Above: Prosecco discounted 40 percent at a roadside retailer in Italy. Photo taken earlier this month.

“I have to delete two SKUs before I can add a new one,” said an Italian buyer for one of the largest wine retailers and distributors in the country.

He was part of a panel of leading food and wine buyers and decision-makers who were asked to address a group of visiting Italian food and wine producers. They were in Houston for the Taste of Italy trade fair, an event organized each year by the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce. (The chamber is my longtime client and I was the panel moderator.)

The theme of the conference was how to make your products relevant in the U.S. market during a time of industry crisis.

The question I posed to the panelists was how does a producer get your attention when they are pitching a product?

If you want to get in front of me, said the buyer, you need to know the market and you need to be willing to help me do my job by visiting frequently.

His words were echoed by his counterpart at a mid-sized Italian-focused food and wine importer.

You need to have all your paperwork in order, she said, noting that the time of pitching products to importers without prior FDA approval is over. She pointed out that FDA regulations have changed radically and the new requirements will go into effect in under a month’s time.

This news took a number of producers by surprise. (I attended a seminar on the new regulations in Dallas late last year. The new requirements are broad and aggressive in scope. There will be a grace period, I was told. But the new normal is going to be a harsh wake-up call for many industry veterans.)

All the panelists agreed that marketing and boots on the ground are going to be key in a saturated market that is becoming increasingly competitive because of higher costs and diminished demand.

As one of the panelists noted, it’s time to snap to!

*****

Thank you to everyone who attended our seminars and walk-around tasting yesterday. I had a blast presenting and moderating and I feel blessed to be part of such a vibrant food and wine community. Thanks to the chamber for making me part of such a great event each year.

Now, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work!