High expectations for Wine Paris 2025 despite industry challenges

Wine Paris 2025 aims to unite the drinks industry despite facing declining sales, climate challenges, and shifting consumer trends, db reports.

The upcoming Wine Paris 2025 event, due to take place from 10 – 12 February, promises to be a pivotal event for a global wine industry navigating a web of challenges.

Speaking at a recent press briefing, Rodolphe Lameyse, CEO of Vinexposium, and Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), outlined a landscape marked by economic pressures, shifting market dynamics, and the necessity for innovation.

Globally, wine continues its structural decline, with 2024 witnessing a 3.9% drop in overall volumes. A similar narrative was conveyed at last year’s Wine Paris briefing. 

Today, markets such as China, the US, and Europe are struggling, reflecting weak consumer sentiment and broader economic woes. Lameyse’s straightforward assessment: “The wine market is very bad. We see it everywhere at the moment” underscored the scale of the challenge.

UK businesses, grappling with complex regulations and rising costs, face an additional hurdle as it becomes increasingly expensive, around £5 more per case of wine, for international brands to sell in Britain compared to the EU.

Compounding these issues are shifts in premiumisation trends. While super-premium wine and Tequila segments remain resilient, broader categories face declines. These shifts demand that producers re-evaluate strategies to connect with consumers whose preferences are evolving toward affordability and innovation​.

Opportunities amidst turbulence

Despite these challenges, areas of potential growth remain.

Prosecco and premium rosé wines have bucked the negative trends, offering affordability and versatility.

The no-and low-alcohol segment also presents a notable opportunity, with products in this category growing rapidly. While Lameyse expressed scepticism about its relevance to traditional wine, he acknowledged its inevitability, urging the industry to embrace innovation.

UK regulatory changes incentivising lower-ABV products could further propel this trend, particularly as moderation gains traction among health-conscious consumers​.

Resilience and collaboration

For the first time, more than 1,000 buyers are expected to attend Wine Paris, emphasising the growing importance of the event as a global nexus for the wine and spirits industry.

With seven new countries, including Australia and South Korea, participating, and the introduction of four international pavilions, one highlight will be the expanded “Be Spirits” area, featuring 218 producers and a 47% increase in No/Low alcohol exhibitors. Additionally, the event will host the V d’Or awards, recognising innovation and sustainability within the sector.

Marketing and storytelling: “An obligation”

As competition intensifies, Lameyse stressed the importance of marketing and storytelling.

“Brands can’t rely on the product simply being good,” he said, pointing to the necessity of engaging narratives that resonate with today’s discerning consumers. “It is an obligation.”

The 110 sessions at the Wine Paris Academy, spanning masterclasses and tastings, aim to equip participants with the insights and tools needed to excel in this demanding environment.

A call for unity

Central to the briefing was the theme of collaboration. “Isolationism is not an option,” Lameyse said, calling for the industry to learn from other sectors in addressing challenges such as lobbying against anti-alcohol movements.

With climate change causing the lowest harvest levels in decades and geopolitical issues complicating trade, the global wine industry must present a united front to navigate this turbulent period.

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