The World Bulk Wine Exhibition closes its most strategic edition to-date with 6,500 visitors from the international bulk wine sector

200 producers of 22 participating countries have closed some of the most important transactions of the year at a key edition marked by a larger wine demand than supply globally

The world’s biggest fair for the bulk wine business was held this week in Amsterdam gathering, for two days, 75% of the bulk wine exported at a global level. In an edition of great strategic importance for the entire sector, as it is the first year in more than 50 that there is more demand than supply, none of the prominent players of the industry wanted to miss out on this key exhibition.

The main producers from Spain, France and Italy have shared two days of frantic business activity with wineries from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Chile or Moldavia, being able to reunite with purchasers and brokers from 60 different nationalities. Many of the transactions were focused on finding better prices for grapes, a greater profitability for their crops and a brighter future for their wines. Nobody wanted to pull out of the fair in a crucial year for the future of the sector.

A large increase of the quality of the bulk wines presented at the fair has also been one of the most commented topics. A trend that will continue to grow in the future, because professionals are increasingly dedicated to bulk wines with a designation of origin, a PGI or to bag-in-box.

The bulk wine market is growing year on year, to a point where, today, 40% of the wine exported at a global level is in bulk: a figure which represents more than 3,000 million euros. Considering that bulk wine is all wine before bottling, at the WBWE, organic wines, still, sparkling, with or without a designation of origin or PGI, etc., can be found. This year, the WBWE also had the participation of distilled beverages, spirits and liquors; therefore broadening the business possibilities for the fair’s attendees.

NOT JUST BUSINESS

The WBWE is the first and largest fair in the world devoted to the business of large volumes of wine; so its success is not only to bring the great producers and purchasers from around the world, but to dedicate a significant part of its fabric to the dialogue between the main players in the business and related sectors: top level conferences, unique tastings, masterclasses, a scientific research competition, delicatessen and product areas and, above all, one of the great successes alongside the fair: the International Bulk Wine Competition, the only one in the world created to promote this category of wines, and which guarantees greater knowledge and transparency regarding the quality of large volumes of wine.

CYCLE OF CONFERENCES: “Quality and diversity: the keys for the exportation of bulk wine”

The most ambitious panel of conferences for the international wine sector was held at the last WORLD BULK WINE EXHIBITION 2017. First-rate speakers from 10 different nationalities talked about current and future challenges in the bulk wine sector worldwide. Yann Juban, Assistant to the Director General at the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV); Artur Boruta, CEO of DomWina company in Poland; Cruz Liljegren, wine writer and broker (Sweden); Teresa Rosário, general manager of Cologne-based RosárioPrange distribution company (Germany); Claude ValèreDjinang, technical manager at Sofavinc (Cameroon); Shuyao Quin, Secretary-General of the Wine & Spirits Association of China and Benoît Verdier, director of oenological development at Seguin-Moreau, who imparted a very successful conference about “The effect of using wood in the elaboration and wine aging of bulk wines”.

Conferences are available for download on our website.

THE BULK WINE CLUB

The largest on-line platform for the bulk wine business was launched a few days ago at the WBWE. The Bulk Wine Club will come to operation from now on. And it will be a continuous meeting point that will provide some of the most strategic tools for the industry’s professionals:

  • Access to relevant, reliable and exclusive information about the sector: worldwide market research, news, company reports, etc.
  • Market area: publication of wine offers and requests issued to more than 150,000 companies and professionals from the sector.
  • Participation in the Club’s exclusive events (presentations, seminars).
  • International business trips to wine-growing regions for the club’s members.
  • Timely and detailed information about bulk wine prices across the world.

THE ART OF BLENDING WINE

For the first time “The Art of Blending Wine” was held and it went along with the WBWE. It is the first advanced seminar about the blending technique and it is intended for professionals from the sector. It is aimed at professionals who would like to educate themselves and share knowledge about the art of blending/coupage,with some of the most renowned speakers from around the world.

Anita Oberholster (USA), HervéRomat (France), Frank Smulders (The Netherlands), Christophe Ollivier (france) or Brian Peters (UK) are some of the oenologists and consultants, who will participate in this intensive, practical and professional program, through which the art of coupage will be further developed through workshops, talks and masterclasses.

SILENT TASTING ROOM

The exclusive area of the World Bulk Wine –the Silent Tasting Room– offers the opportunity to discover around 400 wine references in a totally free but well documented manner. A unique occasion to taste the world’s harvest in just a single day.

THE VINE

The Vine is the biggest meeting point in order to encourage synergies among all trades that are generated around the grape and the wine. Sponsored by Alvinesa and in collaboration with the Technological Platform for Wine, this area promotes circular economy within the wine sector, sustainability and innovation.

THE VINE SCIENCE AWARD 2017

After careful assessment and deliberation of the participating research projects, the jury decided to award the price “The Vine Science Award 2017” to the research study: "Low-salt recipes seasoned with GRAPE-DERIVED EXTRACTS may prevent from hypertension and glycaemia" developed by the Research Institute of Food Science and BodegaMatarromera SL, based on its originality and ground-breaking nature.

Along with the winner, are two “special mentions” for the following research projects: "Valorization of alcoholic wastes from the vinery industry to produce H2 and its use for the sustainable production of electrical power" (LIFE Project, Ecoelectricity) and "Re-utilization of winemaking lees as a new food ingredient" (Universidad de Cádiz).

A few words from Matarromera:

From Bodega Matarromera, we would like to thank the World Bulk Wine Exhibition for awarding us the Vine Science Award 2017 today on account of the project we are developing with CIAL-CSIC and Fundacion Alicia. Carlos Moro, Matarromera’s founder, is really committed with research and innovation in order to find the benefits our grapes and vines can provide: and his vision an integral part of the company’s philosophy since its inception. This project tries to improve the health of society with grape-derived extracts.

GOURMET AREA

This is an area dedicated to gastronomic innovation through a workshop-tasting session with culinary suggestions inspired by the wine regions of the participating countries. Accompanied by his team, the Galician chef Francisco Piñeiro is in charge of directing this area.

For this special occasion, DOC DelleVenezie ─before designated as a PGI─ wanted to be part of it to celebrate its step forward in quality and international standing, by means of gastronomy. Chef Piñeiro have presented a tour through five bites in which, as common practice and distinctive of this area, the wine has been presented as ingredient in every creation. Furthermore, the recipes, which contain white wine, references of DOC “Pinot GrigioDelleVenezie” has been included in their elaboration.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Cristina Villar Miranda

Communications Manager

facebook.com/bulkwine

twitter.com/worldbulkwine

Instagram.com/worldbulkwine

youtube.com/user/WBWEAmsterdam