The world of wine (and much Italy) at Wine Paris 2025 (February, 10-12) to relaunch the business

World wine market of 2024, as often said, has been very difficult all over the world. Iwsr data talks about decreasing volumes compared on an already difficult 2023. And, 2025 will not be different, amongst the threat of promised duties by Trump in the Usa, the first wine market in the world, consumption changes of consumers, health obsession, inflation, excise duties which will deeply change in countries such as the Uk, but also in the great and roaring India, and not only. “And yet, wine will resist, change, but the fact that even more quality is produced, and much is still to be discovered in terms of products and markets make one look to the future with confidence. As young people, who will come: who is between 20 and 25 years old now doesn’t look to wine very much, as it has always been more or less, but they will do. And we will be there to give added value to wine business and its operators all over the world”. To state that, today in Milan, was Rodolphe Lameyse, dg of Vinexposium, during the presentation of Wine Paris No.6 (at the place of wine of “Civiltà del Bere”, ed) which will be held from 2025, 10-12 February. An event, the Parisian one, that in few years has become the international point of reference for wine trade (and where WineNews will be present to explain that). And that sees France, “master of the house”, great protagonist, obviously, with a growth of 7% of exhibitors, with prominent names, mainly by Champagne, but not only, such as Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Borie-Manoux, Boisset, Castel Frères, Famille Guigal, Groupe Epi, Les Grands Chais de France or M. Chapoutier, Bollinger, G.H Martel, Lanson and Vranken, but also Italy at the top, the second country for presences, with a pavilion entirely dedicated to it, bigger than in the past, with 600 exhibitors, and an almost doubled space, thanks to the great presence of the cooperative signed by Ita - Italian Trade Agency, but also with new participations of important names such as “Santa Margherita Donnafugata, Lamborghini and Mack & Schühle Italia, but also Unioncamere Puglia for Regione Puglia. This edition registers also a return of protagonists such as Piccini 1882, Zonin1821, Fantini Group, and Planeta, without forgetting Piedmont participations”. Next to the wines coming from 50 countries all over the world, “with some surprises such as Australia, that we didn’t expect that it joined so early”. “The fact that Italy is present in such an important way, and that there are countries all over the world, represents a recognition of authority we acquired – underlines Lameyse – also thanks to the transfer from Vinexpo Bordeaux to Wine Paris, in a city, that of Paris, that offers a lot in terms of logistics, connections, opportunities, and also operator costs. But, it it is also a proof that great wine fairs, in an industry where human and direct relations are irreplaceable, are still more important”. Above all, one might say, in a difficult framework like this, where business needs to be supported in any possible way. Because Iwsr data mentioned by Lameyse clearly speaks: global volumes of alcoholic drinks decreased by -1.1% in the first half of 2024, remaining below pre-pandemic levels of 2019 by -5.5%. Wine, particularly, saw a structural drop in volumes of -3.9%, driven down by still wines, declined by almost -8%. Obviously, this is not the case of all wines: “Prosecco, for example, increased by 5%, thanks to accessible prices, and an increasing quality, whilst premium segments, and not only, have registered a decrease of -2.6%, and the most expensive Champagne of -8.6%. Because the purchasing power is lower everywhere, and people have to reevaluate their purchase choices, reducing their budgets”. And consumption decreases everywhere: in the Usa, where stocks weigh (they risk to increase again if there are huge orders at the end of the year in order to prevent duties, ed), even if less than at the beginning of the year, in China, where economy doesn’t grow anymore as some years ago, but also in France, “where referring to favorite alcoholic beverages, beer overcame wine, or as in Italy, where the parity is close with wine which is worth 50.7% of the consumption of alcoholic beverages, and beer 45.4%”, underlined Lameyse. But, he confirms the growth of “no- and low-” alcohol beverages all over the world, which in Wine Paris will have an increasingly important dedicated space, “World of Zero Tasting”, inside “Be Spirits” (in collaboration with German editor “Meininger’s”, ed)”. And, in addition to the business, at Wine Paris, there will be conferences about many themes, sustainability and market trends above, masterclasses and much more. “Because Vinexposium doesn’t want to be a business, but part of wine business. Everyone has to work to ensure that the industry does well, because if it does wrong, it does wrong for everyone. We have to make trade, but also share knowledge, and culture, which will not be “trade show”, a fair, but I can’t say more. As Lameyse doesn’t express himself more about a possible initiative of Vinexposium in the future”, which already organizes fairs and events in the Usa, looking also at South America, Far East, in Singapore, India, in Bombay, “in a great market, and that is similar to the China of 25 years ago for wine”, underlines the director of Vinexposium, without forgetting “World Bulk Wine Exhibition” in Amsterdam. “In Italy, there is already Vinitaly, which makes its work greatly. Surely, Italy is a very important country for wine at a world level, and, certainly, we would like to make something for it – said Lameyse during the press conference – even if, until today, there are no concrete plans regarding it. In any case, what we want to do is to bring added value to the sector, and if we decide to do something in Italy, it should be something that we don’t do in Paris, or that Verona doesn’t do currently. Therefore, it’s not a trade show. Never say never: let’s wait and see”, added Lameyse in a video-interview to WineNews (online in the next days).