Italian wine exports to Russia in the first two months of the year soared 81% in value and almost 500% in volume, over the same period in 2006, a new report said.
The major spike in exports followed Russia's decision at the start of last year to close its borders to wine imports from Georgia and Moldova, sector sources said.
Russia officially suspended wine imports from Georgia and Moldova on health and sanitation grounds. However, many observers believe it was to punish the former Soviet republics for moving away from Moscow and closer to the West.
The report on wine imports was presented here on Tuesday at the start of Vinitaly Cibus Russia 2007, a traveling trade fair of quality Italian wines and foods which will also stop in St Petersburg on Thursday.
Aside from the blockade on Georgian and Moldovan wines, "Italian exports to Russia also benefited from per capita wine consumption doubling in the past three years to 6.2 liters," observed Giovanni Mantovani, the director general of the Verona trade fair authority which organises Vinitaly, Italy's most important wine trade fair.
"We must now continue to promote our wines because consumption will only expand if people learn more about wine and learn to appreciate it," he added.
"And this is exactly what we are doing with our Vinitaly World tour, now in its 10th year. People need to understand why Italian wine is different from that made in other producing countries," Mantovani said.
Vinitaly Russia was organised in collaboration with the Italian agriculture ministry, the Buonitalia promotion agency, the Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE) and the Parma trade fair authority.
Over 140 wine and cheese producers are presenting their best to Russian sector operators, the specialised press and opinion makers. Some 600 Russians are expected to attend the event in Moscow and another 300 in St Petersburg.
The fair was opened by Italian Agriculture Minister Paolo De Castro and his Russian counterpart, Alexi Gordeiv.
According to ICE, Italian food exports to Russia are expanding by as much as 30% annually and wine is the primary export.
Vinitaly Cibus 2007 has already been staged this year in India and after Russia will travel to the United States, Japan and China.
