Share

Bordeaux's world winefest has WOW! factor

Bordeaux - The world's wine industry will converge Sunday when the prestigious Vinexpo kicks off in Bordeaux, the capital of French viticulture, with Chinese visitors leading the pack of foreign punters.

Spain - one of France's leading competitors along with Italy - is this year's guest of honour at the four-day extravaganza drawing some 45 000 buyers and 1 000 journalists.

And a new space has been set aside for organic and biodynamic wines, dubbed WOW! - which stands for World Organic Wines.

"It's much more than a fair," says Vinexpo's director general Guillaume Deglise. "It's the biggest get-together of the wines and spirits sector."

The premier showcase for winegrowers, dealers, buyers and suppliers, which alternates each year between Bordeaux and Hong Kong, generates some 50 million euros ($56 million) in direct business and twice that in knock-on benefits.

Up-and-coming wines such as those from upstate New York's Finger Lakes region get a chance to shine, as well as offbeat new libations such as a Siberian vodka.

"Beyond the business that takes place at the stands, it's also a chance to take the pulse of the market, to catch up on the news, market trends, and issues that worry the sector" such as the effects of climate change or the impact of Brexit on the industry, Deglise said.

The wheeling and dealing will get off to a high-profile start on Sunday with the signature of a partnership between Vinexpo and Tmall, the online sales platform run by Chinese e-tailing giant Alibaba.

Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang and Vinexpo's new president Christophe Navarre will be on hand for the signing.

The group's founder, billionaire Jack Ma, is among dozens of Chinese tycoons who own properties in the Bordeaux region.

In a testament to China's burgeoning interest in Vinexpo and Bordeaux, the Chinese will make up the biggest foreign contingent at this year's edition, and the number of Chinese exhibitors has surged fivefold from four in 2015.

All together, there are some 2 300 exhibitors from 40 countries - mainly France, Italy and Spain.

Among the dozens of tastings on offer will be a "masterclass" by Spanish winemaster Pedro Ballesteros on Spain's "white wine revolution" which has seen sales skyrocket in recent years.

Organic wine 'reality'

Some 150 producers, mainly from South Africa, the United States and Argentina, will offer samples of their organic and biodynamic wines in the dedicated "WOW!" space.

"It's no longer just a trend, it's a reality of the market," Deglise said. "It's a good idea to showcase them so buyers can identify them more easily."

A highlight of the fair is an expert blind tasting, the Vinexpo Challenge, overseen by Sweden's Jon Arvid Rosengren, who was named the world's best sommelier in 2016.

The gala closes Wednesday evening with a traditional dinner for some 1 500 A-listers, this year hosted by a Graves grand cru, Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere, and cooked up by Yannick Alleno, whose restaurants boast a total of six Michelin stars.

Read Fin24's top stories trending on Twitter:

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.99
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
24.14
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.64
-0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.39
+0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.5%
Platinum
913.65
-1.1%
Palladium
1,016.50
-4.6%
Gold
2,158.65
-0.1%
Silver
25.07
+0.1%
Brent Crude
86.89
+1.8%
Top 40
66,252
0.0%
All Share
72,431
0.0%
Resource 10
53,317
0.0%
Industrial 25
100,473
0.0%
Financial 15
16,622
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders