1- What is the percentage of exports and in which countries is your business concentrated?

Santa Sofia exports 85% of the total production, shipping in 60 countries worldwide.
Europe remains the representative basin, with countries like Germany, Austria and France. However, in the last few years we had optimal results and feedbacks in Scandinavia and Denmark.

2- Where you sell best and where worse and why?

Considering a balanced relationship where sales potential is not penalized by in place competition, Asian and Oceania countries are a winning and constantly growing market. From the point of view of the volume and the receptivity of the product, the Scandinavian countries are in first position. Nevertheless, the resulting difficulties of having a monopoly and a strong competition represent always a challenge for companies.

3 – What has changed and how are exports going after lockdowns?

In comparison to 2020, in 2021 we could see a clear improvement and therefore a good recovery. In fact, the year ended positively, with a +25%.
However, we are not back to the what it was back in 2019 and to a real growth, due to the increase in transport costs that entail a limit for both the producer and the importer.

4 – How do you think the wine system should reset? What should be the strategies and what expectations do you have?

During the lockdown we had to reinvent ourselves and implement strategies that could foster a direct relationship with customers, increasing digital presence and communication, trying to be as “responsive” as possible with customers and sales force and facilitating the purchases thanks to e-commerce and free home deliveries.
Today, however, we are convinced that we must give more and more support to our customers, especially in the HORECA sector, encouraging consumers to return to consume outside the home, trying to find a lifestyle in balance between the pre- lockdown habits and new routine

5- How has the attitude and interest of foreign consumers towards Italian wine changed?

Foreign consumers have an increasingly better attitude towards the wine product in general, especially Italian. In recent years, we have started to pay more attention to what we drink and the purchase is often conditioned by a search and a willingness to live an emotional experience. Compared to the past we have a more experienced and informed customer, who wants to know better and be involved.

6- Do you have an export manager – or more than one ? How did you select them?

We have two export managers in the company, both selected following a single criterion: they had to be white canvas, with no previous experiences that could influence their journey in Santa Sofia and who could have strong ambition.

7 – Tell us an anecdote (positive/negative) about your experiences abroad.

During a trip to Japan I was talking to a customer about one of our products, the Soave DOC Foscarino. The conversation on the subject went on for quite a while and in the end he concluded declaring his great passion for… red wines!