A true Italian festival organised by Veronafiere through its Brazilian branch, Milanez & Milaneze. The fifth edition of Wine South America - International Wine Fair, taking place 6-8 May at the Fundaparque in Bento Gonçalves, will highlight the wines and culture of Italy.
To emphasise this, the Italian Ambassador to Brazil, Alessandro Cortese, and the Consul General of Italy in Rio Grande do Sul, Valerio Caruso, are present today at the inauguration of the event.
One of the highlights of the fair will be the Italian Pavilion, a space coordinated by the ICE - Italian Trade Agency (ITA), a body headed in Brazil by Milena Del Grosso, which will bring together 23 companies from the main Italian wine-growing regions. The space will display 256 labels including red, white, rosé and sparkling wines.
ITA - Italian Trade Agency, in cooperation with Veronafiere, has also contributed to the organisation of the 24 companies from regions such as Abruzzo, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Lombardy, Marche, Piedmont, Apulia, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria and Veneto, which are independently present at the fair.
During the three-day event, the organisation expects to welcome more than 7,000 buyers from all over Brazil and buyer delegations from Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and Argentina, invited by the ICE Agency.
Ambassador Alessandro Cortese emphasises the meeting between Brazilian and Italian wine at a time of growth and exchange of products and information between the two nations. "The Italian and Brazilian economies, especially in Rio Grande do Sul, are closely linked to the agricultural sector and, consequently, to wine. Valuing South American wine means enhancing all the efforts that companies in the sector make to offer a globally recognised product,' Cortese emphasises.
Other participants at the event include the Secretary for Culture of the Veneto Region, Cristiano Corazzari, and the Secretary for Agriculture of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Stefano Zannier.
Wine South America is part of the programme of Vinitaly, the international trade fair for the sector which, in its 2025 edition in Italy, welcomed 97,000 professional operators, including 32,000 international buyers from 130 countries.
Prior to Wine South America, in Vale dos Vinhedos, Bento Gonçalves, yesterday saw the third edition of Incontro con Bacco, organised by the Consulate General of Italy in Rio Grande do Sul.
The event was held at the Marco Luigi Events Centre, in the presence of Ambassador Cortese and Consul General Valerio Caruso, who welcomed the local authorities and those from neighbouring municipalities for the event, which opens a week of celebrations in the region.
For Consul Valerio Caruso, organising the Meeting with Bacchus a year after the city of Bento Gonçalves was severely affected by flooding is a further demonstration of the strength of Serra Gaúcha, reinforced by the arrival of the Italian ambassador. "Even after all it has been through, the city and the region have rebuilt and are excited to welcome one of the most important initiatives in the country's wine sector. This is our community. This is Rio Grande do Sul. Welcoming Ambassador Cortese at this time is a source of pride for all of us,' Caruso said.
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