Vinexpo Bordeaux on the Horizon - Wine & Spirits Magazine

Vinexpo Bordeaux on the Horizon


If you plan to fête the flowering of the vines in Bordeaux, La Fête de la Fleur will be celebrated on May 16 this year, rather than its traditional proximity to the Summer Solstice. The days leading up to the gala are predicted to be a comfortable 70 Fahrenheit in Bordeaux, a relief for attendees in the halls of Vinexpo Bordeaux, the spring trade fair opening on May 13.


The biannual trade fair jumped one month earlier than the 2017 dates, providing a more temperate climate for the international trade that descends on Bordeaux for the week—whether to taste in the halls along Bordeaux Lac or visit the surrounding vineyards and châteaux, opportunities that have always set Vinexpo apart from the other major international wine trade fairs. Veterans fill their dance card early with dinners hosted at some of the grandest estates in the world.

For the 20th anniversary, Vinexpo Bordeaux organizers have expanded the daytime offerings in the exhibition halls, with more than 1,600 exhibitors from 29 countries filling out Hall I and masterclasses such as Liquoreux du Monde. Meanwhile, Hall II will host a range of tastings, including the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux and a look at Tre Bicchieri 2019 versus 2020, as well as a slate of symposiums on climate change and wine.

WOW, or World of Organic Wines, returns again this year featuring 25 percent more producers—150, from nine countries—than when it launched in 2017.

If you’re planning to attend Vinexpo Bordeaux next week, there’s still time to book appointments with folks you know will be busy and you know you want to see. Be sure to allow time to wander the halls and see producers you were not expecting and discover new wines and trends from different regions. And, before you lift off, network with any and all PR and trade connections you may have—in Bordeaux and in the States—to let them know you are going…and maybe wangle a seat for dinner in St-Emilion or Pauillac.

This is a W&S web exclusive feature.

Joshua Greene is the editor and publisher of Wine & Spirits magazine.


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