Vinexpo 2017 in pictures

With the mercury rising to a sweltering 37-degrees, db’s Patrick Schmitt MW and Rupert Millar managed to keep their cool in their dinner jackets and dickie bows.

Vinexpo’s CEO Guillaume Deglise and communications director Anne Cusson arrive in style at the gala dinner hosted by Château Latour.

The evening had a slightly more informal feel than previous gala dinners, with guests seated at wooden trellis tables overflowing with foliage.

Before we sat down we were treated to a selection of canapés and an alluring line-up of Sauternes.

db’s Lucy Shaw lucked out as she was sat on the Mouton Rothschild table, and had an embarrassment of riches to enjoy, from Haut-Brion Blanc 2009 and Château Latour 1975 from magnum, to Mouton Rothschild 2000, ending with the spectacular 2005 vintage of Château Yquem.

And if that wasn’t decadence enough, they then paraded out gigantic wheels of truffled brie for us to gorge on.

Adding a splash of A-list glamour to proceedings were Mexican-American actress Salma Hayek and former Bond girl Carole Bouquet bookended by their high-flying partners, Latour’s co-owner François-Henri Pinault and Mouton chairman Philippe Sereys de Rothschild.

The evening ended with a sensational firework display put to classical music as guests stood among the vines glowing with a thousand candles.

db’s Andrew Oliver and Chloe Beral cosy up to superstar chef Francis Mallmann at a meat feast dinner hosted by Uruguay producer Bodegas Garzon, where Mallmann runs one of his many restaurants. He is soon to partner with Champagne house Krug on an ‘Into the Wild’ experience.

db caught up with the lovely Marcos Fernandez, head winemaker of Doña Paula in Argentina, during the fair, who was excited for us to taste his new Malbec rosé, which is already going down a storm in export markets.

We also chatted too one of the key innovators in Chilean wine, Sebastian Labbé, who has recently been promoted to head winemaker of the Santa Rita range, making him custodian of one of the country’s most revered wines – Casa Real, which he plans to fine tune over time.

We also met up with the ebullient Fred Levy of Corvin, who, having worked or Nespresso, told us that he has similar ambitions for Coravin, which he wants to become a kitchen essential for all wine lovers. Keen for global domination, the company is currently cracking South America.

Keen to cool off from the furnace-like heat, we swung by the Champagne Pannier stand at the end of the day to enjoy a glass of fizz with the house’s export director Terence Kenny, and check out its new label designs that give the brand a fresh, contemporary look.

db’s Lucy Shaw was delighted to chance upon this pretty pink van championing Bordeaux rosé.

We’re not sure what kind of virtual reality experience Castel was offering from the inside of a 2CV, but it looked like a lot of fun.

We also swung by the Bodegas Garzon stand for a chat and a taste with consultant Alberto Antonini and general manager Christian Wylie, who told us that the future for flagship grape Tannat in Uruguay lies in the Garzon region where it performs beautifully.

Over on the Zonin stand, we were treated to a cooking demo from charismatic Chilean chef Cristian Rebolledo, who devised three Chilean dishes including smoked veal and avocado ice cream to pair with wines from Zonin’s latest venture – Dos Almas in Chile.

Mr smooth, Eduardo Chadwick, guided us through a vertical tasting of his top drop, Viñedo Chadwick, which winemaker Francisco Baettig is taking in a fresher direction by lowering the alcohol levels through earlier picking and lessening the percentage of new oak the wine is aged in.

Later that night we headed to the Palace de la Bourse for the A Taste of Spain event, which gathered some of Spain’s top winemakers and chefs, including El Bulli’s Ferran Adria, and Rafael Palacios, who told us that he lost 80% of his crop this year to the crippling spring frosts.

We also caught up with Victor Sanchez and Bruno Colomer of Codorniu, who treated us to a tasting of their new high-end Cava release, ‘456’.

Having recently met him in London then caught up with him at the Copa Jerez the week before, we completed the hat-trick with Fermin Hidalgo of Bodegas Hidalgo, who poured us a glass of the estate’s new limited edition anniversary bottling of La Gitana Manzanilla.

We also stopped by the Pingus stand for a chat with great Dane, Peter Sisseck, who filled us in on his soil mapping project in Ribera del Duero.

The Taste of Spain event proved hugely popular, with queues for the food snaking around the room.

Among our favourite dishes was a simple, buttery, white bean stew.

Cooling off from the heat, we sought solace from the sunshine at the Moët Ice Imperial bar within the LVMH stand.

We also enjoyed trying Veuve Clicquot’s new Extra Brut Extra Old release made from 100% reserve wines from six different vintages.

Jacques Orhon, a Montreal-based Sommelier and wine writer, accepted an award on behalf of Ziraldo Wines, who received the honour for its icewine, at Vinexpo.