The fair is a meeting point for buyers from the USA, China, Japan, Germany, Silvan Peršolja explained. "It is a meeting point where deals are made, which means that we are becoming a part of the European wine story also business-wise," he continued. He is convinced that the Slovenian vintners must principally act together, as one. We should primarily present ourselves as a country, and only later as separate trademarks.

We should not bet on mass production, but on quality
The fair was also visited by the Minister of Agriculture Dejan Židan, who was pleased that Slovenian vintners were making deals. "The first impression on visiting the fair is good, as it is a professional fair where buyers and connoisseurs meet. ... Slovenia is perfectly located in hall 6 and Slovenian winegrowers have many visitors and I hear they also talk business," he said. At the occasion of his visit to the Wine Fair he took part in the forum with counterparts from the main European wine producer countries, where the Ministers of Slovenia, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Hungary and Greece discussed the vision of development of the wine industry and agriculture.

According to Židan the new market policy failed to bring promised simplifications. "But we are happy about the greater emphasis on quality wines, on geographical and other protected indignations, as Slovenian and an important part of European wine growing cannot be founded on volumes, but rather on quality and protection," he said.

Systematic support of local vintners at entering foreign markets
He explained that Slovenia has been systematically supporting local vintners since 2011 to get into foreign markets, also by co-financing their presentations at the three biggest wine fairs in Verona, London and Düsseldorf, and helping with their promotion activities in Great Britain, Germany, Benelux, Italy, Croatia, and lately also in China.

T. H., Go. K.