Wine Paris has had a meteoric rise: barely known in 2020, it is at the top in 2026. Never before has there been such a large wine fair in France—and never has such euphoria been felt at a trade fair. Crisis? Not in Paris.
It was a triumph for the organiser, Vinexposium: 6,537 exhibitors from 63 countries welcomed 63,541 visitors from 169 countries—twice as many as in 2020. After good growth rates in previous years, the number of exhibitors rose by a further 20 per cent in 2026 and the number of visitors by 21 per cent. In short: this was the largest French wine fair of all time—and the second largest in the world after Vinitaly.
President Emmanuel Macron personally opened the show together with over 400 international politicians, ambassadors, EU representatives, French ministers, and Italy's Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida. Vinexposium not only wants to organise a trade fair, but also open a "strategic platform", said Director Nicolas Cuissard. The aim is to "address topics such as free trade agreements, US tariffs, and other trade tensions on a geo-economic level".
Grand entrance: French President Macron opened the trade fair and was shown around the stands.
Wine Paris – Sébastien D'halloyVisitors first passed the international exhibitors at the trade fair, with Italy making up the largest delegation. "All my customers are here," explained Piedmontese winemaker Mirko Martini, "so I practically couldn't help myself." The second largest guest nation was Spain, with a whopping 50 per cent increase in Hall 6, alongside newcomers Croatia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Cyprus, Turkey, New Zealand, and Bulgaria.
German winegrowers also made a big appearance here. Many of the export-orientated exhibitors were already present last year. But the rush of 66 winegrowers from Germany was enormous. Gone are the days when only visitors on exotic tours wandered around the stands. On the contrary, "more international importers are coming, especially from Asia," says Hansi Stolleis from the Palatinate winery of the same name, "even if they hadn't planned it beforehand." "We were at ProWein for the last time before Covid," agrees Thomas Haag from the VDP winery Schloss Lieser (Mosel), "after which prices rose there. Paris is cheaper, even without foreign support from the state. You meet a lot more importers and the connections are also better."
"I'm completely perplexed," says Steffen Schindler, responsible for international marketing at the German Wine Institute (DWI), who quickly points a Japanese visitor in the direction of the next Pinot Noir seminar and, as he passes by, offers a Riesling sample to two Belgian visitors. "I was worried beforehand that we wouldn't get enough attention with the large stand." Especially because Pinot Noir was not the main focus. "But it's doing really well," he says, beaming.
Next door, the elite of German wine is represented by 25 VDP wineries. Winegrowers from Matthias Aldinger to Philipp Wittmann are just as pleased with the interest—visitors crowd the joint stand. Other German winegrowers can be met as visitors in the aisles. "We did the same last year," says Christoph Graf, Managing Director of Schloss Vaux (Rheingau). Now he presents his sparkling wines at a generously designed stand because he wants to concentrate more on exports.
And so it goes on. 143 Austrian winegrowers with 1,300 wines are completely enthusiastic about the overall concept. "For California, it's the reverse of the medal," says Barbara Wanner, who represents the Wines of California association there. "There are around 100 wineries here," she reports, "as many as there used to be at ProWein. Only around 20 are travelling there this year." The neighbours from Washington and Oregon are also satisfied. "Very good business," summarises Howard Rossbach, owner of the Citation winery in Oregon.
On the way to the France halls, I pass 370 spirits exhibitors from 39 countries (+ 28 %). Many mixologists are examining whisky from Belgium, over 100 Armagnacs, and plenty of tequila. The newly created "Be No" presentation area for non-alcoholic drinks has 64 exhibitors with over 250 labels from 13 countries.
Surprised and delighted: the stands of the German winegrowers were constantly surrounded by visitors and the tastings were fully booked.
Wine Paris – Jean-Bernard NadeauThe really big wine gala takes place on three levels in Hall 7. This is where French winegrowers from Bordeaux to Alsace present their wines. The major wine-growing regions are represented with many participants and open tastings, while Bourgogne is also represented with lesser-known regions such as Chitry or Igé, which are rarely seen at other trade fairs.
Among around 200 wine estates from the Bordelais, the "Union des Grands Cru" organised a tasting zone with access by invitation. The Alliance Alsace served its wines in a top-quality Japanese pop-up restaurant. All in all, I experienced an impressive showcase of wine. The success is so great that CEO Rodolphe Lameyse, the face of the fair, wants to retire soon because he sees the fair "firmly established at the top of the world".
The gastronomic selection at the exhibition centre ranges from McDonald's to sashimi. However, the silent majority will probably find themselves at one of the food trucks offering burgers, which could just as easily be located in Dallas or Düsseldorf.
I heard remarkably little technical criticism from exhibitors, for example. If an escalator stops in the middle of the day, people accept it without comment, unlike recently in Düsseldorf. There are just as few complaints about glasses that sometimes run out as there are about the confusing halls. An escalator with barely recognisable signs leading to an international hall makes wine countries such as the Czech Republic or Croatia a real insider tip for visitors.
On the way home, hundreds of people jam with me from the exhibition centre to the underground platform. But in Paris, all this is considered metropolitan flair, just like the black marketeers at the entrance, who whisper ticket offers for the "Entrée du Salon" as if they were standing in front of a concert by Oasis or Coldplay.
In many conversations with exhibitors, it becomes clear that they feel that 60 per cent of all decisions to come are more emotional than business-related. The prospect of a dinner in Paris already lifts the mood during the day of the trade fair—unlike the expectation of an overpriced dinner at a moderately good Italian restaurant in Düsseldorf. Importers from other continents unanimously tell me that the staff are very enthusiastic, whereas the long-distance trip to ProWein previously always met with a muted response. "Lots of people met, not much business," summarises Christian Pillsbuy, owner of Californian winery Eden Rift, "but I love Paris and will be back." Many visitors have travelled here with the whole family and spend another day in Paris after the trade fair.
Wine Paris is first and foremost a French trade fair—and Emmanuel Macron was not there by chance. The personal bottling "For Sure" by Provence winemaker Vianney Castan was a clear indication that the president should please boost rosé sales in the USA. The president also had to explain to the French wine industry in a verbose manner that it would have to clear 32,500 hectares "so that other producers retain their value."
The chaos surrounding the US tariffs and the Chinese economic downturn are hitting France hard—and are just some of the construction sites of the crisis. Exports slumped by 40 per cent in the second half of 2025. Turnover in the wine and spirits industry, on which 600,000 jobs depend, is the lowest it has been in 25 years. The day before the opening, the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux organised an unofficial opening at the historic Musée des Arts Décoratifs to boost the sluggish sales of Bordeaux wines. One in four wineries there is already over-indebted. Up to four harvests in storage tie up ten million euros in dead capital. There were also protests at the trade fair, which have long been customary in France: winegrowers with burning vines flushed around one million litres of wine into the sewage system. The euphoria of the foreign visitors and exhibitors was not disturbed.