The Daily Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris - Review

REVIEW 

WEDNESDAY 23 RD FEBRUARY 2022 

THANK YOU! 

A DOSE OF COURAGE IS JUST 

WHAT THE INDUSTRY NEEDED TO 

GET BACK ON TRACK 

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

#06 

Rodolphe 

Lameyse 

Vinexposium, CEO 

NEWS 

#02 

Expanding 

exports across 

Europe

I NEWS I 

Expanding exports 

across Europe 

At Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2022, the Portuguese 

winery Coelheiros was in search of importers to take on 

the wines made at its attractive estate. 

A new expression of 

Bordeaux from the bottom 

of the Atlantic Ocean 

Château Roquefort was shining the spotlight on its 

new cuvée Les Roches Blanches - Cabernet Franc, at 

Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2022, with a new rosé to 

complete its range. 

Winemaker Frédéric Bellanger 

said: "Our estate is unique in 

Entre-deux-Mers, a region that’s 

been inhabited for over 5000 

years. We have our hearts set on 

expressing our roots – both lovely 

and robust – as well as spreading 

our wings to bring to life a new 

expression of Bordeaux and to 

highlight our superb terroirs in 

harmony with humanity, nature, 

the earth and the vineyards." 

Their new cuvée, made from 

Cabernet Franc grapes on 

the south facing vineyards of 

Castelviel, is geared towards 

Hotel, Restaurant & Catering 

(HRC) and offers a new expression 

of Bordeaux wines. Its label is 

decorated with a starfish, an 

allusion to a perfectly preserved 

fossil which was discovered in the 

grounds of the 18 th century estate, 

because 30 million years ago the 

entire region was at the bottom 

of the Atlantic Ocean. Like all of 

Château Roquefort wines, the 

new rosé is already certified HVE 

3 (High Environmental Value – 

Level 3) and the estate started 

the transition to organic farming 

two years ago. Its refreshing and 

mineral taste comes from the 

areas rich limestone soil and rich 

geological heritage. 

Frédéric took over the reins of 

Château Roquefort in 1995 and 

with the help of his wife Anne has 

grown the vineyard which now 

covers 240 hectares in terms of 

both quality and quantity 

Hailing from an area that can trace 

its winemaking back centuries, the 

Portuguese winery Herdade de 

Coelheiros has a rich heritage - 

but at Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 

2022, the focus was very much on 

the present. 

With a selection of red and white 

wines from its two key brands 

- Coelheiros and Tapada de 

Coelheiros - on display, Mariana 

Tavares, the commercial director, 

said she was looking to expand 

exports to other parts Europe. 

"We're trying to get some new 

clients from countries that we don't 

sell in yet," she said. 

Currently, about 50% of the annual 

production of 120,000 bottles is 

sold within Portugal, with other key 

export markets including China, the 

US, Brazil and France. Around 70% 

of the production is red wine and 

the rest is white. 

Production takes place at the 

company's 800-hectare estate, 

around 50 hectares of which is for 

wine production. The vines are in 

seven plots at an average altitude 

of 300 metres and are being 

converted to organic production. 

The rest of the estate is involved 

in a variety of other agricultural 

production, including walnuts, 

and includes a very large area 

of cork forest, where sheep and 

deer graze freely, reflecting the 

importance given to biodiversity 

and sustainability. 

Coelheiros dates back to 1991, 

a decade after the vines were 

planted, but there is evidence that 

wine production has taken place in 

the region for centuries. 

"It's a mosaic of different cultures 

all embedded, and we have wine 

tourism. People can come and 

taste the wines and visit the estate 

and see where they come from," 

said Mariana 

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2 • THE DAILY • WEDNESDAY 23 RD FEBRUARY 2022 vinexposium-connect.com

I NEWS I 

Quality wines from 

Israel on show 

Turning around underperforming 

vineyards 

Palacios Vinos de Finca has improved 

yields and quality by selecting more 

appropriate grape varieties 

Golan Heights Winery, an 

award-winning Israeli producer, 

showcased its four brands at Wine 

Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2022 as it 

looked to consolidate its annual 

€2m sales in Europe. 

The company, said Sydney Knafou, 

manager at Casimex Fine Foods, 

Golan Heights Winery's French 

importer and distributor, focuses 

on increasing the quality of its 

wines rather than upping annual 

production, which is about 5.3m 

bottles. 

Much of the production remains 

in Israel thanks to heavy demand, 

but select high-end outlets, such 

as Michelin-starred restaurants, 

sell the company's wines. 

"Their policy is more to reduce the 

quantity of cheap wines and keep 

the best wines," said Mr Knafou 

Palacios Vinos de Finca, a Spanish producer, 

showcased wines from all three of its brands - 

Nivarius, Trus and Proelio - at Wine Paris & Vinexpo 

Paris 2022. 

Founded in 1999 by Javier 

Palacios, whose background was 

in the meat industry, the company 

has often bought up what are 

sometimes under-performing 

vineyards and carried out a 

detailed analysis of the soil and 

other conditions to decide on 

improvements. 

Often this has meant selecting a 

grape variety different to the one 

the previous owner was growing, 

which has helped the company 

achieve better yields and quality. 

Between the three brands, 

production is about 1m bottles a 

year, much of it from grapes grown 

in La Rioja. Many vineyards are at 

high altitude, which means they 

are ideally located to cope with 

the effects of climate change. 

Around 40% of the production is 

exported to markets including the 

United States, Russia, the United 

Kingdom, Switzerland, Brazil and 

Japan. 

"We work in about 40 countries 

right now," said Borja Larroca, 

the company's export director. 

"Japan is taking a lot of white 

wines. They're interested in wine, 

they love it and they take it by 

containers." 

With production stable, the 

company is focused on upgrading 

facilities and opening wineries to 

visitors. 

"We want to introduce new 

equipment that can allow us 

to make better wine," said Mr 

Larroca. "We want to invest in 

tourism. We get calls on a weekly 

basis from people who want to 

visit the wineries. When someone 

from the other side of the world 

calls you and says, 'I want to know 

about these guys,' that part of the 

business is very important" 

A Tuscan flair with Le Regge 

Le Regge, a family-owned 

Tuscan winery, was glad to 

make contacts from many 

parts of Europe at Wine Paris & 

Vinexpo 2022. 

"It has been one of the first 

international fairs that started 

again, so we saw many people 

from all around," said Maristella 

Bonafede, export sales 

manager. 

With seven hectares of 

vineyards, Le Regge produces 

about 70,000 bottles a year, 

including Chianti Classico, 

Toscana Rosso and Nymphaea. 

"All of our production comes 

from the property. The company 

cares a lot about quality. We 

are not Bio, but chemical use is 

very low," added Maristella) 

THE DAILY •WEDNESDAY 23 RD FEBRUARY 2022 • 3

I NEWS I 

© Christophe Beauregard 

Relaunching 

international 

markets: Wine 

and spirits 

industry shows 

the way 

The Relance Export Tour 2022 offers 

wine and spirits makers the support 

and tools to market their products 

overseas. 

The relaunch plan was presented during a live 

press conference at Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 

2022 by Franck Riester, French Minister Delegate 

for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, 

attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign 

Affairs, and Vinexposium CEO Rodolphe Lameyse. 

Minister Riester said: "I’m pleased to meet you 

here this afternoon for the Relance Export Tour 

and would like to thank Rodolphe Lameyse and 

his team for the success of this trade show despite 

the many challenges. Once again, Paris and the 

whole of France finds itself at the heart of the wine 

and spirits industry with results for exports in 2021 

that are beyond what we were expecting. In this 

way, the wine and spirits industry is showing other 

sectors the way when it comes to the international 

market." He commended the country's wine and 

spirits makers for their "quality" and "audacity" 

after exports grew 27% in 2020 and 11% in 2021. 

The government, he says, is working hard to make 

the lives of French producers easier by promoting 

the wine and spirits industry, cutting red tape 

and reducing tariffs. He explained: "Thanks to 

plans like Relance Export even small vineyards are 

able to have a presence on international markets 

with digital exposure of their products." Echoing 

the minister's enthusiasm on the success of Wine 

Paris & Vinexpo Paris, Mr Lameyse said: "This 

trade show is the primary platform in France for 

the export of wines and spirits. We have 2864 

exhibitors and all of the country's wine regions 

are represented. And we've put them face-to-face 

with the same quality of buyers as in 2020" 

From Picasso to climate 

change, Bordeaux Wine 

Week promises 

to deliver 

Vinexposium's two events, the Symposium and WOW! Meetings, will 

shine a light on the industry's 10-year plan and drive business. 

The Bordeaux Wine Week, 

taking place between 16 and 

26 June 2022, was presented 

during a press conference at 

Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 

2022, attended by the Mayor 

of Bordeaux Pierre Hurmic 

and Vinexposium's CEO 

Rodolphe Lameyse. Mayor 

Hurmic applauded the 

event, saying: "The specific 

message that I would like to 

get across, and which I have 

been repeating since the 

beginning of my mandate, 

is that the city of Bordeaux 

depends heavily on the 

Bordeaux Wine Week to 

highlight its wine industry 

and put forward its organic 

production efforts." In honour 

of the Wine Week, the Cité du 

Vin is hosting an exhibition of 

works by the world-renowned 

© Christophe Beauregard 

painter Pablo Picasso titled 

"Picasso, the effervescence 

of shapes" from 1 April. 

The Bordeaux Wine Week 

has been divided into four 

sections, starting with a 

weekend dedicated to 

Bordeaux's Grand Crus, 

followed by the Symposium 

"Act for Change" on the 20 

and 21 June, where a number 

of round-table conferences 

will explore what the wine 

industry will look like in 

2030. Mr Lameyse stressed 

this "collective endeavour" 

will explore key topics over 

the two days including the 

desirable taste of future 

wines, climate change and 

new modes of distribution. 

He said: "Our industry is 

undergoing radical change 

because of the distance it 

has had to cover in terms 

of digitalisation, the direct 

impact of climate change, 

forces of globalisation and 

because it is sometimes 

taken hostage in geopolitical 

conflicts." The debates 

will be followed by two 

days of business meetings 

dedicated to certified 

wines, dubbed the WOW! 

Meetings, involving between 

200 and 250 producers and 

merchants. Unlike at Wine 

Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2022, 

these business meetings will 

be scheduled in advanced. 

Last but not least, the wine 

week will close with the 

Bordeaux Wine Festival, 

with entertainment taking 

place along the banks of La 

Garonne 


I VINEXPO TALK I 

A consortium 

that is attracting 

plaudits 

Dating back just five years, the Pinot Grigio delle 

Venezie DOC Consortium is already having a positive 

impact - and it had a strong presence at Wine Paris 

& Vinexpo Paris 2022. 

The Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 

DOC Consortium, founded in 2017, 

has strengthened the presence of 

this grape variety in international 

markets, a trend reinforced by 

Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2022. 

Indeed, 96% of production 

belonging to the DOC is sold in 

international markets, key ones 

of which include Germany, the 

United States and the United 

Kingdom. 

"We created the Consortium 

in 2017, to ensure the quality of 

the production, guaranteeing 

the origin and stricter analytical 

analysis. It's in order to ensure the 

values are good for everybody, 

for every part of the production 

chain," said Nazareno Vicenzi, 

representative of the DOC, at 


Wineries producing wines from 

the DOC were out in force at 

the show, among them Allegrini, 

Piera, Seiterre and Villa Sandi. 

Others present included Astoria, 

Botter, GIV, Moltelvini, Pasqua 

and La Marca. 

When it was created in 2017, the 

Pino Grigio delle Venezie DOC 

Consortium replaced an existing 

Typical Geographical Indication 

(IGT). 

Each wine has to pass through 

the tasting commissions of 

professional oenologists and its 

identity is guaranteed thanks 

to a government seal. Scents 

and flavours vary, but the easydrinking 

characteristics and 

freshness are common to all. 

Thanks to the creation of the 

DOC, there has been a reduction 

in yields per hectare to guarantee 

quality. 

The DOC covers three wines 

- Pinot Grigio Frizzante, Pinot 

Grigio Spumante and Bianco - 

produced from 27,000 hectares 

of Pinot Grigio vineyards in the 

Trentino autonomous province 

and the regions of Veneto and 

Friuli Venezia Giulia. 

A grape variety grown widely 

around the world, Pinot Grigio is 

found in Italy in a diverse range 

of terroirs stretching from the 

Dolomites and Lake Garda to 

the lagoon of Venice, where the 

winemaking tradition stretches 

back 2,500 years 

Villa Sandi - A winery 

that focuses on quality 

A third-generation winery where 

the fourth generation is actively 

involved, Villa Sandi produces 

wines including Pinot Grigio 

Veneto DOC 2020. 

"It's quite a new DOC in the 

production," said Consuelo 

Donetto, export manager, Western 

Europe, Middle East and Africa. 

"We have a couple of wines 

in our portfolio being part 

of this consortium, which is 

already appreciated worldwide. 

It's particularly favoured by 

markets that are sensitive to an 

appellation." 

Exporting to 18 countries, Villa 

Sandi is opening up new markets, 

including in South America, on 

the back of 40% export growth 

last year, much of it driven by 

the popularity of the winery's 

Prosecco 

Exciting times ahead 

after a very good year 

Botter, the Italian winery, 

exports 90% of its production, 

and Luca Botter, the founder's 

grandson, was glad to be at 

Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 

2022 at an exciting time for the 

company. 

Last year it merged with another 

winery and also has venture 

capital involvement, with Luca 

remaining as a shareholder. 

Founded in 1928, it produces 

100 million bottles a year, 

much going to the US, UK and 

Germany. 

"We had a very good year last 

year," said Luca. 

Within Botter's very extensive 

range, the organic Pinot 

Grigio Delle Venezie DOC, 

characterised by its straw 

yellow colour and large and 

fresh bouquet with apple notes, 

caught particular interest during 

the show 


I EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW I 

© Philippe Labeguerie 





I EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW I 


Rodolphe Lameyse 

Vinexposium CEO 

A bottle of courage is 

what made Wine Paris & Vinexpo 

Paris 2022 a show to remember 

Vinexposium's CEO Rodolphe Lameyse looks back at the wine and spirits 

industry's first face-to-face meeting since the start of the pandemic 

The show's resounding success in terms of both quantity 

and quality is also a promising sign for Vinexposium's 

future events in 2022. 

Congratulations on delivering 


How does it feel? 

The fact that we managed to 

pull this off given the context is 

exceptional when you think about 

it. And the reason we managed 

to deliver Wine Paris & Vinexpo 

Paris 2022 is because everybody 

was mobilised - the workers, 

exhibitors and visitors. I think we 

have demonstrated here that the 

old adage, nothing is impossible, 

holds true. Because the event not 

only succeeded in terms of numbers, 

but also in terms of quality. 

What were some of the challenges 

you faced? 

I'm almost tempted to say that 

getting people to come to a wine 

trade show is not the most difficult 

thing. But attracting good buyers, 

that is much harder, and I think 

those who came to Wine Paris & 

Vinexpo Paris 2022 were really 

looking for our products. That's 

what motivated them to come all 

the way across the world, from 

Europe, the United States, Mexico, 

Brazil and many other destinations. 

It must not have been easy to pull 

this off given the context. What 

was the secret to success? 

I think we were courageous - very 

courageous, to keep Wine Paris 

& Vinexpo Paris 2022 in February, 

which is a key date in the calendar 

for the wine and spirits industry, 

because it is the best time of year 

for them to do business. So I would 

like to first congratulate my teams 

who I think have been very brave 

and resilient. But also our exhibitors 

who have shown great courage 

and willingness to accompany us 

at a moment when everything was 

against us. I think people came here 

with a heavy foot, because they 

weren't sure what to expect, but 

once they arrived and experienced 

the show, they were very happy. 

What was the feedback you 

received from the floor? 

What's really interesting, is that 

for the first time since I started 

organising trade shows, I don't 

want to say this show was good 

because of this or that. You know, in 

the run up to the show, I spoke a lot 

about the event in order to reassure 

people that it was really going to 

happen. But I think now, the best 

spokesperson for the show and 

its success are the exhibitors and 

buyers, and let me tell you, I haven't 

heard a single negative review. They 

are sometimes nuanced depending 

on what the person was looking for, 

but never negative. I think everyone 

is saying to themselves, it was great 

to see everyone face-to-face, we 

are back in business and we've 

finally managed to turn the tide on 

this crisis. That's the atmosphere 

which I experienced over the past 

few days. 

So what's next in 2022? 

Well, first I think we're going to take 

a well deserved break. But not for 

long, because we will be heading 

to the United States in three weeks 

for the next edition of Vinexpo 

America & Drinks America. The 

format is a little different, because 

we invite buyers and importers from 

the United States and Canada - so 

they are on home turf so to speak. 

THE BEST 

SPOKESPERSON FOR 

THE SHOW AND ITS 

SUCCESS ARE THE 

EXHIBITORS AND 

BUYERS 

But a large contingent of french 

businesses will also be travelling 

to the United States to put forward 

their products. Of course, we 

will also be hosting events at the 

Bordeaux Wine Week in June as 

well as in new markets like India at 

the end of August. You can get more 

information about our upcoming 

events online or on our app 

Vinexposium Connect. Otherwise, I 

hope to see you next year for Wine 

Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2023, which 

will be taking place between 13 and 

15 February. 

Do you have a specific message 

for everyone who came to Wine 

Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2022? 

Thank you for trusting us 


I TRADE TALK I 

Sebastian Braun 

Wine Director, Oenoforos, 

Carovin and Vini Buoni. 

Managing Director, Vintedge 

Filling the gaps in 

Sweden's wine range 

Sebastian Braun is wine director for four companies 

- Oenoforos, Carovin, Vintedge and Vini Buoni - 

that import wines into Sweden and sell them to the 

alcohol retail monopoly, Systembolaget Aktiebolag, 

which Sebastian used to work for as a buyer. Some 

of the four companies have additional activities, 

with Oenoforos, for example, buying wine in bulk 

and having its own private brands, with some 

production exported. We asked Sebastian about 

his work and what were his key objectives at Wine 

Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2022. 

Mr Maas said: "It's great to be 

back at Wine Paris & Vinexpo 

Paris 2022 - seeing your 

international friends for the first 

time in three years. My last trade 

show was in 2019 so its a real 

'rendez-vous'. Obviously we're 

really focused on French wines, 

but the international sections 

are really interesting as well, so 

we are also seeing some of our 

Italian and Portuguese partners 

as well. 

Yesterday at the inauguration 

ceremony, the French Minister of 

Agriculture and Food referred to 

2021 as a 'black year'. What was 

your experience? 

It wasn't at all for us, because 

we were able to adapt to the 

market. We operate across 

several channels, so it was easy 

for us to switch between them. 

We also invested directly in the 

market to gain market share and 

secure our position which then 

helped us attract new partners 

and grow accordingly. 

Have there been any broader 

repercussions on the market? 

In terms of wine and harvests, 

2021 was more challenging 

because prices are increasing. 

We mainly operated in the 

Dutch market which is a very 

price sensitive market, so the 

question is whether consumers 

in 2022 will accept this increase. 

Last year when we spent five 

months in lockdown, we lost a 

lot of turnover in Horeca - the 

food services industry including 

hotels, restaurants and cafés, 

which was quite challenging, so 

this year it remains to be seen 

whether these venues will stay 

open for 12 months. Therefore, 

this year is going to be very 

interesting for us I would say. 

When you say you've invested in 

different channels, can you be 

more specific? 

We've seen a significant increase 

in alcohol free, so we acquired a 

company specialized in alcohol 

free wines in 2019. That's a 

growth market for us and we've 

been growing double digits in 

that segment. Just before Covid, 

we also set up a dedicated 

team for e-commerce, which is a 

completely different ball game. 

Importing wines is generally 

about making exclusivity 

agreements with geographical 

areas within countries, but with 

e-commerce and big players 

like vino.com that has several 

translated urls, there are no 

boundaries. That requires you 

to adapt and have discussions 

with your suppliers and clients. 

We rather embrace it rather than 

fight it. Because every challenge 

is an opportunity 

THE SWEDISH 

MARKET 

Sweden, a country of 10.3 million 

people, many affluent by international 

standards, is an attractive market for 

overseas wine producers. 

While there are hundreds of registered 

wine importers selling to the monopoly, 

most of the market is accounted for by 

the top 20 or so importers. 

Among alcoholic beverages, wine and 

spirits are in second place behind only 

beer, with wine imports valued at about 

€790 million in 2020, a figure that is 

more than 10% higher than that of just 

two years earlier. 

The country's wine consumers are 

increasingly focused on premium wines, 

and - aside from the significant and 

ever-growing focus on sustainability - 

wines with lower alcohol content are 

also increasingly popular. 

Despite its chilly climate, Sweden is a 

wine producer, with about 100 to 150 

hectares of vineyards, most of them in 

the south of the country. Typical wine 

producers in Sweden are small, with 

between one and 10 hectares each. 

With winters tending to be milder than 

they once were, and summers warmer, 

conditions are becoming more suitable 

for domestic wine production 


SEEN @ 

First time at the show for Austrian 

glassmaker Sophienwald 

Sophienwald, an Austrian 

glassmaker that was exhibiting at 

Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2022 

for the first time, found the event 

to be a great forum for developing 

new contacts. 

"We have worked very well," said 

Manni Schwarz, the company's 

sales and marketing director. "We 

have had a good international 

public. It's our first time exhibiting 

here, and we're very happy, and 

will be back next time for sure." 

"We have been to Vinexpo Hong 

Kong and we like the organisation, 

which is very good. The people are 

different here." 

Schwarz, whose company sells 

mostly to restaurants, said he 

had had useful meetings with 

representatives from Belgium, the 

Netherlands and Italy, among 

other countries. 

Sophienwald was founded in 2014 

and produces mouth-blown wine 

glasses, with total production 

running at 150,000 glasses per 

year. "Our processes 

and methods are 

very traditional. We 

produce in wooden 

moulds like people 

did 100 years ago. 

It takes four people 

to produce around 

300 glasses a day," 

Schwarz explained 

Maintaining Chile's profile 

at Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 

The pandemic made it harder for 

producers from Chile to travel to 

Wine Paris & Vinexpo 2022, but 

many wines from the South American 

country nonetheless created a buzz, 

thanks to the Wines of Chile and 

ProChile booth. There were no fewer 

than 22 wines from 11 producers on 

show, and a masterclass was held 

on Chilean Carménère 

wines. 

"The trade visitors have 

been very interested in 

our wines. They wanted 

to discover things and to 

speak to our team at the 

stand, and we have made 

many new key contacts 

from across Europe," said 

Camille Peron, international business 

consultant for ProChile France. 

"We wanted to be present as a 

country. It was important to show 

our presence and commitment here." 

According to Anita Jackson, UK 

director of Wines of Chile, the 

"quality of visitors was very good" 

at Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2022. 

"It was an overwhelming relief to 

be here, and people thoroughly 

enjoyed being at a trade fair. It was 

a very worthwhile show to come to," 

she said, adding that the country 

hoped to be able to return to having 

a larger presence at future editions 

of Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 


SEEN @ 

The Domaine De La Racauderie: 

"International buyers are back" 

The Domaine De La Racauderie in 

the Loire Valley has been attending 

Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris and its 

predecessors for the past six years. 

Asked about this year's edition, 

winemaker Jean-Michel Gauthier 

said: "It’s been great seeing 

people again, because with Covid 

we didn’t know where we were 

going." Mr Gauthier, who produces 

both still and sparkling wines from 

Chenin grapes, was looking to build 

on his current relationships and 

make new ones overseas. As he 

explains: "On day one we took the 

time to see our existing clients who 

we hadn't seen in a long time. Then 

on day two we met with potential 

clients from Romania, the United 

Stated, Germany and Russia, who 

were all looking for wines coming 

from the Loire Valley." Of course the 

real business will happen behind 

closed doors, he says, but the past 

few days have been promising and 

Mr Gauthier will be returning next 

year. He said: "It’s been a pleasure 

to see international 

buyers coming back. 

It’s a very nice trade 

show and we will 

definitely coming 

back” 

Great contacts from Scandinavia 

and South America 

Great contacts from 

Scandinavia and South America. 

After the gap in trade shows caused 

by the pandemic, Dimitris Markou, the 

export manager of Cavino Winery & 

Distillery, was "really happy" to be at 


"It seemed that after two years, people 

wanted to visit the clients, 

they wanted to visit their 

suppliers and to find new 

opportunities," he said. 

Founded in 1958 in 

Aigio by Konstantinos 

Anastasiou and Ioannis 

Douskas, Cavino remains 

a family-run winery 

and distillery and is the 

biggest wine exporter 

in Greece, with a 17% share of 

international sales. The company 

produces 5 million bottles a year 

and exports to 52 countries, with 

main markets being Germany, the 

Netherlands, Belgium, Russia and the 

United States. 

Dimitris was particularly glad to 

make contacts with representatives 

from Scandinavia and South America 

during the show, both regions to 

which the company hopes to increase 

exports. 

This was especially helpful, he said, 

as getting to see South American 

clients in particular is difficult. 

"We will be really happy and really 

pleased to come again next year. Our 

strategic planning is to visit every 

year," he said 


SEEN @ 

Five vineyards who banded 

together to make some noise 

Hidden Terroir is a collaboration 

between five winemakers who 

have pulled their resources to 

attend Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 

for the first time this year. 

The collective, made up of four 

vineyards from the Rhône Valley 

and one from Bergerac, was the 

brainchild of sommelière and 

former buyer Aubrey Terrazas 

and digital designer Claire 

Deville. Ms Terrazas explains: 

"The domains are all driven by a 

passion for making good quality 

at an affordable price. In that 

sense, you could say that they over 

deliver.” The group is made up of 

small domaines ranging from six 

to 20 hectares vines, including the 

Domaine De Mas Caron, Laurens, 

Lionel Brenier, Eyguestre and the 

Clos De Noël. Asked about their 

experience at Wine Paris & Vinexpo 

Paris 2022 Ms Terrazas said: "I 

think meeting face-to-face is really 

important because we’re talking 

about wine. Organising a digital 

tasting with international buyers 

is very complicated, because you 

have to send samples to people 

who are in different countries and 

not all free at the same time" 

A secret recipe in high demand 

at Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 

Sales have boomed since Jennie 

Kergoat-Ruelland started selling 

bottles of So Jennie Paris at La Grande 

Épicerie de Paris 10 years ago. 

Today, her alcohol free bubbles are 

served to all passengers flying in 

business and first class with Qatar 

Airways, and in many more countries. 

She came up with the idea of a nonalcoholic 

wine while 

organising a wedding 

in Abu Dhabi where 

the guests had little 

choice but to drink fruit 

juices. The bubbles 

are produced by Les 

Jardins de L’Orbrie in the 

commune of Bressuire 

using a "secrete recipe" 

without any alcohol. Mrs 

Kergoat-Ruelland said: "We were 

here to meet future international 

importers, but also mingle with French 

winemakers. I thought Wine Paris & 

Vinexpo Paris 2022 was beautifully 

done. It it was a very classy affair - 

you walk in and there are so many 

beautiful bottles everywhere. 

Yesterday was a fantastic day for us, 

we had lots of clients come by the 

stand from Korea and Canada. I will 

definitely be back next year”

The Daily Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris - Review

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