TARGET PROFILING, BRAND VERONA, ICON GROWTH AND TOURISM

WINE (VALPOLICELLA CONSORTIUM): TARGET PROFILING, BRAND VERONA, ICON GROWTH AND TOURISM. THE FUTURE OF AMARONE IN FOUR STEPS
MARCHESINI (PRESIDENT): THE DENOMINATION IS WORTH 6 BILLION EUROS JUST FOR VINEYARD AND CELLAR
THE CONSORTIUM CELEBRATES ITS FIRST 100 YEARS OF ACTIVITY

Verona, 1st February 2025. "The three wines of Valpolicella reflect the varied tastes throughout a lifetime, and this is probably unique among Italian denominations. Amarone (and also Recioto) for mature consumers, Ripasso for millennials, and Valpolicella – a contemporary wine which, not by chance, Milo Manara depicted with a woman – for the younger generation." With these words, Christian Marchesini, President of the Valpolicella Wine Protection Consortium, celebrated the centenary of the first Veneto wine consortium at Amarone Opera Prima, a body now representing over 2400 companies, 360 bottlers, and a vineyard area of approximately 8600 hectares. While the event marked a milestone in the Consortium’s history, the focus was on the future rather than the past, which, as Marchesini pointed out, "has given us many intangible values – both in terms of identity and image – but also well-being for the entire community, as evidenced by the 133% increase in the land value of vineyards over the past quarter-century, against a 65% expansion in vineyard area. When adding the value of the cellar asset, the current worth of our denomination reaches approximately 6 billion euros."

The market took centre stage during the analysis presented by the Uiv Observatory (Unione Italiana Vini). For the king of Valpolicella, 2024 closed with a 2% decrease compared to the previous year, but with a 9% recovery in the second half. While this rebound is significant given the difficulties facing many of the world’s major red wine denominations, it remains modest in terms of fully overcoming the challenges of the period. According to the analysis commissioned by the Consortium, the new century for the denomination – and its flagship wine – must focus on increased segmentation. This often involves preparing three distinct "suitcases" for different market destinations or, as is always the case, identifying distinct target audiences, positioning, and communication tones. In particular, Amarone must stay true to itself while clearly defining its position as an iconic wine, primarily targeting mature consumers with a solid income above 100,000 dollars (in the USA, baby boomers make up 40% of wine drinkers, with high spenders rising to 53%). This profile, historically concentrated in Northern Europe (which accounts for 50% of the foreign market), must now expand into the United States, particularly on the East Coast (from New York to Florida), but also into Japan and China, where Amarone already holds a significant share of its export market (10%). This audience, more than others, is receptive to the story behind the wines and, not insignificantly, is more likely to travel and explore the production region, where Verona and its universal brand will play a key role. "In summary," says Carlo Flamini, head of the Uiv Observatory, “Amarone must offer the world its own ‘cocktail’ – a blend of production areas and valleys, the Verona brand, style, and consistency – with a methodology that itself becomes an expression of the territory.”