The Italian importer and distributor sees a bright future for HORECA and is on the look out for new Domaines

The company’s Managing Director, Pietro A. Pescarmona, shares what it takes for a product to catch his eye in an exclusive interview with The Daily

What kind of products are you particularly interested in at Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2023?
We are looking for medium to large Domaines with high-quality standard and a long family tradition like ourselves. Pescarmona Importatori was founded in 1947 and is now at the third generation. Family values in winemaking are very important, both in terms of quality and reliability, as well as in human relationships.

What are the key criteria you look for when deciding on whether to purchase a new product?
We look at a number of key criteria when purchasing new products, including whether it has nice packaging. The quality of the wine is of course mandatory and the product must meet the HORECA channel requirements, for restaurants, hotels, wine bars etc. We are not interested in products for supermarkets or large scale retail trade, and very few websites.

How are consumers’ tastes and expectations changing in your market?
Young people are becoming increasingly interested in purchasing wines outside of what they can find on the supermarket shelf. They are very curious about trying new products, especially sparkling wines and Italian or Provence rosés during the spring and summer months.

What do you think is driving these changes and does this present new challenges?
These changes are being driven by the fact that young people are more aware of what they drink and eat. At the same time, the hype around some spirits is softening a little. Social media and the global pandemic have also played an important role in boosting the charm of great wine producers, especially in terms of quality. The internet has also served as a valuable platform for the next generation of up and coming young wine makers to be heard. Today, the big challenge is to keep prices down, as climate change is increasingly putting pressure on harvest in places like the Côte d’Or and in Chablis for example. This has put certain AOPs in a difficult situation. In addition, in 2022 we have experienced high levels of inflation, driving up the prices of raw materials such as paper boxes, labels, glass and corks.

What segments of the market do you think will see significant growth over the coming years?
I think the HORECA segment will see significant growth. After the pandemic, people have re-discovered the importance and value of spending quality time together around a table in a restaurant with a good, or even great, bottle of wine. In light of this, big hospitality companies like Relais & Chateaux are purchasing more wine to supply their hotel bars and gourmet restaurants. Many hotels in Italy did not traditionally offer food and drink like in France or England. Customers therefore had to hunt for a restaurant nearby.

How important is Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris for buyers like yourself?
Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris is a very important event for companies like us. First of all, because it’s a great opportunity to meet our long term maître de cave who we have been working with for 20 or 30 years. Every year, we also bring 10 of our best selling agents to meet the owner of the Maison and Chateaux as a reward for the extremely important job they do. We also take advantage of being in Paris to enjoy a fine diner and visit our Champagne house in Vertus, Duval-Leroy, which is six generations in the making and one of the last five Champagne houses entirely managed by the original family. Lastly, the event is a good three days to meet thousands of Houses and wine makers, who we would otherwise not necessarily know about, taste ‘little gems’ and hear great stories from all around the world!