Hollande opens Vinexpo 2015

The president of France, François Hollande, opened this year’s Vinexpo in Bordeaux, the first time the show has been launched by the French head of state.

Hollande is papped by db (Photo: db)

Speaking at a press conference at the show’s opening ceremony in Bordeaux’s Palais des Congrès, Hollande said: “Today, Bordeaux is not just the capital of a region, it’s a showcase for France, the world capital of wines and spirits.

“I wished to come to Vinexpo, to meet the actors behind an industry so representative  of excellence and the art of living à la française.

“We must support its knowledge and its place in the world: we are the leaders we must remain so.”

His attendance at the opening ceremony was greeted as a gesture of support for the industry and recognition of the “essential” role played by the Bordeaux show in the continued activity of this vital economic sector.

Hollnade was welcomed by Bordeaux’s mayor, Alain Juppé, and the deputy for the Gironde and president of the regional council of Aquitaine, Alain Rousset.

The minister of agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll, and secretary of state for foreign export, Matthias Fekl, were also in attendance.

Hollande then spent an hour and a half walking around the newly opened fair, meeting with and speaking to various industry figures.