The Argentine Wine Corporation (Coviar) held a new edition of its annual breakfast, the most important wine industry event in which the results of the institutional management carried out throughout 2021 were reported and the balance of the first year of implementation of the Strategic Wine Plan (PEVI) looking ahead to 2030.
With a face-to-face format -although with reduced capacity due to health restrictions- and live broadcast, the #DesayunoCoviar was held in the Hall of Mirrors of the Park Hyatt Mendoza, with the presence of more than 500 people, including national, provincial and municipal authorities, production ministers of the wine provinces, national legislators, representatives of academic entities, businessmen and professionals, members of the consular body and other key representatives for the wine industry.
The presence of the governor of Mendoza, Rodolfo Suárez, and the lieutenant governor, Mario Abed, stood out; the governor of Jujuy, Gerardo Morales; the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Julián Domínguez; the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Daniel Filmus; the Deputy Chief of Staff, Jorge Neme; the Secretary of Tourism Promotion of the Nation, Yanina Martínez; the Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Nation, Matías Lestani; the Secretary of Provinces of the Nation, Silvina Bataquis; the general secretary of the Federal Investment Council, Ignacio Lamothe.
Also present were the president of the Bank of the Argentine Nation, Eduardo Hecker; the president of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology, Mariano Garmendia; the president of the National Institute of Viticulture, Martín Hinojosa; the president of the National Institute of Industrial Technology, Rubén Geneyro; the president of the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research, Ana María Franchi; and the former Vice President of the Nation and current Argentine Ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Scioli, among other personalities. In the following video you can relive the moment of the speeches, the signing of agreements and the delivery of distinctions:
The 2022 edition of the meeting began minutes after 9:00 a.m. with the projection of a summary video with the main actions carried out within the framework of the Strategic Wine Plan to 2030 to increase the volume and value of our exports, one year after the start of execution of the plan. Following this, a series of key agreements and conventions were signed for the national wine industry with a focus on exports, viticultural characterization, sustainability, water technology and wine tourism, among others.
Then, it was time for the speech of the current President of Coviar, José Alberto Zuccardi, who highlighted the achievements and results obtained during 2021, mainly those linked to the first year of implementation of the PEVI 2030: “The implementation of the Strategic Wine Plan for 2030 is a reality and with it the Argentine viticulture consolidates and extends a process of unprecedented social innovation and strategic planning”, he stated, highlighting the importance of remembering the dimension of viticulture as an important reference when making decisions. And he continued, regarding the foreign market: “In 2021 we reached a record for exports of fractionated wine, with more than 817 million dollars and we continue to carry out actions to promote Argentine wines abroad. Argentine viticulture needs more exporting companies”.
Following this, Zuccardi stated that regarding the domestic market: “Just over 70% of the wine we produce goes to the domestic market, we are among the top ten wine markets in the world and more than a third of the wine we Argentines consume it is commercialized by producers integrated in cooperatives”. He also pointed out the importance of maintaining the balance achieved between production and consumption, as a fundamental basis for profitability and an adequate distribution of income within the production chain, which implies keeping existing tools in force, such as the interprovincial diversification agreement and the policies carried out by the provincial governments. “Integration and associative processes are essential to improve the bargaining power of producers, their representativeness, participation in concertation spaces and access to innovation,” he remarked.
Towards the end, he emphasized a series of measures that must be considered immediately: “It is urgent to complete the elimination of export duties for the entire wine chain. In addition, we need a suitable exchange rate to sustain and improve the growing trend of our exports and there is an urgent need to implement a national and provincial water infrastructure works plan, to improve irrigation efficiency and take advantage of the investments made from the private sector. There is no more urgent and priority public investment in our region than the optimization of water use”, he maintained.
Finally, he concluded: “The development of our activity is intimately linked to the common good, to the generation of quality employment, the roots of our people in the countryside and the generation of genuine foreign exchange. We are builders of the “Argentine brand” in the world. We have the Argentine Viticulture Plan and the conviction to carry it forward”.
Then came the words of Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Julián Domínguezwho at first stressed that the wine liturgy has the sacredness of reunion: “You have the virtue with the Harvest Festival of reconnecting with the things we dream for ourselves and for the country” he pointed out and added: “The first thing I knew when I arrived at the ministry, at a very complex moment, it was the Coviar’s Strategic Wine Plan and the order of their priorities caught my attention, they knew what they wanted and they said it clearly in all the provinces that had the most relevance for 11 years in Argentine viticulture. From this learning it seemed pertinent to us to propose to make a national strategic plan that later became the PEA 2010-2020, but taking as a model the experience of viticulture, which allows ordering priorities, efforts, investments, managing with precision”.
To finish, the governor of the province Rodolfo SuarezHe pointed out that exports are a priority due to their positive impact on the economic system: “That is why from the province we promote tools for the opening of new markets and more exporting companies. The growth in the value of wine exports in 2021 is explained by the joint work between the provincial government and the 322 wineries in the province” and added: “I want to thank this industry for trusting Mendoza and continuing to create jobs, committing ourselves to continue forward in the construction of a more useful provincial State for citizens as a consistent development project that promotes quality employment”.
New agreements and distinctions for the ambassadors of the Country Brand
Like every year, the #DesayunoCoviar was the opportunity to renew and formalize the signing of new agreements for the development of Argentine viticulture. Among them, with regard to exports, a collaboration agreement was signed with the Federal Investment Council -CFI-, through which various international promotion actions will be carried out, including training cycles, reverse missions, missions abroad and missions of hospitality for SME wineries with export potential.
Then, an agreement was signed between the CFI, Coviar, the National Institute of Agricultural Technology -INTA-, the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the National University of Cuyo and the provinces, to carry out studies to characterize the wine-growing regions of Argentina. , which will contribute to a better understanding of each terroir to capitalize on its differentiation, strengthen its unique identity and -in short- strengthen the arguments that speak of the quality of our wine products in all markets.
In addition, important agreements were signed to strengthen the sustainability of the Argentine wine chain between the Federal Investment Council, the National Institute of Viticulture and the National Institute of Industrial Technology. In terms of water technology, a commitment document was signed to form a multidisciplinary space that accompanies the region in the process of joint transformation of its agro-industrial ecosystems and the production of knowledge technologies 4.0, which will contribute to a more prosperous agricultural development. , of better quality and of a sustainable nature, based on knowledge of the dynamics of scarce water resources in the context of climate change.
Another of the agreements that was signed names the INV as the certifier of the Argentine Food Seal, a free quality mark that distinguishes the foods that are made in our country, comply with specific quality protocols, and have a differentiated quality.
Later, in line with the start-up of the second stage of the Program to support small and medium-sized wine producers in Argentina, PROVIAR II, an agreement was also signed to expand the number of producers reached in the first stage, with a focus on varietal renovation, optimization of the use of water for irrigation and technological innovation.
Wine tourism is also key within the PEVI 2030 strategy and for this reason it was the protagonist of new agreements, such as the one signed to design and implement a Guide for Tourism Sustainability applied to Wine Tourism in Mendoza, which will allow us to continue consolidating wine tourism, from a sustainable perspective, taking into account its dimensions, care for the environment, the community and its resources. An agreement was also signed between Coviar and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Nation, to execute in 2022 the actions foreseen in the “Argentina Tierra de Vinos” Plan.
Likewise, the distinctions were made to the new ambassadors of the country brand in the world, by the Secretary of Tourism Promotion of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Nation, Yanina Martinez. In this line, the agronomist and oenologist, Alejandro Vigil, was recognized; to the general manager of WOFA (Wines of Argentina), Magdalena Pesce; and the director of Familia Zuccardi, José Alberto Zuccardi, selected for their prominent place in the world of Viticulture.
We show you, below, some snapshots of the moment:
