Thousands of wine enthusiasts descended on the city of Bordeaux, France last week to attend the 19th edition of Vinexpo Bordeaux, the leading international exhibition for wine and spirits professionals. With over 40,000 trade visitors from 150 countries, 2,300 exhibitors from 40 countries, 1,000 journalists from 50 countries, 10 Best Sommeliers in the World (MSM), and 12 Michelin-starred chefs, Vinexpo 2017 was held at the Bordeaux Exhibition Centre, over four days, and was open not only to wine and spirits professionals and associated business (importers, wholesalers, restaurants, duty-free…) but also journalists.

VinExpo is one of the few major shows where wine producers can interface with their customers and potential new clients from around the world under one roof. Aisle after aisle, producer countries display a variety of wines and spirits. This year the top 10 exhibiting counties were:1- France, 2 – Italy, 3 – Spain, 4 – Chile, 5 – UK, 6 – USA, 7 – Austria, 8 – China, 9 – South Africa, and 10 – Germany. There were also brands from Croatia, Chile, Austria, Argentina, Ireland and Switzerland; even Georgia, Lebanon and Russia had products on display.

Spain – Vinexpo country of honour

This year Spain was selected as the country of honour and this was supported by a range of special tastings and classes designed to celebrate the culture and cuisine of Spain. An event, billed simply “A Taste of Spain”, gave attendees the opportunity to enjoy tapas, prepared by 12 of the best Spanish chefs handpicked by the greats, notably Ferran Adrià and José Andrés, and 112 great Spanish wines were showcased by their producers. Spain is one of the greatest wine producers in the world: in first place in terms of planted surface area and third in production (after Italy and France).

WOW! World of Organic Wines

For the first time, Vinexpo featured an area entirely dedicated to organic and biodynamic wines. There was a big section of the hall titled WOW! — short for ‘World of Organic Wines’ — which played host to 150 producers and provided an opportunity for folks in the trade looking for wines crafted by artisan winemakers.

Riesling Day

Last week Tuesday was dedicated to help shine the spotlight on the complexity of this internationally grown variety, with six unique tastings, including a masterclass in the presence of five Masters of Wine who compared opinions on Rieslings from France, Germany, the USA, Australia and Austria.

Another major highlight – Climate Change

The impact of climate change on viticulture and wine quality is among the most critical issues facing the global wine community today. Farmers experience changes in the climate quicker than most. On the opening day Vinexpo Bordeaux partnered with Wine Spectator magazine to host a panel discussion, titled Fire & Rain: Climate Change and the Wine Industry. Other sessions covered key topics including the impact of Brexit and the future of technology and its impact on wine sales globally.

I am curently making plans to attend Vinexpo New York 2018 and Vinexpo Bordeaux 2019 — wish me luck!

Christopher Reckord – Information Technology Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram @chrisreckord and on Twitter: @Reckord