From 8 to 10 January 2018, Bellavita is returning to Amsterdam in a strategic partnership with Horecava to showcase the Italian excellence in food and drink. We have caught up with Han Sjakes , wine  journalist and wine expert, to learn more about the latest wine trends in the Netherlands and gauge his thoughts about the future of Italian wine in the Dutch market.

What are the biggest wine trends in the Netherlands?
While the Netherlands is still very much a beer country, prosecco is rapidly gaining popularity, along with white wines. Lighter wines in general are getting more popular - less oak ageing, less heavy, less sweet, less alcohol… that’s the top choice. Younger generations have started to show an interest in wine, making it trendier than it’s ever been. Wine is more fun and “cool” to drink these days, which is confirmed by the amount of wine bars and wine festivals that have been popping up everywhere in the past few years. Another key trend are organic wines and natural wines produced with minimal human intervention.

What is the perception of Italian wines in the Netherlands?
As being of high quality, certified provenance at a reasonable price with lots of choice. In general Italy has a great reputation in the Netherlands, beyond food and wine. The Dutch have romantic ideas about Italy which are very present in the country’s collective imagination: art, cinema, fashion, nature, style, history and even football… Basically la Dolce Vita!

Who are the most important players in the wine market?
Supermarkets, specialised chains and, more recently, a growing number of online wine shops. In the Netherlands we have around 800 importers, many of which are very small but still have some kind of small scale online shop only for local consumers and restaurants. Despite their size they still play a very important role, keeping the big boys on their toes by diversifying the offer on the market!

What is your advice to Italian producers looking to export their wine to the Netherlands?
I think it’s important for Italian producers to present who they are in a more modern way, refreshing their image where necessary. The typical Italian values of tradition, family and history need to be communicated in a more innovative way that can be appealing also to younger generations. It is important to leave the past behind and instead showing some up-to-date understanding of modern times and consumers’ expectations also, for example, with simple yet well designed labels and packaging.

Han Sjakes will be at Bellavita Expo Amsterdam to present a masterclass and a wine talk entirely dedicated to the top wine buyers in the Netherlands.