Building on the success of its inaugural VINO 2009, the Italian Trade Commission will present VINO 2010 – Italian Wine Week February 2-5 at the Waldorf=Astoria and New York Hilton hotels. More than 400 wine producers from various regions of Italy and over 50 leading wine importers will be featured during the conference, making this the largest and most inclusive showcase of Italian wines in the United States, according to the Italian Trade Commission.

VINO 2010 is being organized with the support of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development in collaboration with four of Italy’s most prominent and promising wine regions; Apulia, Calabria, Tuscany and Veneto. Italian producers and representatives from these regions will participate in a series of specialized seminars addressing recent market trends, indigenous varietals and many other hot topics. Each region will also host a wine dinner at the Waldorf=Astoria, with each featuring a customized wine pairing menu created by acclaimed chefs from four of New York’s most notable restaurants.

Two exciting additions to this year’s program are the participation of BUONITALIA and Vinitaly under the auspices of the Italian Ministry of Agricultural Policies and The Italian Wine Masters; a new collaboration among the Consorzi Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore.

VINO 2010 events are open exclusively to wine and food industry professionals. Admission is free; qualified business identification will be required. For the VINO 2010 schedule of events and to make reservations visit www.italianmade/vino2010.com. For general inquiries (no reservations) call 888.946.3010.

Convention highlights include more than a dozen tasting sessions, seminars and workshops led by some of the top wine educators, authors, journalists, agronomists and enologists in the U.S. and Italy. A by-invitation Meet & Greet tasting and reception will debut 120 new Italian producers under the VINO2010 Direct program. These boutique style wines will be available for sale for the first time in the United States. VIRTUAL VINO 2010 will also be launched this year allowing members of the press and trade to follow the many exciting aspects of the convention on the Vino 2010 blog, Twitter and Facebook.

For the public, The Italian Trade Commission will present a “Shop & Dine” promotion at top New York City Italian restaurants and wine retailers January 28^th through February 10th. The VINO 2010 Shop & Dine promotion will feature special in store tasting events, seminars, wine flights and pairing menus. Participating restaurants and retailers are listed at www.italianmade.com/vino2010.

According to Aniello Musella, Trade Commissioner and Executive Director for the U.S.A., “VINO 2010 will build on the success of last year’s inaugural program through its collaboration with Apulia, Calabria, Tuscany and Veneto and the participation of BUONITALIA and Vinitaly. This convention will underscore both the quality and breadth of wines of Italy and their true marketing potential. For anyone working in the business of buying or selling wine with a focus on Italy, this is the most important conference in the U.S. to attend this year.”

According to the US Department of Commerce, Italy remains the number one source of still wine imported to the U.S., commanding a 31% market share.

For more information, please contact:

Simonluca Dettori – Food and Wine Center –sdettori@italtrade.com

Italian Trade Commission
33 East 67^th Street - New York, NY 10021
Tel. 1 212 980-1500 -Fax. 1 212 758-1050