Angelo Gaja comments the recent Vinexpo fair
Angelo Gaja gives a detailed description, with realism and acuteness and makes us reflect on Vinexpo a francocentric fair that, maybe is not even liked by the French producers any longer
By Angelo Gaja
Angelo Gaja
Read for you by Donatella Cinelli Colombini
A few comments upon returning from the Vinexpo ( 16.06.2013 – 20.06.2013). VINEXPO is the biennial wine fair held in Bordeaux. We are guests in their own home, those who are top of the class, the area which has created the biggest demand in the world for the wines that it produces. To protect Vinexpo there are also CHAMPAGNE and COGNAC, the other two leading French beverages. The other appellations/nations come along later in haphazard order.
There were quite a good number of operators from all over the world, even though at the moment it’s no time to be ecstatic. China and other Asiatic nations that had contributed to the increase in prices of Bordeaux and Cognac, show less interest than before.
The affluence to the fair has been inferior to that of the 2011 edition. It is necessary to consider though that at the same time as Vinexpo more than 300 chateaux (every edition sees the number growing) have organized at home special tastings and gala dinners, pulling away a high number of visitors. The prestigious ROEDERER group (Champagne Cristal and wines) have on the contrary decided to not be present at the fair, renting a location in a hotel in the city centre where their importers could meet. This example might become contagious.
More than 400 the Italian wineries were present. Among them a good number
Vinexpo
were there for the first time and certainly many of them asked themselves if it was worth it. There is no sense in comparing it to VINITALY where Italian wines are celebrated. Regarding foreign wine fairs smaller wineries look upon PROWEIN/Dusseldorf with growing interest, for the opportunity of contacts which it offers with promising German speaking markets and with the emerging nations in Eastern Europe.
Vinexpo-Vini-Cinelli-Colombini
During Vinexpo , in Bordeaux, the mayor Alain Juppé laid the first stone for the CITE’ DES CIVILISATONS DU VIN, extra-super cultural center dedicated to wine, destined to welcome hundreds of thousands of tourists. Similar projects, not identical, have been unsuccessful in Adelaide, London and Napa because of the running costs which are too high. The exportation of Bordeaux wines is around 40% of the total value of the entire French wine exportation: Bordeaux can afford to organize grand projects.
What must be bettered at Vinexpo. The duration, five days are too many, three days are ideal; traffic is chaotic at opening and closing time of the fair; a change of planes too many to reach Bordeaux; in the city the hotel rates are extortionate; the cost of the stands at the fair are very high.
Novelties for next year. As in the past the event VINEXPO/HONG KONG will be repeated on 27-29 May 2014. Two new events will also be added: VINEXPO/BEIGING June 2-3 2014 and VINEXPO/TOKYO on November 1-2 2014. We are full of wine events. The decrease in consumption in the producer nations, the increase in attention to export and the windfall of OCM contributions for promoting European wines abroad convince the fair organizers to offer new opportunities for marketing in nations a lot further away. Some wineries can no longer resist. Some choosing will need to be done.