Prowein is by far the largest and most influential wine fair in the world. It takes place in Dusseldorf, Germany every March over three days. 6900 producers, of which 661 were from Spain, from 64 countries and more than 61,500 professional visitors from 142 countries make the annual pilgrimage to taste, buy, sell, network and see what is happening in the world of wine.
I have been attending this fair for many years and each time it gets bigger with new pavilions required to meet the demand from exhibitors from around the world. Latin American countries you may not be aware of as wine producers such as Brazil, which was strongly represented, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia were there. Eastern Europe had a strong presence also from Moldova, Romania, Georgia, Armenia, home of the oldest winery in the world, had a stronger representation than ever before. I recall that only a few years ago China had one small stand, now you can find many wineries that were extremely busy. Historically Spain has been the country the largest number of hectares of vineyards but it is now thought that China has surpassed Spain.
What were the most notable trends on show this year? The global use of grape varieties less well known outside of the regions or country of origin was evident. I tasted an Albariño from Uruguay and from New Zealand, a Palomino (the grape used to make Jerez) from South Africa, a Tempranillo/Garnacha blend from Australia.
The continued growth of sparkling wines in general, particularly Prosecco. When you see Frexinet the leading producer of cava, launching their own Prosecco it is a reaction to market trends.
Premium quality Rosé wines, the fastest growing category in wine, were strongly represented this year. This was notable as I walked around the fair, wineries from all around the world are adding Rosés to their portfolios. The beautiful array of pale pink colours, cool designs and use of different styles of bottles were eye catching. A good Rosé, as regular readers of this column will know, is one of the most versatile wines and it is good to see its renewed popularity.
Different forms of packing were evident. Readers who still struggle to accept the ubiquitous screw cap as a closure for a bottle of premium quality wine should look away now because the latest trend for packing is …… wine in cans. The wine industry has to compete with competition for other sectors to attract younger consumers and this is one way of doing so.
Also, lower alcohol wines is a category that will continue. Improvements are being made in the quality with less alcohol. Consequently, in all probability in the near future you can expect to see a brightly coloured 25cl can filled with a sparkling, low alcohol rosé!
From Spain to Australia to Chile, a major talking point was climate change and the search for areas with cooler climate and higher elevation to plant vineyards. I was speaking with Luis Felipe Edwards, son of the founder of Bodegas Luis Felipe Edwards the largest private vineyard owner in Chile, who told me that they had recently purchased a land near the coast to plant with vineyards. The coast in Chile is strongly influenced by cold water currents and consequently the vineyards are cooler than those inland, making wines that are fresher and lighter in styles, which is another trend.
With so much competition finding new opportunities has never been more challenging. I was asked by producers what do wineries have to do to find markets for their wines. It is not easy, success in any market requires close analysis of changing market trends and anticipating growth opportunities, together with having the resources, contacts and determination to take advantage of them.
Auf Wiedersehen
