries and risk takers be our Virgil! In the case of each, they physically came and they invested heavily — with time and money.
That’s what we’re going to need moving forward.
Do Bianchi 
Back in the 1980s, there was also the Italian government-sponsored Italian Wine Center on Park Avenue, NYC. Under the direction of Dr. Lucio Caputo., it was available to all for tastings and events for press and trade. Incredibly action-packed programming. Did an enormous amount to put high-quality Italian wines on the map.
Antinori, Gaja and Mastroberardino all deserve great credit. Since our agency worked with Antinori in the 1980s, I know firsthand that he dedicated a ton of time to visiting the U.S. and that included Mid-West markets that are all too often ignored. Hardworking. Did a phenomenal job.
And then there was the late Philip di Belardino with an incredible Italian portfolio at Heublein/IVW. He was such a presence, so charismatic, fun and approachable. Another who deserves massive credit for introducing ordinary Americans to the joy of Italian wines.
The market has grown so much since those times, with so many more wines. It’s not just Piedmont, Tuscany and the Veneto any more. Add to that the influx of wines from multiple countries around the world, wines from places we’d have been shocked to learn even made wines in those days.
My 5 cents-worth: if we’re to engage younger consumers, start with offering quality wines that over-deliver within the more affordable range of the price spectrum. Great label. Back label copy with a QR code. And visit the U.S. market.