The six candidates for the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year have been announced, and they include regular Harpers contributors Sarah Jane Evans MW and Jamie Goode.
There will be no generic presence from New Zealand at this year's Vinexpo fair in France - for the second time in three events.
Vinexpo is fully booked and has been since November, according to chief executive, Robert Beynat.
Read more...By Christian Davis
Vinexpo 2007 is nearly full, according to its chief executive Robert Beynat, who was in London last week.
If you've survived the annual jaunt to the two major events in the wine trade calendar, the London International Wine & Spirits Fair (LIWSF) and Vinexpo, it's now time to sit back and enjoy the brief lull before the next round of exhibition hall madness. But how many of us are already planning to visit some of Europe's smaller wine fairs next year too? And are wine trade fairs an essential part of an independent wine merchant's buying strategy, or simply a waste of time and energy?
Read more...The 14th Vinexpo exhibition will take place from 17 to 21 June next year, at the Parc des Expositions in Bordeaux.
Sicily is technically a region of Italy, but really it stands alone. The island has been invaded by so many cultures over the years - Asians, African, Europeans - that it has its own brand of cosmopolitan charm that transcends the Italian canopy.
As a community, Sicily is virtually self-sufficient, and its main income has traditionally been agricultural exports. Dramatic mountain ranges slice through much of the landscape, with Mount Etna as their ruler, and, not surprisingly, considering that Sicily has a number of hectares under vine comparable to that of the whole of Australia, vineyards are never far from sight.
The messages from Enotria, land of wine, have been largely grim since 2002, so it is encouraging to report that a sunnier aspect appears to be emerging.
Read more...When faced with the juggernaut that is Champagne - complete with the biggest marketing budgets in the wine world, ultra-slick PR teams and profit margins that would make most producers dance naked through their vineyards - it is easy to forget that more than half the fizz drunk in the UK doesn't hail from northeast France.
Read more...France Under One Roof
Wednesday 22 March
The Nursery End Pavilion,
Lord's Cricket Ground, Wellington Road,
London NW8 (North Gate Entrance)
10am-5pm
For more details contact Jane Hunt MW on 01451 831682; janehuntmw@aol.com
ProWein, the major German wine and spirits show that is held in Dsseldorf in March, wants to attract more UK visitors.
With 2,773 exhibitors (Vinitaly, 4,064; Vinexpo, 2,500; and London International Wine & Spirits Fair (LIWSF), 1,300), ProWein claims the largest number of Italian and French exhibitors outside of their respective countries' own shows and also showcases the German wine industry with 700 producers exhibiting. The UK remains Germany's number-one export market, bringing in 971,315 hectolitres in 2004, compared to the number-two Netherlands with 380,870hl.
Mot & Chandon is set to sue Vinexpo for loss of business, image and credibility' after not being allowed to occupy its contracted stand space at last month's exhibition in Bordeaux.
Read more...In a statement that will surprise many of this year's visitors to Vinexpo, the organisers of the biennial trade fair in Bordeaux have declared last week's five-day event an unexpected' success, with an increase in visitor numbers on the previous show in 2003, and a record number of non-French visitors.
Read more...It may be hard to believe, but Lombardy, the most industrial region in Italy (its capital Milan is also the capital of the Italian press, Italian culture, Italian commerce and finance, and the fashion world), is also one of the most important Italian regions for agriculture. Not only does it produce grain, milk and cheese, but it also produces wine.
Read more...The International Wine and Spirit Competition used the opening day of Vinexpo earlier this week to announce the first round of Trophy Winners in this year's competition.
Read more...I am delighted to be at Vinexpo today, the largest wine and spirits exhibition in the world, the most comprehensive showcase for French and international viticulture.
Read more...The organisers claim that the exhibition site has been totally reorganised, thanks to the recently built Hall 3, a permanent 12,000m2 structure that replaces the former temporary building. Standing to the west of Hall 1, it will house some 200 exhibitors, with air-conditioning, no interior pillars, picture windows and 10-metre-high ceilings. Hall 3 will also contain a 400m2 conference room that will accommodate a number of tastings and provide 2,000 extra parking spaces.
Read more...Seven weeks from the upcoming Vinexpo 2005, ICE (Istituto Nazionale per il Commercio Estero), Italy's institute for external trade, has informed Vinexpo organisers that ICE, sponsor of Italy's collective hall, is cancelling its participation.
Read more...Wine is the last piece of the jigsaw' and when it fits, it's absolute bliss'. This is one of the findings of research into Londoners' view of wine commissioned by Vinexpo in advance of its major exhibition in Bordeaux in June.
Read more...
