Vinisud goes annual

Vinisud, the French wine trade exhibition that showcases wines from around the Mediterranean, is going to be an annual event.

Vinisud takes place between January 29 to 31 next year at the Parc des Expositions, Montpellier.

At a pre-launch event in Paris on November 24, the organisers presented the results of two new studies, which look at Mediterranean wines in the global marketplace and consumption habits among young wine drinkers in London and New York.

In partnership with Wine Intelligence, the first study gives an overview of the production and markets of 17 countries inside and outside the EU. Key figures include the fact that Mediterranean countries produced 77 million hectolitres of wine in 2014, 28.4% of total world production.

In terms of specific markets, the study gives for the first time specific data for the south of France by separating out only the AOCs and IGPs in the south (AOPs Languedoc Roussillon, Rhône valley, Provence, Corsica, and the south west. IGPs Pays d’Oc, south east, Languedoc Roussillon not Pays d’Oc and the south west). The study shows that production from the south of France represents 52% of national French production at 19.2mhl (2014).

Although the study shows Germany to be largest market, those showing the most growth are the UK and the US. China has the highest growth (+46%). The UK and US are the leading contributors to growth: +9% and +8% respectively (lower growth than China BUT from a higher base).

The UK is the third largest market for Mediterranean still wines, which represent one-in-three bottles of all imported still wines. In 2015 the UK imported 14m hl of still wine (+8.1% vs 2013) of which 4.6m hl were Mediterranean wines (+9% vs 2013).  Exports have been driven over the past two years by sparkling wines that account for 49% of global sparkling wine exports.

The study confirms the UK as the number one export market for sparking Mediterranean wines: (1m hl in 2015, +75% vs 2013), of which 0.8m hl were Prosecco.

Reflecting the importance of the UK and US, Vinisud (in collaboration with the Sowine agency and SSI) has also published a survey, London v. New York city, on the wine consumption trends of Millennials (21-35 year-olds).

The online survey reveals that although red wine is the preference for men and women in both cities, followed by white then rosé, 44% of young New Yorkers and 34% of young Londoners drink rosé several times a week. Men said they were far bigger consumers of rosé than women (56% vs 34% in London and 45% vs 24% in New York).

Men were also shown to be bigger consumers of sparkling wine (excluding champagne) on a regular basis, than women: 54% male New Yorkers as opposed to 27% females and 34% London men as opposed to 22% women.

Merlot was the favourite grape on both sides of the Atlantic, followed by Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in second place.

While the majority (47%) of New Yorkers favoured US wines, Londoners named France as their favourite country of origin (40%) followed by Italy and then Spain.

According to the survey, young New Yorkers are bigger consumers than their counterparts in London  (59% of New Yorkers say they drink wine several times a week as opposed to 52% of Londoners) and while 42 % of New Yorkers describe themselves as connoisseurs, only 29% of Londoners say so, with most (48%) describing themselves as ‘beginners’.

On both sides of the Atlantic, friends and family were the main sources of information on wine (51% in New York and London), followed by websites and advice from the wine trade.

The organsiers say the final part of the survey, which looks specifically at millennial attitudes to Mediterranean wines, will be presented at Vinisud in January.

Vinsud 2017

Vinisud organisers expect 20,000 visitors, including 6,000 international visitors from 70 countries. Among them will be 400 major buyers, key stakeholders in their markets, including 200 VIP buyers invited by Sud de France to participate in the International Business Forum (FIA).

Approximately 1,000 exhibitors will be present, including all the major generic organisations.

Wines from the following countries inside and outside the EU will be on show: Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Bosnia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.