Wine Paris hits international stride as numbers continue to grow

By Andrew Catchpole

Published: 16 February, 2026

Wine Paris took a further step in establishing itself as the premier Wine and Spirits exhibition last week (7-11 February), with both visitors and exhibitors exceeding last year’s record-setting numbers.

Of particular note was the strong international attendance, up 21% to 51% of total visitors, counting 63,541 visitors from 169 countries.

The exhibitor roll call also grew its international foothold, with 6,537 exhibitors from 63 countries similarly representing a 20% increase of international attendance to 51%.

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In addition, non-European exhibitors such as California, Australia and New Zealand had all increased producer participation, with the Australian presence almost doubling in numbers, and New Zealand focusing solely on Wine Paris as its big European outing this year.

Notable, too, was an expanded Be Spirits section, plus a new Be Low hall dedicated to Low & No drinks, tapping into the wellness and moderation trends.

The show organisers claimed a 20% rise in ‘top buyers’, a trend that was anecdotally borne out by the likes of Michael Schemmel of the German Wine Institute, who told Harpers: “We have to have a strong presence here because this in now where all of the buyers are coming.”

In among the estimated 112,462 interactions between drinks professionals on the show floor, this year’s 180-odd masterclasses, panels and workshops managed to fold in an audience with Kylie Minogue, whose eponymous wine brand has sold 25 million bottles over the past six years.

Along with her business partner Paul Schaafsma of Benchmark Drinks, the pop star provided a lighter yet still informative series of insights into what she described as the door opening “conduit, or entry point” of a recognisable, celebrity-backed wine brand, especially for the less confident consumer.

Schaafsma then highlighted the need to listen to the consumer to help reverse the fortunes of the trade, adding: “We wanted something that would make consumers feel comfortable with wine… and if you find a wine that relates to your lifestyle, then you’ll feel comfortable purchasing it.

“It’s confusing going down the supermarket aisle… this brand sits in the sweet spot, it’s all about the consumer,” he stressed.

French President, Emmanuel Macron, also added to the sense that Wine Paris has arrived, visiting the Vinexposium event on day one, where he met trade figures to listen to their concerns. Government ministers had graced previous editions of Wine Paris, but this was a first for a President to attend.

Elsewhere, at a briefing for UK press, CEO Rodolphe Lameyse revealed management changes for both the exhibition and its parent company Vinexposium. Lameyse announced that his role is evolving to oversee all Vinexposium food and drink events, while Nicolas Cuissard has stepped up as director of Wine Paris, previously having been sales director for Vinexposium.

At that briefing, while not shying away from the many challenges facing the wine and spirits sectors, Lameyse spoke of the upbeat atmosphere at the show, which he in part put down to the growing momentum of Wine Paris, along with the spirit of the trade which he said was still clearly keen to conduct business.

“We are in a period where there are so many potential conflicts everywhere, the tendency could be for [the trade] to be a bit closed,” he said. “But the mood in the aisles, talking with people, is the complete opposite of what you might expect… business is difficult, for sure, but people still want to do business.”

He went on to describe Macron’s attendance as “an indication of where Wine Paris is”, down to what Lameyse termed as “an alignment of the stars”, in part due to the importance of the upcoming EU-Mercosur FTA agreement, plus the India FTA, which should provide significant opportunities for French and other EU wines.

Wine Paris has been positioning itself not just as a trade show, but as what the organisers describe as “an international forum for dialogue”, helping facilitate a conversation between governments, institutions and industry.

Cuissard, who also attended the press session, later added his own take on the direction of Wine Paris.

“Wine Paris 2026 reaffirms its central role for the global drinks industry. As both a marketplace, a platform for influence and a space for communication, the event has become a structuring meeting point to support the sector’s transformations and help shape its future,” he said, summarising the direction of this still growing event.

Harpers will carry more coverage from some of the industry briefings at Wine Paris in our March issue.

Picture credit: Philippe Labeguerie

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