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This year, one of the slogans of the world’s largest exhibition of wine and spirits was Same But Different, and ProWein fully confirmed this statement: the event’s immensity and grandeur which are usually associated with this meeting of the industry of professionals in viticulture, production, trade, and gastronomy have remained unchanged, but there were innovations and surprises, too: from the dates when events were conducted, to premieres and shows held during the exhibition. However, we are going to tell you about everything in the right order: as always, Drinks+ was in the heart of events, and we are ready to share these impressions with our readers.
Let us start with the fact that the long-awaited meeting of wine professionals in Düsseldorf took place after 2 years of forced “downtime” caused by the pandemic, so exhibitors and visitors came to Germany with special feelings and hopes. This year, more than 5,700 exhibitors from 62 countries took part in the exhibition, and the hospitable Messe Düsseldorf opened its doors to 38,000 visitors from 145 countries of the world.
All three days long, 13 exhibition pavilions were filled with positive energy, which we, Drinks + journalists, could not help feeling. Large wine-producing countries – France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Austria – traditionally, had separate halls for wine connoisseurs from specific countries and regions: for example, the French wine-growing regions of Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Loire Valley and Corsica and other had large areas.
The pavilion, where the countries of the New World exhibited their products, caused a great sensation: the overall interest in wines produced outside the traditional regions of Europe, has recently become a general trend in the wine world. So it is not surprising that the stands of winemakers from the United States, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia have always been crowded.
Another popular “attraction” of this year’s ProWein was the pavilion of organic and biological wines. The global environmental agenda launched this trend some time ago, and year after year, despite the fact that the share of such wines is still quite small in total (for example, organic grapes are now cultivated by just over 2,000 wineries worldwide), the winemakers’ and wine professionals’ interest in such wines is constantly growing. We would like to distinguish two giants of this trend, which had their stands on ProWein: the German Federal Association of Organic Viticulture ECOVIN with ten wineries that are forming it, and the French organization Vignerons de Nature, which unites 30 winemakers introducing organic and biodynamic practices. Incidentally, France is a leader in this trend: on its terroirs, approximately one half of all global organic wineries have been operating.
The pavilion of craft alcohol, beer and cider was interesting: it was probably the liveliest area of the whole exhibition, a meeting place for young creative representatives of craft winemaking and bar culture. Loud music, light shows, clothes which are far from being formal, and relaxed style of communication among exhibitors and visitors, as well as their relatively young age – all this suggested that you are not in the exhibition pavilion, but rather in a nightclub.
Naturally, our team’s representatives spent most of their time in pavilion No.11, where the products of Central and Eastern Europe were exhibited, because this is where the stands of our numerous friends and partners who had participated in the first international wine tourism award Wine Travel Awards launched by Drinks+, were located. Our journalists brought to Düsseldorf an exclusive PR catalog of nominees and winners of the Wine Travel Awards Guide 2021-2022. We are proud that our catalog “kept good company” with other world publications about wine at the press stand of the International Trade Press, where visitors of the exhibition had an opportunity to review it for free.
In addition to the printed version, it was possible to scan the catalog electronically using QR-code on posters that were placed in different areas of the exhibition.
Incidentally, everyone can review the electronic version of the WTA Guide even now: it is posted on a special online platform Digital: online trade press stand of the website prowein.com, which is a new digital offer from Messe Düsseldorf.
Thus, among the participants of ProWein were WTA participants and sponsors, many of whom are long-standing friends of our editorial board: in the first instance, it is Dr. Ricardo Nunez, owner of Vinos de La Luz group of companies, whom we met in the pavilions of the exhibition. We are expressing sincere gratitude to the Doctor for his kind words dedicated to our project, in which he participated as a member of the jury and sponsor of the nomination Wine & Food Influencer. We should add that the brand ambassador of the international company Vinos de La Luz Nataliia Burlachenko received a special prize – Judge’s Choice Award, so we are waiting for her and Dr. Nunez at the Wine Travel Awards Ceremony at the London Wine Fair, which will take place at 12.30-14.30 on June 8, 2022 at the Industry Briefing Room.
We are giving you heads up: there were many pleasant meetings of such kind in the ProWein pavilions: for example, we had an opportunity to meet the legend of the wine world Robert Joseph, who is a member of the WTA judiciary board. We are proud that Mr. Joseph, having received a copy of the WTA Guide, appreciated the results of our work.
Incidentally, our meeting with Robert Joseph took place at the stand of Moldovan winemakers, where he was holding a master class. The participation of the Moldovan “wine team” in ProWein was organized by the National Bureau of Grapes and Wine of Moldova: Parascovia Ignat, head of marketing department told us that this year, 37 companies presented their products under the brand “Wine of Moldova”. Despite the fact that the Moldovan stand had a record size – 224 square meters (!) – this time, not everyone had an opportunity to be represented at the world’s largest wine exhibition. So we can expect that next year the stand of Moldovan winemakers will be even larger. Well, this trend is quite natural, giving due consideration to rapid growth of the quality of Moldovan wines and their recognition in the world.
Several Moldovan winemakers had separate stands, including Vinari Purcari, which won in the category: Brand – the visiting card of the country.
It should be emphasized that the winemakers of this company are very supportive of Ukraine: the company’s premises have become a refuge for our fellow citizens who are fleeing the war in Ukraine and coming to Moldova, and their exhibition stand was decorated with a poster depicting the wine called Freedom Blend: a drink created by combining local grape varieties of three countries that have been attacked by Russia in recent decades: Rara Niagre (Moldova), Bastardo (Ukraine), and Saperavi (Georgia).
Incidentally, Georgians were also widely represented at this exhibition: a joint stand of Georgian winemakers was organized by the Georgian Wine Association with the support of the National Wine Agency of Georgia. It was also crowded, and we could hardly get to one of the winners of the WTA – The Shumi Winery, which won the public vote in a record number of nominations, and also became the best in the Magnet of the region category. We look forward to seeing the Shumi Winery at the official Wine Travel Awards ceremony in London, where they will receive “Oscar” in the field of wine tourism.
Another country that acted within the “united front” at the exhibition in Dusseldorf is Armenia. 20 Armenian winemakers had a joint stand organized with the support of the Vine and Wine Foundation of Armenia.
It should be pointed out that this trend – to participate in large profile events under a single national brand – was very clear at ProWein: we saw stands uniting winemakers from Croatia, Ireland, Hungary, Slovenia, Tunisia, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries.
Unfortunately, this year, visitors of the world’s largest wine exhibition did not see a joint stand of the Ukrainian winemakers: the war and related difficulties – from funding problems to the inability of men to cross the Ukrainian border during the martial law – did not allow Ukraine to be properly represented at such a respectful and prestigious event. We do believe and hope that next time the circumstances will be more favorable for our winemakers, who, along with other fellow citizens, are facing difficult challenges.
Nevertheless, the Ukrainian flag was still available at the exhibition in Dusseldorf: in the first instance, a group of our winemakers managed to hold a small presentation and tasting of their wines despite all difficulties faced by our country.
Secondly, SHABO, another winner of the Wine Travel Awards in the Must Visit category (The Visiting Card of the Country nomination), presented its products at ProWein on its own.
It should be emphasized that a pleasant surprise was that foreign companies, having nothing to do with Ukraine, displayed our flag on their stands just to show that they are on the side of good – the side of kindness, truth, civilization, on the side of Ukraine. The Italian company Savio Trading, which produces and imports alcohol, is among such companies.
The entire world has been supporting us, so we hope that this year will be victorious for Ukraine, and 2023, when the next ProWein is scheduled to take place on March 19-21, will bring victory for the Ukrainian wines.
31.05.2023
