Italy: Young brewers on the rise Promotion: ERDINGER Alkoholfrei ...

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ExPORT TEAM
Fabio Petrini,
Sales Agent <strong>Italy</strong>
Fabio Petrini (60) lives with his wife and
two sons in Emilia Romagna/<strong>Italy</strong>. After
various career moves within the beverage
industry, he joined ERDINGER Weissbräu
in 1995. As a freelance sales agent of the
private brewery, he serves trade and cater-
ing customers throughout <strong>Italy</strong> with the
aid of his powerful team. His hobbies
include writing, painting and hunting.
From 2007 to 2009 he served as President
of the Rotary Club Tre Valli Distretto 2070.
Mr. Petrini, how did you come to join
ERDINGER Weissbräu?
In 1995, I began to look after part of the Italian
market as Area Sales Manager for ERDINGER
Weissbier. Today, I have my own office in Forli and
am responsible for sales of ERDINGER Weissier in
the whole of <strong>Italy</strong> together with Heineken, Dibevit
and some independent importers.
How do you manage to convince a nation of
wine drinkers they should drink beer – and
especially wheat beer?
Italians don’t regard beer as an alternative to wine
but as a refreshing beverage with less alcohol than
wine. It can be drunk on every occasion, not only
with meals. In the 90s, the yeasty cloudiness of
wheat beer made it difficult to sell, as at that time
such cloudy beers were virtually unknown in <strong>Italy</strong>.
But by focusing on tourist markets, we were able to
gain market share. At the same time, we had a lot
of convincing to do and worked closely with
beverage distributors who did not stock wheat
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Fabio Petrini, Sales Agent <strong>Italy</strong>
beer at the time. In this way, we gradually brought
many Italians into contact with this wheat beer
specialty and gained them as customers.
What was the major milestone for you in
your work for ERDINGER?
The restructuring of the sales organization in <strong>Italy</strong>
in 2007 due to changed market circumstances and
the resulting cooperation with Heineken Italia.
What do you enjoy most about ERDINGER
Weissbräu?
The brewery and its owner Werner Brombach are
respected by our customers throughout <strong>Italy</strong> and
enjoy huge esteem – both for their reliability as
business partners and for the service they provide
for their partners. ERDINGER Weissbier is the most
highly respected wheat beer brand in <strong>Italy</strong>. Top
quality and the excellent reputation of Bavaria’s
beer-brewing culture have helped create an
outstanding image.
What advice do you give to your compatriots
with regard to wheat beer?
ERDINGER is an internationally acclaimed wheat
beer known throughout the world. It owes its
outstanding flavor to the way it matures in the
bottle, which make it both unique and exclusive.
ERDINGER is a byword for top-quality, wholesome
enjoyment.
What progress is non-alcoholic beer making
in <strong>Italy</strong>?
We are making slow but steady progress. Quality
and flavor also play a very important role for nonalcoholic
beers. The strongest interest is being
shown by sports enthusiasts and people who don’t
drink alcohol.
The number of microbreweries in <strong>Italy</strong> is
growing fast. What are the reasons?
The modern Italian consumer is looking for
quality and exclusivity. Many of the major domestic
brands are increasingly making standard products
adapted to their international markets. Niche
products are no longer developed by these major
brands. This is why many small beers – “birre
artigianali” – have been developed for the HORECA
sector, i.e. specially for bars and restaurants. This
is not a short-term trend. Marketing ERDINGER
specialties like Pikantus, Dunkel, Oktoberfest and
Schneeweisse in <strong>Italy</strong> as “birre artigianali” would
certainly be worth considering.
Beer or wine with antipasti, pasta etc.: what’s
your tip?
It would certainly be worth developing tasting
sheets similar to those of wine experts, as upperfermenting
yeast has a similar taste profile to red
wine. This makes combinations with pasta,
sausage, roast meat and game definitely possible.
At the same time, wheat beer goes well with pizza.
Pizza margherita with an ERDINGER is simply a
dream combination! ERDINGER Weissbier is
flexible and harmonises with a wide variety of
cuisines, e.g. with Mediterranean or even Asian
meals.
What do Bavaria and <strong>Italy</strong> have in common?
The beauty of their landscapes, their love of
partying, the respect for traditions, the strong
desire for freedom – these are all values which
Bavarians and Italians share.
Has Bavaria’s beer festival culture also
reached <strong>Italy</strong>?
Over the last ten years in particular, there have
been a lot of highly popular and successful
Bavarian-style festivals in <strong>Italy</strong>. We also love these
old traditions and this lively atmosphere with
upbeat music and typical food.
Which moment with ERDINGER Weissbier
would you love to experience again?
From an emotional point of view: my birthday in
2006, which I celebrated with all my ERDINGER
colleagues in a mountain hut in South Tyrol,
Alto Adige.
What is the most beautiful place in <strong>Italy</strong> to
enjoy an ERDINGER Weissbier?
There are so many! Lake Garda, all the seashores,
the narrow alleys of the Trastevere district
in Rome, the university quarter of Bologna,
around the villa del Casale near Piazza Armerina
(Sicily) …