On October 5 and 6, the event took place at the Bologna exhibition center, involving 145 Champagne Houses and their importers and distributors for the Italian market.
Credits: Piero Lombardi, Stefano Triulzi
After much controversy (largely local) surrounding the move from Modena to Bologna, the two-day Champagne event, which brought together enthusiasts and professionals, has come to an end. Just over 7,000 visitors attended the eighth edition of Italy's largest Champagne event, an increase of 20% compared to the previous edition. Inside Hall 15 of the Bologna Exhibition Center, the Maisons were divided into five areas: Classique, Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, Vallée de La Marne, and Côte des Bar. There were 145 producers present, offering around 700 labels for tasting. Each Champagne had its own character and nuances, which were also explored in the rich program of master classes, allowing participants to learn more about current market trends.
Among the speakers was Geoffrey Orban, director of Educavin and collaborator with Champagne de Vignerons, a collective of 4,000 winegrowers and consortia that market Champagne. "The Italian market is an incredible market for Champagne. Coming here (to Italy, ed.) we can see how much people know about the product, with a technical approach and an awareness of the diversity of the product itself. The idea is to accompany the public: this type of masterclass allows us to bring a ‘territorial’ point of view, to increase knowledge, not only technical but also through tasting. I am fortunate to be able to create many food and Champagne pairings, and the great diversity of the product allows for pairings that may seem daring. For example, with chocolate, even though it is very difficult, certainly with poultry, mature and less mature cheeses, and seafood. The great diversity allows for a lot of fun. Then, of course, there is the seasonality of food and the desire we want to satisfy at a given moment. It is an incredible universe to discover and rediscover."
Importers also play a key role, including Premiere Italia, which does a lot of valuable research in the field, as Mario Federzoni told us: "Over time, we have selected a number of small producers (récoltants) and a small maison that focuses on quality (De Venoge, which we talked about here). In our work, we first try to identify the most interesting terroirs, avoiding duplication, so that we have a range that allows our customers to enjoy many different flavors. Within each terroir, we then look for the producer who best interprets it.
As small producers, they do not have the capacity to advertise and promote their labels as effectively as the big maisons do: hence the idea of setting up our Academy to spread the culture of terroirs and récoltants. We hold various masterclasses, both at company level for our agents and for customers. On November 24, we will be holding one where we will devote half the day to the dining room, with some great maîtres d'hôtel joining us. The most interesting terroirs? There are many! To break away from the classic, in the Cote des Blancs, we have two areas that are detached from tradition, Montgueux and Côte de Vitryat, which offer Chardonnays that are completely different from the classics of the area. Or in the Marne Valley, the two banks produce completely different products.
There were many interesting things to discover during the two days: from Italian Champagne producer Alberto Massucco to UnderWaterWines, with Champagne aged 52 meters below sea level. Some more technical partners were also present, such as Thrill, which surprised the public with its machine that cools and sanitizes glasses in a matter of seconds. And Smeg, which was present for the first time at a similar event for the relaunch of its professional line, as Pierfrancesco Zara, sales director for Italy, told us: "We are rebranding to differentiate the domestic line from the professional line. The goal is certainly to increase market share in this sector. We need to be present at similar events to make ourselves known to an audience that may be interested in these new products. The professional division began producing washing machines in 2007 and has evolved the quality of its products over the years. This has led to the new Pura line, which is positioned as a premium machine. Those who sell high-end products seek a certain level of performance. We have gone beyond the concept of a “washing machine.” Thanks to technology, we are able to guarantee quality cleaning, fast washing without defects, and continuous washing.
The eighth edition of Champagne Experience was promoted and organized by Excellence SIDI, an association comprising twenty-one of Italy's leading importers and distributors of high-quality wines and spirits. The event will return next year, again in Bologna, on October 4 and 5, 2026.
