Fair wind blowing

You might not want to admit it, but showtime has come around again. So prepare for achy feet and start planning for the first three shows of next year

FRIGHTENING as it seems, the round of wine fairs and exhibitions looms large.  Few will have had the chance to forget the extreme temperatures of Vinexpo in June or the sore feet they sported after three days at the London International Wine and Spirit fair.

But yes, it’s upon us again – showtime.  Our top tips for surviving show-fatigue include a stout pair of comfortable shoes, cooling peppermint foot cream, useful exercises to prevent RSI and having an ice-cold beer at around 6pm each day.

But before embarking on the marathon, you’ll need to know what’s on offer for the first few months of 2004. 

Vinisud

It might not be the best time to visit Montpellier but if you are looking for a taste of what the major Mediterranean wine-producing nations have to offer, you’ll find it at Vinisud in February.

Running from February 16-18, this is the sixth time Vinisud has set out its stall and, since the first show in 1994, it has increased the number of exhibitors from 368 to 1,195 in 2002.

The increase in visitors to this bi-annual fair since its launch is even more impressive, with visitor numbers rising from 4,000 in the first year to around 20,000 in 2002.  For 2004 the organisers are predicting numbers in excess of 25,000.

The main focus of the fair, as you would expect, is French with pavilions from all the usual Southern French suspects, including Corsica.  Add to this representation from Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece, plus the more diverse producing nations of Tunisia, Morocco, Croatia and even Malta and you start to realise the breadth of choice.

Buyers looking for niche products or something different to give more depth to a range should consider visiting the show.

Prowein

For those in the UK wine trade who have not already visited Prowein, you’re simply missing out. If you have pretensions or plans to expand your business or your brand into mainland Europe, or you simply want to get a handle of what’s happening in Europe’s largest wine market, then this is the show for you.

Running from February 29 to March 2, 2004, this show in Dusseldorf just seems to get bigger and it seems to be becoming a very European event.  All of the major brand owners from Europe and major New World producing countries exhibit at this event, around 2,800 of them.

In terms of visitors Prowein attracts buyers and trade alike from across Europe to the tune of more than 28,000 last year.

One reason for the fair’s phenomenal growth in the past four years has to be down to its accessibility.  Less than two hours away from most major northern European cities, Prowein offers the drinks professional an ideal forum for tasting and doing business.

A number of tasting events take place at the show, including a definitive tasting of Burgundy and a look at the Champagne market.  This year, for the first time, Wein & Markt are working with Rudiger Rouss to stage an international wine and spirit seminar on Power Brands and Their Challenges, on February 28, the day before  the fair begins.

Topics for the programme include Wine As A Brand, with Hew Dalrymple of Waverley and Berns Michael of Grey Deutchland; and Success: Not A Question of Size But Quality of Management and Product, with speakers John Phillips of Beringer Blass, Ignacio Osborne from Osborne and Dr Jan Brentzen of the Brenztzen Group, plus Alan Cheeseman, consultant and Russell Burgess.

Vinitaly

If you like Italian wine you’ll like it here.  This has to be the largest collection of Italian wines under one roof in the world.

Spread over five days, from April 1-5 in Verona, Vinitaly offers visitors and exhibitors the chance to sample wines from every region in the land, and from a few others too.

It can be a bit of a scrum in the connecting corridors and bars, but you are never going to get a better chance to taste what is happening in Italy than here.

The show attracted 129,000 visitors over the five days in 2003 and they had the chance to taste the wares of 3,800 exhibitors.