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Published on September 15, 2007

knowledge and types of wines, including Italian wines, and at the same time sell wine in more international restaurants.

Italian Fine Wines' export manager Davide Vacchiotti yesterday said the school, which will open next Monday, would be an important tool in creating an understanding of Italian wines and build a wider awareness of them at the same time.

In the initial stage, the school will be open for people in the wine business. It will be open to the public next April.

"Consumers find it difficult reading and remembering Italian brands, labels and grapes, unlike English and Australian wines that have labels written in English which allow consumers to easily understand and remember them," he said. At the same time, the firm will try to reach targeted customers directly instead of focusing on expanding retail channels.

Two of its main imported brands are Batasiolo and Sette Cascine, manufactured by the fourth largest Italian winemaker by volume, Batasiolo, which has its products available in many hotels, approximately 300 Italian restaurants and The Emporium and Siam Paragon shopping complexes. Prices range from Bt500 to approximately Bt7,000.

The company plans to further expand to other international restaurants.

Vacchiotti said Italian wine was the market leader by volume with a 33-per-cent market share of 660,000 cases in the wine market, followed by French and Australian wines. He expected the Italian-wine market would eventually able to increase its market share to 50 per cent.

He did not expect the Italian-wine market this year to grow due to the current economic slowdown. In normal times the market would grow 10-15 per cent, he said.

Another obstacle is the high import tax in Thailand of 420 per cent, which Vacchiotti said was the highest import tax in the world.

Nitida Asawanipont

 The Nation