Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
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Vinexpo 2013 Report By David Lincoln Ross A mid steady rains and cool temperatures across lush vineyards and celebrated chateaus from Margaux to Pomerol, Vinexpo 2013 attracted nearly 50,000 visitors to attend the bi-annual trade show in Bordeaux, France. Set against a gradually improving global economic picture this year, the mood at Vinexpo was cautiously upbeat. Producers, négociants, exporters, importers and retailers all reported business was decidedly better compared to the last Vinexpo held in 2011. At Vinexpo 2013, David Trone (right), of Total Wine & More, was joined by, from left, Adrien Duboeuf-Lacombe, Michelle Trone and Georges Duboeuf. U.S retailers were also in Bordeaux in large numbers. From strong regional players like Wegman's from upstate New York to Spec's in Texas to national merchants like Total Wine and Costco, their top executives and staff were all on the lookout for new products and innovative packaging. For these American retailers it's all about business. John Rydman, president of Houston-based Spec's Wine, Spirits & Finer Foods, a 100-store retail powerhouse in Texas, who was joined by four of his top buyDAVID LINCOLN ROSS – a food, wine, spirits and travel writer based in New York – has attended and reported on five previous Vinexpo events, beginning in 1989. For more information, please log onto: www.davidlincolnross.com ers, said: "Vinexpo is important to us due to the number of suppliers we can meet with in a single week. The concentrated timing and placement of everyone is extremely helpful." Noting the heavy investment of time and travel, Chris Adams, president of Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits Merchants of New York City, who attended with partner Shyda Gilmer, said, "It is a big financial commitment — and a commitment of time, too, but I view it as our role as bona fide merchants who really want to be on the ground seeking out new things and reinforcing existing relationships. It's a way to stay ahead." Echoing the sentiments of many negociants in attendance, George Haushalter, chief executive officer of the Compagnie Médocaine des Grands Cru, a leading Bordeaux-based wine negociant, which among its global network of importers partners in the U.S. with Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd., said: "Vinexpo and all its surroundings is a big investment for our company, but worthwhile because we see all our customers from all over the world at our home. So, we save a lot of travel time and budget, we can show them a much broader range of wines, because we have all our range on the site." While declining to divulge precise details of his company's buying commitments reached at the 2013 Vinexpo, Rocco Lombardo, Senior Vice President Chief Operating Officer Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd., said, "We had an opportunity to taste several line extensions within existing brands and new vintages from our French Estates, and we also have some exciting new projects from the Languedoc upcoming." Speaking to the evolving nature of the American demand for recent Bordeaux vintages, Nancy Rugus, director of the Americas for the Compagnie Médocaine Des Grands Crus, added: "Vinexpo is always successful for us regarding orders and commitments. The feedback from our customers also gives us a better perspective on market needs. With that in mind, I think some of the most interesting wines for fall and holiday business will be the good values offered at the petit chateaux level. There are very few 2009s remaining, but lots of wonderful 2010s and our customers were pleasantly surprised by the quality of 2011' they tasted in this price range as well." All told, then, the 2013 edition of Vienexpo proved to be an invaluable moment where the America's leading buyers and sellers of wines and spirits could conduct business in optimal commercial conditions. I 8 • Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • September/October 2013