A PRESS RELEASE AT VINEXPO BORDEAUX STATES OPTIMISM FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND A PREDICTION OF 3.5% GROWTH FOR THE WINE AND ALCOHOL MARKET WITH GLOBAL EARNINGS THAT WILL SURPASS 390 BILLION DOLLARS BY 2012

Global consumption of wine and alcohol will continue to grow, increasing by 3.5% over the next five years, with global earnings surpassing 390 billion dollars by 2012: these are the optimistic conclusions made by studies for Vinexpo 2009 in Bordeaux.

“We cannot help but be pleased with this Vinexpo (15th edition) of great quality and commercially valid after months of uncertainty on the international market”, commented the event’s president Xavier de Eizaguirre.

And this positive vision of things, notwithstanding a fall of 7.56% in visitors (46,621 from 135 countries), was also confirmed by comments from the protagonists of the event. “Like always, the Vinexpo experience, for a commercial company within the international system, is positive for the quality of the encounters and the acquaintances that enrich company and personal patrimonies”, noted Giuseppe Meregalli, president of Meregalli, one of the most important Italian wine distributors both in Italy and abroad. For Paul Chaconas, director of acquisitions at the American company Total Wine & More, “Vinexpo is the most important event for our enterprise because it allows us to buy wines from all over the world in just one place and at one time”. And even for those who work on the South American markets, comments were positive: “the launch by ‘Malbec Corner’ in partnership with Argentina” – commented Jérémy Arnaud, director of marketing of wines for Cahors, in France – “could only have been realized at Vinexpo. The return of buyers surpassed all expectations!” Similarly, Andreja Gentilini Milan, director of exports for Ibravin, noted, “This was the first time Brazil participated and we were incredibly surprised by the quality of the contacts with visitors. We can already say now that Brazilian wines will be present at the next edition, both in Hong Kong and Bordeaux, and with a larger number of producers”.

All of the comments not only applaud the expo in Bordeaux, but are also witness to a bit of optimism for the future of the wine and alcohol market.