Valpolicella Doc popular in US

(ANSA) - Rome, December 18 - Valpolicella DOC wine is surging in popularity in the United States, with sales having grown in value by 6.3% in 2018.
    This success demonstrates it is a multitasking wine that is moving into the mainstream, because it is drinkable in all seasons and can be paired with many different dishes.
    "It's a refreshing wine, fruity and floral, that in some ways recalls the pinot nero produced in California," said Olga Bussinello, director of the Valpolicella Consortium.
    She said Valpolicella "has the typical ready-to-drink and refreshing characteristics that are well-liked in the United States".
    The Italian wine trade in the United States is still very tied to the relationship with the importer, but the market is feeling the pressure from growth in online sales.
    Bussinello said each of the two distribution channels has its pros and cons.
    "If on the one hand the producer manages to have a personal and direct relationship with the importer, he still has to entrust the importer with the marketing policy and therefore with where and how to position the product, often without being aware of it," Bussinello said.
    Online sales, on the other hand, assume that a producer is more "evolved", more responsible of his actions and, as a result, has direct control over both price and positioning.
    The online channel is certainly more suitable for young digital natives, who have a propensity to buy everything online, including wine.