Once again in 2009 the figures have confirmed the importance and the value of SIMEI and ENOVITIS. They are consolidated events, - said Andrea Sartori, President of Unione Italiana Vini, on the occasion of the inauguration of the exhibitions – but they are also characterized by a great dynamism in their capacity of anticipating the requirements of the whole Italian and also international productive chain. Especially the foreign visitors have confirmed their interest in these SIMEI and ENOVITIS. We met some of them during the show and these have been their comments. 

Hubert Philion, President of Vergers Philion, a Canadian company specialized in the production of wines made from fruit and ice-wines
“It is an exhibition where you can see all machines for all the production processes of the sector, and in particular, the most part of the machinery is made in Italy. The offered range is very wide, with regard to the cultivation phase, as well to the processing of finished products. In my company I already use Italian technology for the bottling phase, corking and wire capping systems. Exactly here I was able to directly meet my supplier and discuss on the last technological innovations.
I am very satisfied with this edition. I will bring home many samples to be tested, also in view of establishing a co-operation and reselling relationship on the Canadian market.
It is my first Simei, but my colleagues visit other exhibitions related to the bottling sector and there is no comparison. Here there is a lot to see, what is missing is maybe the time to follow everything”.

Angela Owens, President of Carolina Wine Supply, reseller of wine growing and production equipment for the whole South-East of the USA.
“We have come to see what is available on the market, with regard to new technologies, as Simei is a very well-known trade show in the USA. In addition, in our country, similar events have completely different sizes. This is an obligatory stop to see what’s new. The offered product range is very wide. This morning we met an Italian company and probably they will become our new suppliers, for example with regard to presses”.

Alberto Bottega, Whaleheaven wines & Da Capo Vineyards, South Africa
I am modifying my cellar and I wanted to see what’s new and interesting on the market, especially concerning bottling plants. I have a rather small company and I use a mobile bottling system. This is a quite common solution in our country, where there are many small firms, which not always have suitable spaces or cannot bear the costs of a fixed line. However, here I saw solutions that may be appropriate also for our situation.
Moreover, I found the integration with the conference part very interesting, especially the meeting dedicated to the eco-sustainability of productions. This is a very real theme in South Africa. Weedkilling without using chemical solutions or with the most reduced use of them: right at Enovitis I found interesting solutions for integrated production”.

Grzegorz Nowakowski, wine maker Winnice Jaworek, Poland
“I found an excellent organization that enables foreign visitors to make an easier visit and facilitates their contacts, etc. In addition, even the rational organization by product categories is very useful. I have come to see vineyard and cellar machines and equipment, for all processing phases. We are a young company and we need to requalify all our production; we currently produce 10,000 bottles, but we would like to achieve 50,000 pieces in the next 2 years. I have established at least three good contacts, which, I think, will bring to concrete results. I found much more than what I expected, especially with regard to corks and capsules. I found a direct contact I can collaborate with, which is economically very favourable.
In general, the market of wine production in Poland is developing and re-qualifying after almost 40 years of stagnation. In a certain sense, it is starting from zero, the machines are all to be renewed or purchased all over again. However, there are excellent prospects, as the domestic market immediately absorbs the products; hotels and restaurants wish to have Polish wines in their lists, which they have never had before. Surely, there is the aim to export, but, at the moment, home consumption has still important shares.

Georgi Syarov, wine maker, Modul-S srl Bulgaria
“Currently, Bulgaria is experiencing a transformation and renewing phase of its own structures. The situation is changing: from large-sized companies with large output capacities (former state-owned enterprises) to mid/small-sized companies that need to restructure their total machines assets by highly technological plants. And Italian technology is state-of-the art in comparison with all the other ones used in this sector. We have seen a lot of innovations, for example in the grapes transport systems and in processing – pumps, small fermenters, thermo-processing equipment, systems for quality control and for chemical-biological analysis of wines”.
There was also a Bulgarian delegation of exhibitors. Among them, Stella Ivanova of Valoga, a company specialized in casks and barriques. “It is the first time that we are exhibiting at this trade show and we are very pleased: there are many foreign visitors and it has allowed us to have new contacts, which wouldn’t have been possible to establish in a different way. We also met the “tonnelleries” that are our ‘competitors’ and this has been an important occasion for confrontation”.

Aysun Pirdel, General Manager wine-making company Doluca, Turkey
“We are considering some investments - pumps, vinification systems, bottling lines – for a new company and we found a good range of proposals and potential suppliers. In general, Turkey is a market with great potential for the development of wine-making, considering that, with regard to vineyard extension, we are the fourth country in the world, but only 3-4% of such surface is planted with wine vines. There are still difficulties, related to political and religious problems and also a high taxation on alcoholic drinks, limiting such development. Nevertheless, the culture of wine is expanding. We know Italian technology well and especially the entrepreneurial tissue made up of mid/small-sized enterprises that are very specialized, very flexible and capable of meeting all customers’ requirements. Here, we had a confirmation of all this”.

Israel Hollander, General Manager, Meco Ltd, Israel – Company dealing with machines and equipment for food production, with particular attention to the wine and oil sectors
This is an extremely specialized exhibition, mainly in the oil and wine fields, with a wide display of products. The technology of Italian origin is very well-known and appreciated, in particular by users like mid/small-sized wineries and oil mills. I am here to increase the number of our suppliers and of our machines, especially in the field of pumps and bottling lines. I found the solutions of sewage treatment particularly interesting. This step of the production process is now very important and it will be more and more relevant in the future in a perspective of eco-sustainability of productions.

Nitin Desai,Managing Director of Vinsura Vineyards India
“We had visited the past edition of Simei too. It is an exhibition where you can see a live demonstration of machines working, unlike other events where, for example, you can only refer to catalogues. The Indian wine industry is still at its early stages and there are interesting development opportunities for the future, also because the Government is lowering customs duties on this product: this is a positive fact, mostly for the domestic trade among the different regions of the country. It is true that we are always been more dependent from the French technology, also because the French oenologists have always provided us with an important education support. However, I should say that the Italian offering is particularly attractive, also for the excellent ratio quality-price. Our interest – but in general the interest of India – is especially addressed to grapevine nurseries, bottling and packaging. In particular, this year we are looking for automated machines for bottling and we found an interesting offer. I think we will conclude a contract”.

Vu Trung Hieu, Strategic Marketing Director Anhdao Liquors and soft drinks, Vietnam
“I was looking for bottling machines and storing tanks. I had important contacts also with companies based in Ho Chi Minh and thus negotiations will go on. I should say that Vietnam scarcely knows Italian technology, as, at least up to today, we have always purchased from Germany, but the discovery of the Made in Italy has been very interesting for us, especially concerning distillation processes for brandy preparation, which we didn’t make until now.. Moreover, the ratio quality-price is very favourable”.