Vinexpo Bordeaux promises ‘completely redesigned’ show

Vinexpo Bordeaux is marking its twentieth edition with a “completely redesigned” show with a total of 1,600 companies from 29 countries due to exhibit from 13 to 16 May.

The trade show is promising a “more manageable show” with bookable business meetings, trend-driven content and companies from 29 countries.

15% of the companies exhibiting at this year’s show are newcomers, with three countries – Sweden, Turkey and Vietnam – represented at the show for the first time.

French companies due to exhibit at this year’s show include Champagne Bollinger, Henri Bourgeois, Minuty, GH Martel & Cie, Grands Chais de France, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, Albert Bichot, Joanne, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Bernard Magrez and CVBG-Dourthe Kressmann.

International companies include Clos de los Siete and Catena Zapata from Argentina; Robinson & Sinclair from South Africa; Felix Solis Avantis and Marqués de Cáceres from Spain; Italy’s Piccini and Emilia Romagna; and China’s COFCO Greatwall.

This year’s show will cover 70,000 m² of exhibition space, making it “the largest international wine and spirits trade show in France,” according to the event organiser. The show will occupy both Hall 1 and Hall 2 at Parc des Expositions de Bordeaux.

The WOW! World of Organic Wines section will this year feature 150 producers from nine countries.

The biennial trade show is set to attract European buyers from the likes of Tesco, The Wine Society (UK), Casino, Le Petit Ballon (France) and Delhaize (Belgium) alongside Asian buyers from Jointek Fine Wines (Hong Kong), Paradox (China) and Nippon Liquor (Japan), and major US companies such as Total Wines.

New this year will be The Vinexpo Symposium, set to launch on Tuesday 14 May, in partnership with the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Council. Entitled ‘act for change’, the symposium will focus on the impact of climate change on the wine and spirits sector looking specifically at climate change in the world’s vineyards, its affect on the operation of wineries and winemaking and the ‘wine economy’.

Vinexpo is also hosting a new international wine tasting event on 12 May in the grounds of the Palais de la Bourse.

Rodolphe Lameyse, CEO of Vinexpo, commented: Today, buyers and businesses alike must meet the specific needs of their target markets. With this in mind and in this highly competitive market, the Vinexpo group chose to make the flagship Vinexpo Bordeaux a more manageable size, while capitalising on its high-level business positioning and strengthening both its appeal and the quality of its content.”

Vinexpo’s five international shows include Bordeaux, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and Shanghai.