The 14th Vinisud, World of Mediterranean wines, opened on Sunday 18 February at the Montpellier exhibition centre. Sustainable development and buyer satisfaction are the key focal points this year. The main theme of the 2018 show – ethical accountability – is the focus of an extensive programme of events which kicked off with a presentation of research on responsible wine consumption in France and worldwide. “Gone are the days when the wine industry’s main concern was reducing its environmental footprint”, was one of the key takeaways presented by Elisabeth Laville of the Utopies agency, which produced the study. “Companies must now demonstrate positive impacts and at the same time secure ethically accountable certification for their entire marketing proposition”.
Providing buyers and visitors with greater content and alerting them about new consumer trends are two of Vinisud’s primary objectives. As event director Pascale Ferranti points out, “Vinisud is a show for business, not promotion”. The leading trade show for Mediterranean wines has therefore joined forces for the first time this year with VinoVision Paris, the showcase for cool climate wine regions, and the World Wine Meetings GLOBAL in Paris to create a unique week of events. The aim is to promote dialogue “and greater efficacy whilst making life simpler for buyers and fulfilling the needs of our producers. They are the ones who guide the initiatives we take and responding to their expectations accordingly is an integral part of Vinisud’s expertise”.
Illinois-based importer and distributor Joseph Glunz was undeniably won over by the concept: “This is fantastic! Compressing three events into a short space of time enabled me to attend Vinisud for the first time. I discovered small family estates that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet elsewhere”. The free-pour Palais Méditerranéen area allowed the importer to “speed taste and find new suppliers in a very direct way”.
Vinisud once again hosted the International Business Forum organised by Sud de France from 17 to 19 February in Montpellier, enhancing opportunities for exhibitors and buyers to connect through B2B meetings. Increasingly global in scope, Vinisud’s 2018 show is expecting 32% of visitors from across the world.