Italian Ambassador to Korea Emilia Gato emphasizes the meaning of Italian wine in Korean
Wine campaign will be held in seven cities including Seoul, Busan, and Chuncheon until October 25
사진 확대 A view of the kickoff venue of the Italian wine campaign “Vivail Vino 2026”. Italian Trade Corporation
“I would like to say that Italian wine produces a bottle of wine like a family gives birth to a child in a small company. So for us, wine is philosophy. It’s a slow philosophy. We can talk about our story while drinking wine, and we can have an experience.”
This is the meaning of Italian wine that Italian Ambassador to Korea Emilia Gatto emphasized by continuing her greetings in poor Korean. Expressing wine as “the aesthetics of slowness,” he emphasized that a glass of wine allowed him to experience not only food but also people and local stories.
The kick-off venue for the Italian wine campaign “Vivail Vino 2026” held in Seoul on the 17th. Wine produced in each region of Italy was placed on each table, and Korean food such as kimchi, Korean beef, and seafood was served next to it. Participants experienced a combination of Korean and Italian wine by alternately tasting a piece of food and a sip of wine.
Ambassador Kato especially emphasized the harmony between Korean food and Italian wine. The purpose is to experience the food and culture of both countries while drinking Italian wine with Korean food. As the ambassador, who expressed his affection for Korean food in poor Korean, continued to talk about wine, there were applause at the venue.
사진 확대 Speaking, Ferdinand Gueli, Director of the Italian Trade Corporation Seoul Trade Corporation. Italian Trade Corporation
The “Family Philosophy” contained in Italian wine was also introduced at the event. Ferdinand Gueli, director of the Italian Trade Corporation’s Seoul Trade Center, explained that Italian wineries contain local history, soil, and family philosophy in wine. “Viva Il Vino was launched to enable Korean consumers to discover the amazing diversity and outstanding quality of Italian wine more naturally,” Guelli said. “We would like to provide this experience through the meeting of Korean gastronomy and Italian wine, which encompasses tradition and modernity.”
He explained that Italian wineries are more meaningful in making wine with their own philosophy than mass production. In Italy, we want to produce wine in consideration of family philosophy, history, soil, and taste, Gueli said. “We want to produce wine containing family philosophy rather than mass production.”
The diversity of Italian wines is also evident in the names of approximately 800 indigenous varieties and more than 400 origin. It is a structure in which wines with different personalities are made depending on the production area, variety, and production method.
The position of Italian wine in the Korean market is also steadily expanding. Italian wine imports rose from about $28 million in 2015 to about $60 million in 2025. It has increased by 105% over 10 years, with an average annual growth rate of about 7%.
This year, Vivail Vino has expanded the space for Korean consumers to experience various Italian wines directly across the country. It will be held in seven cities, including Seoul, Busan, Chuncheon, Daejeon, Osong, Pangyo, and Suwon, from the 22nd to October 25th.
Thirty-one restaurants and 18 Italian wine importers will participate to showcase about 700 types of Italian wines. Pairing of food and wine, glass wine, and tasting programs will be provided at Korean food, contemporary Korean food, Italian food, and wine bars.
Some restaurants are introducing Italian wine for the first time in the wake of this campaign. The Italian Trade Corporation conducted wine training for participating restaurant employees in advance and had a professional sommelier review each restaurant’s menu and wine combination.
“The goal is to increase the understanding and familiarity of Korean consumers with Italian wine, and to make Italian wine more familiar and accessible to the Korean public,” Gueli said. “At the same time, it is also an important goal to create new business and cooperation opportunities between Italian wineries and officials in the Korean restaurant and distribution industry.”
