On May 1st, 2025, Stevie Kim hosted a roundtable discussion, Inside Italian Wine’s Next Move in America, at Cafe Milano, Washington.
The roundtable opened with an Institutional Address and Opening Remarks from Ambassador Mariangela Zappia, Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere, Adolfo Rebughini, General Manager of Veronafiere and Matteo Zoppas, President of ITA.
The purpose of the event was to give wholesalers, importers, distributors, retailers and producers specializing in Italian wine a platform to share their experiences and present solutions to the challenges currently facing the sector.
Other participants included Robert Allegrini, President of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), Robert Tobiassen, President of National Association of Beverage Importers, Tara Empson, CEO of Empson USA, Roger Murry, Senior Policy Advisor of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Charles Lazzara, Owner of Volio Imports, Dina Opici, Chairwoman of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) and head of Opici Family Distributing, Francis Creighton, President and CEO of Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, Inc. (WSWA), Federico Veronesi, CEO & Owner of Oniwines and Molly Matelski, Director of Buyer Relations, Programming & Partnerships of Vinitaly.USA.
A full report of the event is available on the official Vinitaly website at: https://www.vinitaly.com/media/wc4d01d1/manifesto-washington-dc.pdf
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