An exhibitor examines a bottle of wine during the Wine Paris and Vinexpo Paris trade show, February 14, 2022 (AFP/Archives/STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN)
Alcohol-free wines or reds to be enjoyed chilled: alongside traditional grape varieties, winegrowers from all over the world will spend three days in Paris offering products which, they hope, will meet the taste of wine lovers who consume less and less this drink.
For the 5th edition of the Wine Paris and Vinexpo Paris show, the largest event for wine and spirits professionals in France, some 3,900 exhibitors welcome exporters, restaurateurs, wine merchants and sommeliers from Monday to Wednesday. Some 40,000 visitors are expected at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center.
The show “aims to find commercial opportunities both in France and abroad”, recalls Rodolphe Lameyse, general director of the organizer Vinexposium, to AFP.
The wine and spirits sector is, in his eyes, “at a turning point”. In addition to the impact of climate change on vines, wine growers are facing a general increase in their costs, the purchasing power crisis and geopolitical hazards.
Coralie de Bouard, owner of Château Clos de Boüard, checks the barrel levels, January 18, 2024 in Montagne en Gironde (AFP/Archives/Philippe LOPEZ)
For economic reasons or in the interest of moderation, wine consumption is tending to decline more generally, throughout the world and in France where it has fallen by 70% in 60 years.
“The global pie is shrinking, market shares are becoming more and more expensive,” remarks Rodolphe Lameyse. Innovation and moving upmarket are, according to him, the key words, but “not everyone has the capacity to do one and/or the other”.
Vineyards are doing well. Champagnes and Burgundies continue to benefit from their reputation. “Premium and super premium” wines are not in decline, noted Michel Chapoutier, president of the national traders’ union (UMVin) during a presentation of the show in November.
“The new generations are drinking drinks that come out of the fridge or sparkling wines”, changes that wines considered fresher such as pinot noir from Alsace or reds from the Loire have taken, he added.
The areas where programs to destroy wine surpluses have been implemented in France correspond to “entry-level wines which do not find buyers”.
– Emergency measures –
Several measures were announced by the government at the time of the recent agricultural crisis, including emergency cash flow aid of 80 million euros for winegrowers hit by climatic or health hazards or too low prices.
A fund of 150 million euros over two years is also planned for the restructuring of the vineyard, particularly for regions suffering from overproduction, such as the Occitan or Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) vineyards. It will support temporary uprooting of vines with a view to replanting more suitable grape varieties and permanent uprooting for wine growers wishing to diversify.
Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau (left) speaks with winemaker Régis Falxa while visiting the Château Lalande-Labatut estate, June 5, 2023 in Salleboeuf in Gironde (AFP/Archives/THIBAUD MORITZ)
The Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau will inaugurate the show on Monday, the government wishing, beyond aid to the sector, “also to support the excellence of the French wine and spirits industry, champion for export”, according to the ministry.
According to a study by the Deloitte firm on behalf of Vin et Société, a structure for promoting and defending the sector, the latter achieves in France a turnover of 60 billion euros per year and, from manufacturing to marketing, represents 254,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
In 2022 and 2023, France exported more than 20 billion euros of drinks per year, all drinks combined.
Created in 2019, the Parisian show is growing in importance and attracting more and more international exhibitors (the surface area devoted to them has increased by 72% compared to 2023). For the first time, official delegations from Australia and New Zealand will be present, while Italian winemakers will occupy an entire hall to themselves.
“Some small importers do not have the means” to visit trade shows in various countries; “we must offer them the opportunity to do their shopping in one place,” remarks Rodolphe Lameyse.
© 2024 AFP
Did you like this article ? Share it with your friends using the buttons below.
