Millésime Bio 2010, Organic Wine Trade Show in France, a Success (A018)
RECORD ATTENDANCE AT THE 2010 MILLESIME BIO ORGANIC WINE TRADE SHOW THIS JANUARY
[USPRwire, Wed Feb 24 2010] The Millésime Bio trade show on organic wines took place in Montpellier, France, on Jan. 25 to 27, 2010. With 2,700 professional visitors (1,700 in 2009, representing a 58% increase) and a growing amount of exhibitors (489 against 354 last year, representing a 39% increase), this year's edition was a success.
This meeting place, currently the only one of its kind in France and worldwide, is confirming its position as the international exchange forum for the organic winegrowing sector: buyers (wine retailers, wholesalers, importers, etc.) from 26 countries (including Germany, Argentina, Canada, the United States, Hong-Kong, Japan, Poland, and more) came to sample wines made by producers from 13 countries.
While France, Italy and Spain still make up the top three, the show organizers noted the first-time attendance of exhibitors from North and South America, Egypt, Greece and others, and the return of South African and Romanian exhibitors for the second year running.
A stable presence from foreign exhibitors: they represent 23% of the total number, and mostly come from Italy (10.5%) and Spain (9.5%).
This success stems from:
• Quality and professionalism in the services provided
- A stringent certification procedure on available wines
- A diversified, representative offer (745,663 hl in trade and production, compared to 601,000 hl in 2009)
- A unique, egalitarian concept, featuring identical booths for all
• Ongoing growth in demand for wines stemming from environmentally friendly, health-focused winegrowing. The upcoming European regulation on organic winemaking (expected to be effective in July 2010) should further support this growth in demand, while facilitating organic wine producers’ communication efforts.
The Millésime Bio Challenge Competition
During the trade show, the organizers distributed the awards to winners of the latest Millésime Bio Challenge, an international competition for wines made with organic grapes. Out of 660 wines entered, 173 were selected by the jury.
The 2010 exhibitor catalog and content of the conferences held during the trade show are now online at www.millesime-bio.com, in the "Practical Information" section, viewable here. The Millésime Bio Challenge 2010 prize list is at www.challenge-millesime-bio.com.
The Organic Wines Professional Association for the Languedoc Roussillon region (AIVB-LR) will host Millésime Bio 2011 from January 24 to 26, 2011, at the Exhibition Center in Montpellier, France.
