New focus on organic wines and bar trends at Prowein

ProWein has unveiled details of its 2017 programme, which includes a new focus on organic wines, greater emphasis on bars and food, and introducing wines from less well-known regions.

[photo by Messe Duesseldorf]Returning to the Dusseldorf Exhibition Centre for its 23^rd year on 19-21 March, the world’s largest trade wine show is set to host around 6,300 exhibitors from around 60 nations worldwide.

New for 2017 is Organic World, a showcase of 30 international organic wine producers in a designated areas. New exhibitors this year also include Ecuadoran winery Dos Hemisferios, Pico Wines from the Azores and Polish winery Turnau and the Asian Wine Producers Association (AWP), an organization formed to promote recognition of both Asian Wines, and also Asia as a respected wine region.

The Fizzz (sic) Lounge, which was introduced last year focusing on lower abv ‘shim’ cocktails, will return with a new focus on emerging bar trends, including pairing coffee, craft beers and wines with spirits. New uses and preparations for coffee, such as cold drip, cold brew and nitrogen-enriched nitro are being tipped as inventive and different ingredients to pair with spirits, while craft beers are set to rework old classics with whisky or tequila, with wine complementing rum and aged spirits. Award-winning bartender and mixologist Tom Weinberger already signed up, the organisers confirmed.

It comes as part of new boss Marius Berlemann’s plans to boost the show’s appeal to bars and restaurants, which has also seen him up the level of gastronomy and food offered at the show, including a new outdoor space for food trucks in between Halls 9 to 17.

This year also sees a new circuit system designed to make it easier for visitors to navigate the vast show. Halls 9 to 17 will form a circuit progressing through the wine-producing regions of the world, with a covered walk-way linking the two halls. Starting in the New World and Greece (Hall 9), visitors will move through Spain and Portugal (Hall 10) to France (Halls 11 and 12), which also houses the spirit section and Champagne Lounge, with further halls showcasing German producers (Halls 13 and 14), Italy and other European suppliers (Halls 15 and 16), as well as Austrian wines (Hall 17), where the central Tasting Zone is located.

The final programme of themed tastings, lectures,market analysis and trends briefings in the ProWein Forum is still being determined, but the Mundus Vini tasting zone is set to return, along, with the  “same but different” show where ten producers will present innovating marketing concepts along the theme of wine production and marketing.