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The key dates for La Place de Bordeaux in 2025

07 January 2025 By Colin Hay

2024 was not an auspicious year for the fine wine market and, despite an air of optimism in and around Bordeaux during the festive season (or was it just gallows humour?), the prospects for 2025 are not any more propitious. db’s Bordeaux correspondent Colin Hay lists the key dates of what promises to be a make-or-break year for La Place.

20 January – Inauguration of the 47th President of the USA

2024 was a year of elections, with over a 100 separate nations going to be polls. Many were prospectively significant for the fine wine market. But none more so than that of Donald Trump who will be inaugurated as the US’s 47^th President later this month. La Place is already anxiously looking across the Atlantic for signals of the new tariff regime that was a consistent theme of his election campaign.

Best case scenario: Trump targets Canada and Mexico and defers the introduction of punitive tariffs on European imports.

Worst case scenario: tariffs on all imports from the EU of 20 or even 25%, or even a selective targeting of specific markets such as that for wine and spirits.

10 -12 February – Vinexpo, Porte de Versailles exhibition centre, Paris

A massive moment in the fine wine calendar in any year; above all so in 2025. For when market conditions are tough, trade fairs become more not less important. That is well understood in Bordeaux and all the leading négociants will be there. And so will the drinks business. This is the moment when the market sentiment for the year will really be set.

10 February, 2pm – **The unveiling of the new Cru Bourgeois classification**

If market conditions are tough in general, they are especially tough for the most price sensitive and price competitive parts of the market. And, despite their rather grand sounding epithet, in Bordeaux that applies particularly to the Crus Bourgeoisie. The announcement of a new classification is an important opportunity to focus attention on these often rather underappreciated wines which, above all today, represent excellent value. It will take place at Vinexpo by the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc.

16 – 18 March – Prowein, Düsseldorf, Germany

This is an important year for Prowein. Trade fairs might well be more (not less) important in tough market conditions. But those self-same conditions also intensify the competition between trade fairs – notably that between Vinexpo and Prowein – as potential stand holders seek to maximise their return on any potential outlay. Is the fine wine market big enough for the both of them? By mid-March we might well have a clear answer to that question.

20 March – Yquem day

The third Thursday in March is a key date in the Bordeaux calendar as it is the much anticipated release of Yquem’s 2022 vintage. This is a vintage of great promise with late onset botrytis forming on fully ripe grapes; yet it is also a vintage that requires, as it massively rewards, the freshness that so brilliantly characterises Yquem in recent years. I for one cannot wait to taste this wine.

March – The release of La Place de Bordeaux’s spring collection

A massive test both of market sentiment and of the capacity of these elite global fine wine producers and their courtiers and négociants to adapt themselves to those market conditions. In short, a great spectator sport in prospect that the drinks business will be following closely.

6 – 9 April – Vinitaly, Verona, Italy

Vinitaly is always something of a singularity. Until recently this was a largely domestic celebration of vinous Italy, but it has become increasingly international over the last few years whilst losing none of its authentic charm and unadulterated hedonism. Book your flights and accommodation early. The Cannes Film Festival of wine!

14 – 19 April – Bordeaux en primeur week

The unveiling of the complex and challenging, no doubt heterogenous but ultimately promising, 2024 vintage. Many have written-off 2024 already and no one (not even the Bordelaise) are suggesting that this is the vintage of the century. But it is likely to be released at discounted prices relative to previous vintages and may well represent, for the first time in a long time, a tempting offer for those buying carefully. The drinks business will be there to keep you informed and, to for those who might be tempted, to guide you.

May – June – **The Bordeaux en primeur campaign**

For once we can be pretty sure that the first releases are likely to be early, with the bulk of the releases set to occur before the start of Vinexpo Asia. Another make-or-break campaign on which hangs the fate of the much debated en primeur system.

27 – 29 May – Vinexpo Asia, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

A make-or-break Vinexpo Asia at a crucial moment in the evolution of the Asian fine wine market. All of La Place will be there – some of them, no doubt, biting their finger nails as they search for orders.

September – The release of La Place de Bordeaux’s autumn collection.

As for the March releases this is likely to prove a massive test both of market sentiment and of adaptability of those bringing new releases to the market. Following on from en primeur, this will set the trend for the end of the calendar year. Look out, above all, for the second annual ‘Riesling week’ at the end of the month – a rare unanticipated success in 2024.

13 – 17 November – Benvenuto Brunello

The Benvenuto Brunello is an increasingly important date in the fine wine calendar. It see the release of the new Brunello di Montalcino vintage (in 2025, the 2021 vintage for Brunello di Montalcino and the 2020 vintage for the Riserva wines). It takes place in the cloister of the iconic Sant ’Agostino Museum in Montalcino. It is followed by La Place’s Brunello releases on La Place in December.

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