Bureau de L'Occitanie London office set to close after 17 years
The Bureau de L'Occitanie, first set up to represent wines from Occitanie, including those from Languedoc, Roussillon and South-West France, will shutter on 7 March.
The bureau acted as a liaison between producers from the region and the UK trade. Future projects involving the world’s largest wine growing region will now be handled directly from the Sud de France-l'Occitanie head office in Montpellier.
This decision comes despite increases in both the volume (+4.2%) and value (+9.8%) sales of Occitanie wine exports to British shores in the past year. The closure exemplifies the French government’s decision to impose a suite of budget cuts on local authorities including the Occitanie region.
The Bureau’s initiatives have included The Top 100 Best Wines of Occitanie competition over 12 editions, as well as 12 consecutive years at the London International Wine Trade Fair representing the region’s 260,000ha of vineyards.
Isabelle Kanaan (pictured), executive director, who will no longer be involved due to the budget cuts, reflects positively on the Bureau’s role over its near two decades of existence.
She said: “We are proud of the notable progress for wines from Occitanie over these 17 years. Our initiatives have shown how diverse and dynamic the region is. ‘Sud de France’ will always resonate strongly. Perception has changed, and the trade, as well as consumer wine drinkers, now appreciate the ever-evolving winemaking of Occitanie and the wider range of everyday through to quality and special occasion wines.”
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