challenge with footnote

With this success behind him, trade fair boss Rodolphe Lameyse is making a big deal of climate change, wars and changing consumer demand. He wants to organise a lobby to "encourage people to drink more wine". He defends himself against the stigmatisation of the industry as "drug dealers" by the WHO. The Managing Director offers the "world marketplace" Vinexpo as an "international partner". He speaks at the opening conference in French - without translation for the foreign guests. Afterwards, the French Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, gives a lengthy speech with many facts, also without translation for the guests. This demonstrates: Vinexpo is a matter for the boss. Fittingly, the patron is none other than President Emmanuel Macron. The supporting programme with 126 information events and an awards ceremony is also impressive.

On a tour of the halls, it is noticeable that the concept - and reality - overlap to a large extent with ProWein. The huge stands of the major producers dominate the scene. There are also themed focal points such as spirits (+47%), mixology, cider, beer and alcohol-free. At lunchtime, there is a 20 metre long queue in front of McDonald's. This raises the question of whether the trade fair is not overstretching itself with its ever-increasing range of products. Observers of ProWein have been voicing this concern for some time. "We are not seen in Düsseldorf," complains Yves Hamel, export manager at La Choupette. The Burgundy domain has its first vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet and Santenay. Although the vintage has already been sold, the stand in Paris is still worthwhile for him. He shares this view with many French winegrowers.

With well over 50 per cent of exhibitors from France, the trade fair is still very French in character. Italian winegrowers have made a significant contribution to the increase in foreign exhibitors: South Tyrol, for example, is participating for the first time with a joint presentation of 18 wineries. When asked, many of them tell us that they will also be meeting their German customers at the stand in Düsseldorf. The same is also true of other Italian winegrowers. However, the small Gambero Rosso tasting is located in the far corner of the last hall. Not every three-glass winery likes that.

Mixed atmosphere in the "International" hall

The remaining foreign exhibitors are spread over half a hall in Spain and a mixed hall, which is called "International" for practical reasons. Joint stands from Austria, California, Australia, Germany, South Africa and Slovenia will be flying their respective flags. But the mood there is mixed. "This is our first time here and we are no longer going to ProWein," reports Silvia Gesellmann from Deutschkreutz in Austria with satisfaction, "we meet all our exporters here".

Martin Hochdörfer from Weinhaus Franz Hahn in Albersweiler in the Palatinate also had a positive experience: "As a trading company, we had good contacts." For winegrowers with a different business structure, however, things could be different, he admits. This is confirmed by winemaker Lisa Bunn from Nierstein (Rheinhessen). Things are only going "slowly". A young, sophisticated winery from Rheinhessen with vineyards on the Roter Hang finds few interested parties here. "People only come by here at the end of the day when they've finished with the French wines," she says. It's an hour before closing time and the aisles are rather quiet - as they are at other times of the day. Shortly afterwards, her neighbour John Kimball packs up. "We're finishing a little earlier today," says the wholesale director of Adelsheim from Oregon (USA). Nevertheless, he is very satisfied: "More international buyers contact us here than in Düsseldorf. It's also too expensive there, especially the hotels."

If you ask a hundred trade fair visitors what the biggest disadvantage of ProWein is, 99 will answer: the hotel prices. The Düsseldorf hoteliers use them to make up for their poor occupancy rates in the remaining weeks of the year. 300 euros per night and room are a bargain during ProWein. In Paris, guests and exhibitors can easily sleep for half that price or less.

However, the Düsseldorf organisers have no control over the high prices. Neither did the strike on local public transport, which the trade unions deliberately called last year to coincide with the trade fair. These inconveniences were a source of annoyance for many visitors, or were perhaps just the last straw that broke the camel's back in Düsseldorf.

"We used to have 80 winegrowers at ProWein," recalls Josef Greilinger, head of the Palatinate Wine Promotion Centre, "now there are only 20". That's quite a sight. The situation is not much different in Germany's other major regions. Only 94 of around 200 wineries from Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VdP) are still travelling to Düsseldorf, compared to 141 in 2014. In addition, only 198 wineries will be serving wine in the Austria Hall in 2024 - compared to 320 ten years ago.

Stand prices in Düsseldorf significantly more expensive

One of the reasons for the cancellations: Düsseldorf's trade fair prices are really high. Winegrowers report increases of 100 per cent this year to 6,000 euros for a small stand. In Paris, the same space is available for half that price. The start-up subsidies from the French state are also helping to keep prices low.

However, the criticism of ProWein is as old as the trade fair itself: At first, many exhibitors raised their index finger because the fair was not held in a wine region. Nevertheless, ProWein grew to become the only internationally relevant wine fair in the world, while the competition in London became massively less important or, as in Bordeaux, closed itself off to foreign suppliers.

Most recently, German winegrowers, of all people, complained that they could no longer identify with the fair. A very German phenomenon: winegrowers from the world's tenth largest winegrowing country criticise the fact that the leading global wine fair, for which other producers fly halfway around the world, is held right on their own doorstep.

Apart from the hard facts, however, the esprit in Paris is different to that in Düsseldorf. The foreign Vinexpo participants are enthusiastic about the new surroundings. A dinner on the Seine simply has a different flair than an overly expensive restaurant on the Rhine. In addition, catering prices for ProWein are rising from year to year - and there simply aren't enough good restaurants. All this is different in Paris.

Orly Airport is also strategically located for the Paris trade fair. With a tram stop right outside the exit gates, you can travel directly to the airport for just 1.90 euros. On the afternoon of the last day of the fair, however, there is a warning in red on the display boards: due to a strike, "blockages and considerable delays are to be expected". That sounds familiar. On the taxi journey, for which there are no queues, you can take your time to reflect on the differences between the two trade fairs. In any case, the battle for the top spot has not yet been decided.

More on the topic:

• ProWein 2023: Mixed results
• A pretty bad deal - high hotel prices at ProWein