The Buyer | ProWein vs Wine Paris: what buyers, producers & importers want

With apologies to Charles Dickens you can pretty much sum up the reactions from exhibitors and visitors alike to this month’s ProWein with a bastardised version of one of his greatest opening lines: “It was the best of shows, it was the worst of shows…we had everything before us, we had nothing before us.”

Whether you came away from the fair pleased or not, it was clear from walking the halls and talking the talk with producers and buyers from across the world that everyone had an opinion one way or another on where ProWein needs to go next.

Not that ProWein necessarily has the power to make the changes that so many are asking for. Particularly when it comes to the cost of doing business in Dusseldorf with highly inflated hotel and taxi prices and a lack of top restaurants - three of some of the biggest gripes to be heard.

Regardless of whether you are pro or anti-ProWein the big winners at the show were the ones who had done the hard work before the show, getting meetings, booking meetings and then doing business during those meetings. Australia’s Hill-Smith Family Estates, owners of Yalumba, for example, said they had over 80 meetings booked over the three days of the show - 50 of which were with European buyers.

The business is there, but you’ve got to go and find it.

Stuart Bond, director of Beyond Wines, said it had made the investment to have its full team at the show and it had paid off with back-to-back profitable meetings. “It’s been a really good fair for us and we have also been able to see a lot of new suppliers as well,” he said.

“We’ll be back next year. We’ve had important meetings with producers and customers,” added Alex Green, Beyond Wines’ sales and marketing director, who said it had managed to have meetings with two of the ‘Big 4’ UK retailers as well as specialist national retail buyers.

“There is certainly a need to be at Wine Paris and ProwWein in 2025. Wine Paris for Old World, but ProWein is still very important, and busy, for New World opportunities. South Africa was a big hit for us at ProWein,” he added. “Some customers, though, skipped ProWein altogether after finalising business in France in February.”

“Suppliers were keen to meet to discuss representation in the UK from established countries such as France, Argentina and Chile, but also developing markets for the UK like Moldova. There was some superb craic in the evening too. Concept Riesling was the new place to be. This might sound irrelevant on the surface, but it really felt that the power of relationships has never been more important to buying and selling,” he stressed.

Whilst some of the major UK supermarkets were out in force at ProWein others chose to stay at home. Jamie Matthewson, BWS trading manager at Waitrose, told The Buyer at Wine Paris: “With limited resources, we must think carefully about where we send our buyers to get the best value.”

Long term commitment

Hugo Campbell, director of Ehrmanns, and a long-standing supporter of ProwWein, would not think twice about booking for next year. This is where, he said, it gets to see its growing number of customers in countries around the world for its carefully tailored wine brands, most notably Beefsteak, which is now in 20 plus countries.

“It is absolutely essentially we are here. You have got to be here to be in the game,” he added.

It also fits into its growing international strategy that now makes up 15% of its business with distribution in over 30 countries: “We have diversified our brands into more export markets, which are usually more profitable with better margins than the UK. A big potential opening for us is the US. Spreading the risk over a wide number of markets and brands is key.”

He said Ehrmanns, with brands such as Beefsteak, was now in a position to compete directly with Accolade Wines, Penaflor, Concha y Toro and Santa Rita.

Working in so many international markets has also helped the business better understand how and where it is best placed to try and do business, he added. "Not bad for a company with only 18 people. We are very light on our feet.”

Ehrmanns was also at the show to launch an exclusive new wine from Iron Maiden that has been a year in development thanks to a chance meeting with the band’s marketing agents, Global Merchandising, at last year’s show. A Dark Red blended wine from the Douro Valley that celebrates Iron Maiden’s iconic Eddie character, a key figure on their albums and stages on tour.

Keith Lay, Ehrmanns’ head of marketing, said ProWein was the ideal place to launch such a brand as it could have distribution around the world. “We are really excited about the potential of what this brand could do.”

International distribution

There was a noticeably strong contingent of UK importers and distributors each with their own stands to support their growing international businesses - including Boutinot, Alliance Wine, Lanchester Wines, Greencroft Bottling, Hallgarten & Novum Wines and Off Piste Wines.

Lesley Cook, wine buying director, at Lanchester Wines, said: “There was a real buzz in Hall 14 which is where our Lanchester Group (Lanchester Wines, Greencroft Bottling and The Wine Fusion) stand was based. It was really lively with lots of business being done – our stand was never quiet and we still had all the key buyers making appointments. There’s a steep increase in talk about sustainability, its been growing in momentum each year and really is now at the fore of discussions.

“However, there was a definite quietness in some of the other halls, especially Old World. It was clear business had been done at Wine Paris, which is really eating into ProWein’s footfall. It didn’t feel like New World had as yet seen the impact of Paris but who knows what’s to come. It’s clear everyone is talking about Paris.”

She added: “The city of Dusseldorf doesn’t feel like it’s supporting ProWein, with tax hikes across all hotels and on-trade and hotel prices through the roof.”

Interestingly Lanchester Wines was using this year’s ProWein to both host customers on its stand, but also to get members of its sales team to work the halls, taste wines and try and identify wines they think its buyers should be looking at.

“There is no point in me buying wine that the sales team are not on board with. We have done this for the last couple of years and it has worked well. They work to a very specific brief. Also we know if they find producers at ProWein they are at a level we can work with,” said Cook.

Freixenet Copestick is very much embedded with ProWein thanks to its German owners - Henkell Freixenet - that would have won stand of the show if there had been such a prize.

Robin Copestick, joint managing director, said it's the ideal platform for its team to talk to both UK and international customers about its key brands - I Heart and Mionetto - but also promote its separate business units, Slurp Wines, Jascots Wine Merchants and Bolney Wine Estate, plus its growing number of supplier and agency partners, including Wakefield Wines and Spier.

“It’s been very successful for us and we have had really good meetings. All our customers are here. Our connection to Germany means ProWein is always going to be the bigger show, but I thought Wine Paris was also very good. I think there is life for them both,” said Copestick. “Buyers can do all their French buying in Paris, plus some other countries, leaving more time for everyone else at ProWein.”

Adrian Atkinson, European marketing manager at Wakefield Wines, part of Taylors Wines in South Australia, said it had definitely benefited from having its own stand at the show as well as having the additional support of the senior Freixenet Copestick team. “It has really helped and the investment across the three days of the show has been worth it.”

It was able to use the show to introduce a new brand, The Aromantiques, aimed at a younger, more female audience, targeting travel retail with a design and bottle shape that would not be out of place in the perfume or health and beauty section of a duty free concession. With an average 12.5% abv it was also looking to appeal to those looking for a fresher, more aromatic wine rather than a lower alcohol option.

“We hope it can bring young, female shoppers into the category and it is already selling well in Australia,” explained Atkinson who hoped it could find a place in the premium specialist wine retail market.

Doing business

Bernard Fontannaz, founder of Origin Wines, said he found “ProWein to be better than expected”. “For the New World it is still important. It is still relevant. I have been pleasantly surprised. Yes, it is a bit quieter, but there are still a lot of quality people here. But Wine Paris was good too.”

He added: “The challenge is finding new companies to do business with as so much time is taken up with existing customers.”

Fontannaz said it was a particularly vital time of the year to be talking to its major customers on the back of what is going to be a much lower South African harvest, particularly for its major white grape varieties including Chenin Blanc. It will result in some “difficult” discussions with major buyers “as prices will have to go up,” he added. “We need to be careful they don’t go up too much.”

Darren Oemcke, marketing director of Hydra Consulting, who was at ProWein helping to promote Western Australia and, in particular, the small independent producers from the Riverland, said it’s vital for Australia to be at the show ready and prepared to do business.

Yes, production and trading conditions in the country are hard, but you have to be on the front foot, constantly telling your story. “It’s really important to be here. You need to stand out, stay ahead and be different. That’s what we are all about,” he added.

“The challenge for a region like the Riverland is to make enough noise about the smaller producers and what is really going on in the region. We have to build a community around those producers.”

Which is why so much work is now taking place in Australia with the government and various state departments to get the funding needed to help producers of all sizes attend key events such as ProWein, explained Oemcke.

Sheridan Alm, business manager of the family-owned Starrs Reach Vineyards in the Riverland said although “it was less busy” than its first appearance at the show last year it’s all been about “quality over quantity”.

The Riverland producers that had returned for their second ProWein had definitely benefited from the connections they had made with buyers the year before.

“We have all really listened to what we were told last year and what people were looking for - particularly from the Nordics,” she said. “That’s why we are here again. To listen and learn so that we can tailor our range of wines to what people want.”

Particularly as the Riverland can produce all styles and varieties of wine from bulk to boutique.

Interestingly the Riverland Wine body was heading to Bordeaux after ProWein as the two regions share so many issues, challenges and potential opportunities, said Lyndall Rowe executive officer of Riverland Wine.

One of the key areas where ProWein has always been particularly strong is providing a trading platform for emerging wine countries looking to access buyers from around the world.

Victoria Makarova, consultant for Wines of Ukraine, said the show had been invaluable for the strong delegation of 17wine and spirits producers that were able to attend for the second year in a row. There was again strong interest from visitors to its stands and “the quality of contacts has increased immensely”.

Crucially visitors were not just coming to the stand to the show their support against the war with Russia but had a genuine interest in doing business.

She said: "There were many buyers and experts interested first and foremost in the local varieties — Odesa Black, Telti-Kuruk, Sukholymansky - and others. It was a great opportunity for the producers, that ranged from large industrial businesses, to craft family organic and biodynamicwinemaking, to give the big picture about what’s really going on with Ukrainian winemaking.

“For emerging markets such as Ukraine (despite it‘s nearly 3,000 years’ of winemaking history), ProWein clearly remains our number B2B platform.”

Time for change?

But whilst ProWein is still very much working for a core of producers and buyers there are equally those who are now looking at putting more of their eggs in the Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris basket.

Bruce Jack, owner and founder of Bruce Jack Wines, one of South Africa’s leading producers, gave this balanced assessment on ProWein’s future: “The issue is not with ProWein, or the organisation that has always put on a good show. The issue is not even with Düsseldorf, which is geared towards accommodating the ebb and flow of show attendees throughout the year. The main issue is the hotels demand silly prices for a basic offering. And it's a pity that some restaurants hike prices or provide a paired down menu for the ProWein period, which creates a negative overall feeling, and is unfair on those establishments that keep prices consistent throughout the year.

He added: “Prowein needs to rein in the cause of the irritation. It has lost the edge on the supply and demand model with Wine Paris. I've always enjoyed ProWein, but the bottom line is the overall investment doesn't justify the upside at the moment. It may be easier for countries with proper government support, but many national support programmes for wine industries are under increasing pressure with a falling consumer demand, and the related decrease in GDP those industries generate.

“Ultimately, the pie is getting smaller and as marketing budgets come under pressure, ProWein, and Dusseldorf, start to seem less appealing than investment in retail promotional programmes for example.”

Andreas Comploj, managing director of Tenuta Monteverro, said ProWein was now dominated by visitors mainly from the DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) area and central Europe and it was able to do good business in those countries and “we will certainly be there again next year”.

But he did fire this warning shot: “The overall impression was somewhat underwhelming” and the Wine Paris factor is clearly attracting more international visitors to go there particularly in light of the “few and far accommodation” and “limited gastronomic scene” in Dusseldorf.

Paul Robinson, head of wine at Robinsons Brewery, cut to the quick and said: “I think Wine Paris is going to become the new ProWein. Prowein is too big, too expensive and the logistics are rubbish with one train in and out and always a long queue for a taxi.”

He said he had been surprised by the growth in Wine Paris in the last two years. “Wine Paris has given me more and more selections of wine from around the world. It's getting bigger and bigger.There are more opportunities. I can fly to Paris or get the train. I can be in and out and you don’t have to spend days there.”

Frances Bentley, wine buyer at LWC Drinks, said if more of her suppliers attend Wine Paris then the pendulum is swinging its way. “There is a better selection of direct flights from regional UK airports to Paris. In comparison, it is not so easy to get to Dusseldorf. The price of accommodation during ProWein is also a barrier for a lot of people. Wine Paris was efficient. I caught-up with two-thirds of my suppliers and potentially new suppliers. It was good to see the expansion of the Italian and Spanish areas. The French area at ProWein was very quiet this year.”

Interestingly Noel Reid, founder of Rediscover Wines, said being able to make use of the pre-bookings system for meetings at Wine Paris was a key factor for him. He explained: “Wine Paris had a clever online hub. As a buyer, you can let them know the kind of things you are after and are making meetings on their hub before you even arrive. You may say your three favourite things, e.g. Italy etc. and you could break it right down to Sicily. From that I had a great deal of people contact me directly to see if I wanted to make appointments with them. It gave me a chance to research customers and was able to organise 14 meetings in the first day entirely from their hub. Nine of my meetings, which I normally would have ha at ProWein, I was able to have in Paris.”

The meetings hub is something that Mattia Cavazza, production manager and co-owner of Cavazza, would like to see ProWein improve. “It would be interesting if on the ProWein matchmaking platform there was an exact list of all buyers, like there is at Wine Paris, so we can easily select new customers."

Room for both

Gerard Barnes, wine buyer at Berkmann Wine Cellars, who went to both fairs, said he believes there is room for both: “You can't do everything at Wine Paris, or at ProWein. There was always going to be a bit of fallout with the two shows and I am finding more and more the French players aren't going to ProWein. What I am almost hoping for is European suppliers don’t want to go to Paris because that will end up with the same problem of too much to do over three days. I use Wine Paris as a catch up and to look at new vintages. Particularly on my shopping list were house wines stroke entry point wines.”

Chiara Lungarotti, chief executive of Lungarotti in Torgiano, Umbria, added: “By visiting ProWein and Wine Paris you have the opportunity to find many suppliers from many different countries in one place. ProWein still works for us. We don’t have our own stand but work with our German importer, Consiglio Vini - Schlumberger, who bring their agents and customers to come and taste our wines. For us it’s still a very important moment of the year and we will continue to participate.”

The final word goes to Chuck Cramer, European and UK manager for Terlato Wines: “It's going to be interesting how all this plays out between Prowein & Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris going forward. For the time being I believe both shows play an important role to our business, Terlato Wines, globally. By far we have more pre-scheduled meetings at ProWein with our distributor partners worldwide compared to Wine Paris. That said, we were twice as busy in Paris compared to last year. And we are doing business at both fairs. We've found that certain distributor partners will attend only one or the other, with a couple attending both. As long as we, Terlato Wines, can participate in the CA Barn with CWI Europe, it's economically feasible to do both. We are fortunate in this sense.”

How many buyers and producers can do the same remains to be seen and for many it will be a case of prioritising one show and city over another.