“A few weeks ago, we really weren’t even sure this event was not going to be cancelled, but now we are here, it is much more of a success than we expected”. In a few words, Charles Sichel of the Bordeaux negociant Maison Sichel expressed what seemed to be the general impressions of Vinexpo Wine Paris, the first major wine trade fair of 2022.
The decision in January by the show CEO, Rodolphe Lameyse, not to follow the example of other events like Millesime Bio and ProWein by postponing raised many eyebrows. As he has acknowledged, daily Covid cases were high and rising across Europe and, on January 25, less than three weeks before the doors were due to open, France recorded over 501,000 new cases and a seven-day average of nearly 360,000.
On February 14, when the visitors began to line up at the Porte de Versailles Parc des Expositions. Those figures had dropped to 24,000 and 131,000. France’s protocols against the pandemic were stricter than the UK, but less so than in Germany. So Covid passports and mask-wearing were mandatory, but there was no German-style requirement for daily testing.
Two into One
With three French halls and one dedicated to international exhibitors, the event for the first time brought together Wine Paris and Vinexpo, two exhibitions that were managed separately in 2019. It also offered an opportunity to see how successfully Vinexpo has been transplanted from its original home in Bordeaux.
While expectations of visitor numbers had been a modest 20,000, and many had predicted that the event would be very much focused on the French domestic market, a significant number of foreigners had made their way to Paris. The aisles of the four halls were certainly far less tightly packed than at 2019 ProWein, or Vinexpo in its heyday, but the event seemed far better attended than its predecessor two years ago.
Ulrike Bahm, Export Manager of the Deutsches Weininstitut who was pouring wine on a well-situated German Generic stand said, on the morning of the second day of the fair, that she had been surprised and pleased at the range of visitors she had seen, ranging from Asia to the Americas. “The interesting thing is how ‘normal’ it all feels” she said. “It is clear that many people are really pleased to meet in the flesh after so long.”
Not so Strict
One aspect of the Paris fair that will have particularly caught the attention of other exhibition organisers were the Covid protocols. The organisers were very strict on preventing anybody from entering the event without a Covid Pass. Personal paper spittoons were provided at the entrance, but most visitors seemed happy to use the traditional ones on the exhibitors’ stands.
Vinexpo vs. ProWein
Bahm noted that wine was being poured and tasted at stands in the same way that it has always been. This obviously raises questions for the organisers of ProWein, where far tougher protocols have been planned. Bahm agreed, that while the virus is still rampant, no one wants to go back to the crowded situations of people reaching across each other to have wine poured in their glasses. “But it would be a pity to lose the friendly atmosphere completely.”
Another enthusiast was Willi Klinger, former long-time head of Austrian wine marketing and now CEO of the Austrian distributors Wein & Co.:
“It was a big effort for the organisers, and it cost them a lot. But it will pay off.”
It’s All About Dates
For Klinger, the date is important. “This is a great moment for me to meet out key suppliers and plan for the rest of the year. The old Vinexpo date of June was a disaster for everyone.” For the moment, he acknowledged, the number of international exhibitors is still limited, but “the New World countries and others will all be back”.
“The next few years are going to be like a hard-fought football tournament, between ProWein and the Paris event”, Klinger continues. In the long term, he thinks the French may win, thanks to the early date and the greater appeal of Paris over Dusseldorf.
Biased Towards Italy
For that to happen, there will need to be a far bigger presence by a far wider range of overseas exhibitors. There may have been 20 foreign flags on the signs for the international hall, but inside that building, by far the most space was occupied by Italy followed by Portugal, Austria, Spain and then Germany. It is also fair to say that this was the quietist part of the fair, but this may be partly explained by insufficient effort by the exhibitors. So, while some of their Italian neighbours seemed to be talking to each other rather than potential or actual customers, Cecilia and Riccardo Pasqua said they were kept very busy on the stand of their family winery. Cecilia remarked on the number of Americans she had seen, including some who had only decided to travel to Paris within 10 days of the event.
Laura Jewell, regional manager of Wine Australia for UK and Europe was at the event as a member of a conference panel on supply chain issues, but she readily acknowledged the likelihood of Australian companies exhibiting in Paris next year. New World producers with long memories recall the poor relationship that was created between Vinexpo Bordeaux and themselves after the failure of the air conditioning in their hall. But visitors to Vinexpo’s Hong Kong and Shanghai exhibitions will have seen how closely Australia in particular has been working with those events. And, as Australian producers look for replacements for the Chinese market, European showcases will be more important than ever.
Various Tastings and Conferences
Another aspect of Wine Paris Vinexpo were the well-attended tastings and conference sessions like the one in which Laura Jewell participated. A packed programme was shared across the three days between a trio of seminar rooms. Topics ranged from trends in wines, spirits and alternative beverages, to new technology, marketing, logistics and legal issues. There were tastings by the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux and Tre Bicchieri from Italy as well as high level presentations by top flight producers. These events alone will have justified attendance by some visitors.
Finally worth mentioning was the substantial area dedicated to spirits where, for example, signage shamelessly acknowledged the appeal of hard seltzer and other alternative beverages.
If Willi Klinger is correct in seeing the professional drinks fairs as being a duel between Paris and Dusseldorf, all eyes will be on the German show to see how it responds.