Press Release

PACKAGING AND LOGISTICS: THE SUSTAINABILITY OF WINE, BEYOND WINE

After the focus on soil health in 2024, Slow Wine Fair launches a new debate to discuss possible innovations and alliances to alleviate the cost – economic and environmental – of wine

Bologna, 4 December 2024 – Slow Wine Fair returns to BolognaFiere from 23 to 25 February 2025. Organised by BolognaFiere, under the artistic direction of Slow Food, Slow Wine Fair is the result of BolognaFiere’s 30-year experience in the organic world with SANA and Slow Food‘s historic commitment to the themes of biodiversity, environmental sustainability, and social equity. In the 2025 edition, the BolognaFiere pavilions, alongside the Slow Wine Fair, will host the 36th edition of SANA in its new guise as SANA Food.

Domenico Lunghi, Director of BolognaFiere’s Food & Beverage Direct Exhibitions: «The combination of the Slow Wine Fair and the new format of SANA Food will create an essential trade fair appointment for the organic food business community. SANA has, in fact, been the reference event for organic food in Italy for 35 years and now, from 2025, the exhibition of these foods will be flanked by an exhibition featuring 500 organic and biodynamic wine producers. Therefore, the organic (and not only) specialised visitor will find, in adjacent pavilions, proposals of excellence for both the food menu and the wine and beverage list. There will be several synergies between Slow Wine Fair and SANA Food. For example, thanks to the support of ICE and the simultaneousness of the two fairs, the breath will be even more international: we foresee the arrival of more than 300 foreign buyers, i.e. 50% more than the last edition of Slow Wine Fair, with a very large participation from Northern Europe, North America and Canada, and the significant new entries from China and Japan. The collaboration between the two projects will also enable us to organise the Healthy/Bio/Sustainable Aperitif at the fair, combining the rich offer of wines and spirits of the Slow Wine Fair with the ‘healthy and sustainable’ foods of SANA Food. And speaking of sustainability, one of the objectives of the Slow Wine Fair 2025 is to become an increasingly sustainable event. I am thinking, for example, of relamping with LED lighting and systems to reduce energy consumption in the pavilions, the total absence of carpeting, set-ups made with materials that are as modular as possible to facilitate reuse and recycling, and the fact that almost 100% of the waste produced by visitors, producers and fitters within the perimeter of BolognaFiere will be collected, separated into the various fractions, and sent for recovery».

«With the fourth edition of the Slow Wine Fair we are broadening our reflection on the environmental impact of wine to include the processes that accompany its production, packaging and its role in marketing strategies. Packaging, including glass, makes a significant contribution to a label’s ecological footprint, more so than growing techniques or cellar practices in terms of the energy used to produce bottles and for transport. Factors that we citizens often take into consideration only when they make a product easily recognisable on the shelf», stresses Federico Varazi, Vice-President of Slow Food Italy, who makes a proposal. «The 2025 edition of the Slow Wine Fair wants to launch an appeal, first of all to producers, to give equal dignity to all their wines, which are the result of the same agronomic practices and therefore express the same guarantee of quality. From those in the bag-in-box to those in the bottle. An appeal to the world of consortia and sector associations, but also to wine critics and operators to focus on evaluating the intrinsic value factors of wine and to tell the story of wine in its essence, without superstructures and frills that risk confusing or misleading the end consumer».

«Slow Wine Fair, now in its fourth edition, is finally achieving the physiognomy we had planned when we conceived it. A fair that brings together a very high average quality of the wines on offer, thanks to a strict selection at the base that only BolognaFiere has had the courage to make», says Giancarlo Gariglio, Coordinator of the Slow Wine Coalition. «Its strength also lies in the homogeneity of the profile of the exhibiting wineries: the majority are certified organic, all of them follow production from the grape to the bottle, according to the principles of the Manifesto for good, clean, and fair wine, which entails the renunciation of weeding and various synthetic chemical products. This high and homogeneous offer is precisely the key to the public success that Slow Wine Fair is enjoying: more and more buyers and professionals consider the event a place where it is easier to do scouting or find the right labels to complete the range they offer their customers. The same enthusiasts who crowd the pavilions on Sundays consider the fair to be a toyland where every wine tasted is served directly by those who produce it, and this creates an invaluable experience of dialogue and knowledge».

«The next edition of Slow Wine Fair will be held for the first time together with SANA Food, dedicated to Horeca, one of the reference channels for organic wine sales. This is a novelty that aims to represent a key appointment to enhance Italian organic production and promote agriculture focused on the wellbeing of our ecosystem», notes Maria Grazia Mammuccini, President of FederBio. «With 136 thousand hectares of organically cultivated vineyards, almost 30 thousand dedicated operators, and an incidence of over 20% of the total national viticulture, Italy confirms itself among the world leaders in organic wine production. Italian organic and biodynamic labels are particularly appreciated, because they combine the value of the territorial identity of designations of origin with that of sustainability provided by organic certification, which is fundamental for the protection of soil fertility, biodiversity and for combating climate change. In 2023, sales of Made in Italy organic wine reached a turnover of 57.5 million, up 6.5% compared to the previous year. I believe that today, more than ever, it is crucial to raise awareness of the importance of choosing organic and sustainable products that not only respect the planet, but also ensure a healthier diet and a better future for the younger generations».

«We are proud to have been a great scout for Slow Wine Fair, which we have supported from the very first edition. This is not a matter of course for our organisation, but from the very beginning we thought the idea behind the fair was right and the partners more than reliable», emphasises Marcello Gentile, Agrifood and Wine Office of ITA – Italian Trade Agency, bringing greetings from the renewed President Matteo Zoppas. «The synergy between Slow Wine Fair and SANA Food makes it possible to increase the possibilities of reaching markets abroad for exhibitors. For example, ITA facilitates the participation of more than 150 of the 300 buyers who will attend both events. We are convinced that the issue of sustainable packaging is fundamental in order to get across the idea that the quality of wine does not come from frills and superstructures, but from the quality with which it is produced, which determines the success for companies in the agri-food sector».

All the beauty of the Slow Wine Fair

Rita Babini, winemaker and National Secretary of FIVI, reiterates how the Slow Wine Fair audience corresponds to the profile that her winery wants to intercept: «We are also facilitated by our geographical position and our proximity to Bologna, but it must be said that Slow Wine Fair is providing an increasingly punctual national and international opening, both for the wineries involved and for the public of wine enthusiasts and professionals. A public that on the whole has a clear understanding of the philosophy of the event and the wines selected. This year’s theme also allows us to highlight the issue of packaging, telling of the choices that many wineries are already making or have already made in this area. For us, everyday wines in bag-in-box and higher-end wines in glass are complementary products, not antitheses, that satisfy different needs, even though they derive from the same agricultural practices and yet provide the same guarantee: that if you start drinking well – in everyday consumption or on the most important occasions – then there is no going back!».

Luca Sarais, for 30 years at the helm of Cantine Isola, in the heart of Milan’s Chinatown, and spokesman for Vinarius, the Association of Italian Wine Shops, highlights how Slow Wine Fair can be an important moment for professionals in the sector. «I believe in the cultural value of a fair like this. The opportunity to talk to selected producers, who reflect a clear philosophy, and to participate in conferences and masterclasses aimed at different audiences make it a great open agora, a place where professionals in the sector, but also the public of wine enthusiasts, can make their contribution. Important inspirations on how to evolve and change one’s way of working can emerge from an event of this kind, one can gather stimuli and reflections useful for changing one’s outlook and for further professional growth».

Iacopo di Teodoro, a wine importer operating in the US, shows how Slow Wine Fair participants can seize new business opportunities. «The trade fair world, in the US and beyond, is quite overcrowded. It is important for professionals not to waste time, to know that they have invested it in the best way. A professional organisation and the certainty of finding wines and labels that reflect a certain philosophy are the main characteristics we look to. I grew up with Slow Food, and for 20 years I have been dealing with wines from the territory, certified organic and offered at the right price. Wines that have an identity, children of a precise philosophy. In a fair I look for a coherent selection that meets my expectations: I know that Slow Wine Fair is able to meet them».

From soil health to wine packaging, via logistics

For three days, winemakers and vignerons, wine enthusiasts and sector operators – buyers, restaurateurs, wine merchants, importers, distributors, chefs, sommeliers – will meet at BolognaFiere to talk about good, clean and fair wine, as stated in the Slow Food Manifesto for good, clean and fair wine. After having tackled, in the 2024 edition, the theme of soil health, thanks to which every wine is able to express itself at its best, for its fourth edition Slow Wine Fair once again becomes a forum for discussion, sparking off a debate on the theme of wine sustainability at 360°, and bringing examples of innovations that producers, consortia and sector operators are developing to evolve their approach to wine production, further reducing their impact on the environment, with consequent investments and economic returns. A world in the making, where there are no one-size-fits-all answers, but solutions that are being tested and fruitful alliances that can make a difference. Slow Wine Fair therefore opens a further breach, involving exhibitors, experts and operators in the sector, researchers and institutions, but also buyers, representatives of the Horeca world and enthusiasts, in the reflection on what it means for a wine to be not only ‘good’ but also ‘clean’. Both the online training, aimed mainly at industry professionals but also open to the general public, realised in the run-up to the event, and the in-person conferences, which can be attended from 23 to 25 February at BolognaFiere, are dedicated to open discussion on these issues.

The numbers of the 2024 edition

Slow Wine Fair hosts the international meeting of the Slow Wine Coalition, the inclusive and collaborative international network uniting the protagonists of the wine world. In 2024 the event recorded the presence of 1,000 exhibitors, around 900 of them wineries (+25% compared to 2023) – more than 500 certified organic, biodynamic or in conversion – from all Italian regions and 26 countries. Approximately 170 international exhibitors, including debut wineries from Japan, Australia, South Africa, Sweden and Mexico. More than 5,000 labels were on the tasting desk. With regard to the public, 12 thousand entries, 70% of which were trade operators who were able to get to know and taste a unique selection in the wine fair panorama, according to the values of the Manifesto for good, clean and fair wine. Thousands of professional meetings between wineries and sector operators and many informal contacts with 200 international buyers, selected also thanks to the collaboration of ITA – Agency and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the B2Match platform.

Slow Wine Fair 2025: confirmations and novelties

Starting with wines
Around 1,000 exhibiting wineries from Italy and abroad, distributed in exhibition islands according to their country and region of Italy, occupy Pavilions 15 and 20. The winemakers and vignerons present at the Slow Wine Fair are united by the fact that they have signed, and put into practice, the decalogue of the Manifesto for good, clean and fair wine, committing themselves to preserving the environment and its resources, respecting the landscape and terroir of the wine’s origin, enhancing the agricultural community of which it is an expression and supporting biodiversity.

Bitters and spirits
The area dedicated to spirits is designed to involve the world of mixology and will be divided into themed sections, including one dedicated to bitters, which will revolve around the 5th edition of the Fiera dell’Amaro d’Italia, organised in collaboration with Amaroteca and ANADI – Associazione Nazionale Amaro d’Italia.

Coffee lovers…
For the first time, a space dedicated to the Slow Food Coffee Coalition and the world of coffee will be at Slow Wine Fair. Presiding over it and introducing visitors to this world are coffee growers, roasters and experts who provide valuable information on the main tools for approaching tasting in a conscious way, to recognise, appreciate and learn how to choose a quality coffee.

… and ciders
Another new feature of the 2025 edition is the presence of cider producers. Obtained from the fermentation of pressed apple juice, this drink has an ancient and fascinating history and deep roots in European cultures, where it has long been popular. Slow Wine Fair is the context in which to question what role cider is currently gaining in Italy and on the world scene, and to taste numerous products.

Buyers and Horeca
Around 300 international buyers and professionals, for whom Slow Wine Fair 2025 is open every day, have already registered for the event and can also count on digital support, thanks to the matching service made possible by the B2Match platform. As usual, the Horeca world is broad and articulated, enhanced by the participation of the network of restaurateurs friends of Slow Food, the Osterie d’Italia, present during the days of the fair, and the simultaneousness with SANA Food. The 2025 edition of the fair also emphasises national importers and distributors, whose catalogues reflect the selection present at the event. In addition to this, decades of experience in dealing with Italian osterias will be one of the focuses on which the fair will concentrate its attention. Added to this will be an important scouting work for foreign operators thanks to the collaboration with ITA – Agency and specialised agencies.

Wine Retail Awards for Terroir and Slow Spirit
The Prize – awarded by the public and a jury of experts – highlights the best Italian and international wine lists and returns in 2025 with new territorial categories and a new prize dedicated to the world of bitters. You can already nominate your favourite restaurant by filling in the Award form.

No Slow Wine Fair without Masterclasses!
The Slow Wine Fair 2025 will once again feature guided tastings for wine enthusiasts and professionals. The masterclasses take participants to explore the broad Italian and international wine scene and show what components contribute to making a wine good, clean and fair. Soon available online for booking!

The Slow Wine Fair OFFs
The programme of events taking place in venues in and around Bologna at the same time as the Slow Wine Fair is back. At the same time as the launch of the event’s website, the possibility also begins for all venues in the Bologna area to nominate their own initiative, which may then be included in the official programme.

Supply chain partners
In the idea of virtuous circular production, the supply chain sector plays a key role, supporting the efforts of producers to reduce their environmental impact. An exhibition area of the Slow Wine Fair is reserved for companies in the wine supply chain who, through innovative machinery, equipment, technologies and materials, contribute to the renewal of the agricultural system and enable winemakers to adopt sustainable and environmentally friendly production methods.

SANA Food
Last but not least, the absolute novelty of 2025: Slow Wine Fair is running concurrently with SANA Food, the new concept dedicated to healthy eating away from home, with its 10,000 visitors from the Food&Beverage sector. Operators and visitors can thus enjoy an even richer and highly qualitative visitor experience. We look forward to seeing you in Pavilion 18, which can be accessed with the same entrance ticket purchased for Slow Wine Fair!

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