(Adnkronos) – Boosting exports of Italian wines is a key priority for the foreign ministry, Italy’s top diplomat Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday at the Italian Federation of Industrial Producers, Exporters and Importers of Wines and Spirits (Federvini) taking place at the Renaissance Palazzo Altieri in Rome, said a ministry statement.
“In his (opening) remarks, the minister (Tajani) emphasised that supporting the internationalisation of Italian businesses is a key priority of the foreign ministry,” the statement said.
The wine sector is one of the most prestigious examples of the excellence of high-quality ‘Made in Italy’ products and “a strategic asset for the country’s international economic outreach,” said the statement.
Italy is the world’s largest wine exporter by volume and the second largest after France in value terms, accounting for some 22% of the global wine export market, with the US, Germany, the UK and Canada the largest export destinations by value and volume.
Italy currently leads Europe in organic viticulture, with 133,000 certified hectares, while its wine tourism sector attracts nearly 15 million visitors annually.
