Paris to host ‘first ever’ cool-climate wine trade show

The winegrowers’ associations of the Loire, Burgundy, Alsace and Champagne will converge on Paris next month for ‘the first ever’ international trade show dedicated to promoting French cool-climate wines.

VinoVision

VinoVision Paris will take place from 12-14 February at the Paris expo Porte de Versailles exhibition centre. Organised by Comexposium in conjunction with the Association des Vignobles Septentrionaut, the event will bring together nearly 400 exhibitors representing all cool-climate regions of France, including Alsace, Beaujolais, Burgundy, Champagne, Jura, Bugey, Lorraine, Savoy, and the Loire Valley.

It is hoped that future VinoVision events will also attract exhibitors from other cool-climate regions across the world, including the UK, Oregon, New Zealand, Germany.

Several thousand French and international specialists are expected from across a range of wine distribution channels, from import and export to hospitality and catering, independent retail, mass retail and online shopping.

“VinoVision Paris wishes to place end consumers at the centre of its priorities, to gain better insight into their drinking habits and attitudes to wine, anticipate their needs, and give the right pointers to producers and buyers to help them adapt to market change,” a spokesperson for the event said.

Tapping into the growing consumer trend towards wines from cool-climate regions, the trade show will feature a joint initiative with the Paris-based trend forecasting agency NellyRodi, whose trend analysis aims “to offer a new perspective on cool climate wines and highlight the extent to which the wines of French cool-climate regions are in step with consumer expectations”.

NellyRodi’s findings will be published in a limited edition ‘Trendbook’, which visitors will be able to access in the Trend Forum at the event.

In addition, visitors will be able to take part in a range of masterclasses, as well as discover the multitude of cool-climate wines and appellations on a walk along the event’s ‘Tasting Avenue’.

Cool-climate wines continue to buoy up French wine exports, remaining stable despite challenging vintage conditions and a slight drop in wine exports overall.

According to FranceAgriMer, while total French wine exports in 2015 dropped by 1.4% in volume compared with 2014, cool-climate wines remained steady, while the first months of 2016 saw increases in export volumes for still wines from cool-climate wine regions, in particular for the key markets of the US and the UK.