Vinexpo Daily - Review Edition

REVIEW EDITION
FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE 2017
DAILY
COMING SOON
THE UNITED STATES
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Peter Gago
Chief Winemaker – Penfolds
THIS IS A GREAT, GREAT VENUE FOR
TALKING ABOUT THE WORLD OF COMMERCE,
THE WORLD OF WINE EDUCATION, AND SO
MANY OTHER THINGS. Read page 17
SECRETS TO SUCCESS
VINEXPO OPENS THE GATES
TO NEW YORK AND THE WORLD’S
BIGGEST MARKETPLACE
Page 4
SPECIAL FEATURE: SPIRITS
HEADY SCENTS… THE HEART AND SOUL
OF MIXOLOGY! Read page 20
TRADE TALK
Gérard Margeon
Executive Wine Director – Alain Ducasse Enterprises
THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF INTEREST
IN COOL, REFRESHING OCEAN WINES,
WHERE THERE IS THE INFLUENCE OF THE SEA
Read page 14

EDITORIAL
Richard Barnes
Editor-in-chief
A TIME FOR
FEDERATION
In his closing remarks after the 2017 edition
of Vinexpo Bordeaux, the organisation’s CEO
Guillaume Deglise mentioned several aspects
of this year’s show that made it stand out from
previous ones. But the one that seemed to really
underline the sentiment felt throughout the four
days of the event was that of “federation”.
While some might argue that the key purpose
of a trade show is in any case to bring people
together, it might seem that the word federation
is totally evident and perhaps not even
necessary as a descriptive term. But walking
the show floor, watching the conference
sessions and tastings, witnessing the peripheral
events and listening to the banter at the press
bar, it became obvious that perhaps now,
more than ever, the wine and spirits worlds are
coming together as one – not so much in terms
of globalisation (although that is true, too), but
more in terms of understanding, friendships,
partnerships and trust.
All those who attended Vinexpo 2017 have
grown a little closer together – thanks to Mr
Deglise and his team. We look forward to
seeing this “big family” again next year – in
Hong Kong, New York and Tokyo!
VINEXPO:
KEY TRENDS
IN 2017
Organisation CEO Guillaume Deglise
looks back at a great vintage
Vinexpo Bordeaux closed its gates on the evening of Wednesday
21 st June after four days of intense meetings and tastings. 2,300
exhibitors from 40 countries took advantage of the international
wine and spirits show to meet buyers, sign contracts, discover
new developments and develop their business networks. We
asked Vinexpo CEO Guillaume Deglise what he saw as being
the key trends as this year’s show.
Three strong trends stand out. The
first is the quality of visitors and the
strong presence of international
decision-makers, noticeable by
the quality of the exhibitors and
amplified by the service of the oneto-wine
meetings set up by Vinexpo.
Well over 2,000 appointments,
planned in advance, were
targeted, constructive and allowed
participants to sign numerous
distribution contracts. Our goal was
to further strengthen the qualitative
positioning of our visitors, and I
can say today that we won our bet.
This required a thorough fieldwork,
we went to meet the buyers on the
different markets, we invested in
communication on the key markets
and we strengthened the checking
process for accreditations. In the
months preceding the show, we
went out to meet the buyers in Asia,
the USA, Northern Europe and so
on.
It’s just the beginning in our efforts
to propose supplementary services,
which is one of our primary
objectives henceforth. Vinexpo no
longer situates itself simply as a
simple “trade show organiser”. We
have a bigger role to play in the
overall process, which is to assist
our exhibitors to find new markets
and clients.
Buyers from more than 150
countries showed that the
distribution stemming from the show
is now planetary and that the
Vinexpo brand remains the global
benchmark for finding new markets
and expanding its network.
France remains the first visitor
country, followed by China and
the United States. The signing
during the show of the partnership
between Vinexpo and TMall.com
(Alibaba group) will strengthen
Vinexpo’s position in China and
enable it to develop its reputation
throughout this vast territory. It
gives a real boost to the show
and indeed to the Vinexpo brand.
It will give us much more visibility
in China. It will also enable
Alibaba to inform professionals
and consumers about the wine
festival they plan to launch on
9th September each year. France
will be the country of honour this
year.
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@ Jean-Bernard Nadeau
Guillaume
Deglise
CEO, Vinexpo
QUESTION MARK
OVER SHOW DATE
Guillaume Deglise announced
that the date of the next show in
Bordeaux in two years’ time may well
not be in June.
The launch of Vinexpo New York
in March 2018 will also help to
develop Vinexpo’s attractiveness
to Americans. The American
distribution scenario is changing,
and this will create numerous
opportunities for exhibitors in
what remains the number one
marketplace in the world.
China and the USA are markets
that are in constant progression,
so it’s normal that we have seen
an increase in buyers coming from
these places, while in Europe,
where the market is mature, and
the consumption levels are not
rising overall, there is a very strong
interest for innovation and new
trends.
The second trend was Vinexpo’s
capacity as a “federator” for
all players in the market. Major
international brands, family
companies, small winegrowers
and regional or national pavilions
were widely represented and all
expressed their enthusiasm.
This year, our decision to create
a new offering to smaller-scale
producers – with six square metre
booths in Hall 3 – met with great
success. It’s a sign of the times,
as many international buyers
are looking for smaller “niche”
suppliers, and that’s what we
brought to the show this year.
The grouping of producers allowed
professional visitors to rediscover
the Tre Bicchieri of the Gambero
Rosso guide, to taste the 2016
vintage of the Union of the Grands
Crus of Bordeaux or the Rieslings
from Germany to Australia.
BY ORGANISING CONFERENCES
ON THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
ON VITICULTURE, ISSUES RELATED TO
BREXIT OR THE GROWING WEIGHT OF
E-COMMERCE, VINEXPO DEMONSTRATED
ITS COMMITMENT TO ITS CLIENTS TO
RESPOND TO THE MAJOR TOPICAL POLICY
ISSUES.
The Institute of Masters of Wine
was more present than ever as
well as the representatives of world
gastronomy through famous chefs
and sommeliers.
Vinexpo has also managed to
surround itself with the great
specialists, such as Michel Bettane
and Thierry Desseauve, to develop
a new and more open offer for
niche products, and key media
such as Wine Spectator, Terre de
vins, the Drinks Business or la Revue
du Vin de France. This “federation”
also applies to an approach that
was better adapted to the different
needs of exhibitors today. The
new space dedicated to organic
wines, WOW! (World of organic
wines) is a perfect example, and its
success exceeds our expectations.
The tastings, each as interesting
and rewarding as the other, were
another way of federating people
at the Vinexpo academy and on the
stands.
The third key trend is the successful
promise of information rich content.
By organising conferences on
the impact of climate change on
viticulture, issues related to Brexit or
the growing weight of e-commerce,
Vinexpo demonstrated its
commitment to its clients to respond
to the major topical policy issues.
The programme was particularly
rich this year.
The Riesling day allowed us to focus
on this international grape variety
on Tuesday, June 20th. Five masters
of wine gave their views on French,
German, American, Australian and
Austrian Rieslings.
Hall Three was a big success,
as we decided to place as many
“novelties” as possible this year,
along with most of the major
conferences and tastings, and it
was a wager that paid off. You may
remember that two years ago, most
of the conferences were held at
the convention centre on the other
side of the lake. With this year’s hot
weather, it was a very good thing
that the conference-goers be able
COUNTRY OF
HONOUR 2017
to stay within the halls! •
SPAIN –
This year, we had extreme conditions that were
difficult for everyone. The air conditioning held
out nevertheless, but it wasn’t easy, and due to
this, I believe we will have to change the date
for the next edition. We will be examining the
question, with the aim of finding a date that will
enable exhibitors and visitors to work in more
pleasant conditions. This decision will be taken
in concert with the management of the Parc
des Expositions and the city council. We will be
making an announcement in the next months as
to the date that will be agreed upon for the next
edition.
I think it was a smart move for
Vinexpo to have a country of honour
of that size, and the quality of the
events that were organised was
exceptional. The highlight was
“A Taste of Spain” held on Monday
night – with more than 1,300
attendees – and 110 bodegas.
We had all the top Spanish
producers there on that evening.
I believe it was the best event on
Spanish wines that has ever been
organised outside of Spain, and this
is what we really hoped to achieve.
VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE 3

NEWS
Steve Raye
President, Bevology
7 Keys to Success
in the US
Vinexpo Bordeaux conference outlines secrets
to entering the complex American market
To make it in the US you have to
be sharp, dynamic, different, super
creative and know the market
inside out, and even then, you
only stand a minimal chance of
getting your product listed by your
chosen retailer or operator. That
was the stark conclusion given by
Steve Raye, who runs his own wine
broking, marketing and consultancy
business, Bevology, to help wine
producers find a foothold or widen
distribution in the US. Speaking at
Vinexpo last week, Raye picked out
seven key factors for entering the US
market:
1/ DO YOUR HOMEWORK
The US drinks distribution network
is complicated and hard to fathom
to outsiders. Its three-tier system has
been set up to ensure each state
is able to manage and control its
own drinks industry. But within that,
there are state-by-state differences
that make the whole process even
more complicated. There are 18
controlled states, where drinks
distribution is handled by the state
and sold through its drinks stores, and
33 open states where it is organised
by independent distributors. It’s vital,
stressed Raye, that producers work
hand in hand with a US consultancy
or broking business to act as their
mouth and ears on the ground.
2/ UNDERSTANDING
THE THREE-TIER SYSTEM
Before getting in to the detail of how
different states operate, you have to
understand how the three-tier system
operates, meaning you have to first
find an importer willing to take your
product in the first place. It is only
through an importer that you can
access the all-important distributors
and wholesalers that are then going
to market your wines to supermarkets,
liquor stores, restaurants or bars.
3/ IT’S ALL ABOUT
RELATIONSHIPS
When it comes to cracking the US,
it’s not just how good your product
is; it’s who you know, and what they
can do for you. Only 10 distributors
control 73% of all products sold in
the US, and they’re inundated with
thousands of product requests every
year, so you need to know the right
people in the right places.
4/WHAT’S IN IT
FOR THEM
Don’t approach a US importer
or distributor with your tried and
trusted story about how long you’ve
been making wine or how unique
your terroir is. That is the window
dressing. To get a seat at the table
you have to think like an importer
or distributor. What can you offer
them that is going to excite them,
make their lives easier and want to
list you?
5/ BE CREATIVE
That means being genuinely different
from all the other wines or products
in your category. Not necessarily
in the way it is made, but how it is
marketed, promoted, what key trend
is it addressing. You have to be
more creative than the last producer
to walk through a distributor’s doors.
6/ E-COMMERCE CAN CRACK
THE MARKET FOR YOU
With such a closed traditional
distribution route to market, the
new e-commerce industry is
“changing the landscape” in the
US, said Raye, opening the doors
to imported wines. While there
are 23% of imported wines in the
overall market, they make up 53%
of e-commerce sales.
7/ INFLUENCE THE INFLUENCERS
It is why wine apps and wine review
platforms like Vivino and Wine
Searcher are so important in the US.
You can create your own section on
Vivino, list all your wines and tell
your back story direct to millions
of, say, potential Vivino customers
looking to cut through the system to
find the wines they want •
VINEXPO
ANNOUNCES
MAJOR EVENT
FOR NEW YORK
IN 2018
March 5-6, 2018, Vinexpo New
York will host exhibitors from all
wine-producing regions around the
globe to the world’s largest wineconsuming
market. Vinexpo New
York will be open exclusively to the
national trade. Targeted visitors
are importers, distributors, retailers,
brokers, e-commerce, on-trade
buyers and sommeliers. Held in
the Javits Center’s, glass-enclosed
River Pavilion, Vinexpo New York
will feature two days of business
meetings, tastings, conferences,
master classes and networking
events. Its exhibition will showcase
the newest wines and spirits
introduced to the US market.
4 VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE

Introducing a Revolutionary
New Buyers’ Networking Club
Vinexpo Explorer brings top 100 buyers together at inaugural
Austrian event
Vinexpo is making further
strides to differentiate itself from
other international trade shows
by launching a new initiative,
Vinexpo Explorer.
The new initiative will bring
together the world’s Top 100 wine
and spirit buyers at key networking
events in emerging and trending
wine countries.
In a nutshell, the new initiative will
see Vinexpo identify who it sees
as being the most influential and
important wine and spirits buyers
across all the major export markets.
It will then invite them to attend twoday
Explorer events in key, up and
coming wines and spirits regions or
countries of the world.
The initiative is all part of the trade
show’s commitment to offer the
global wine and spirits industry
more than a bi-annual event
in Bordeaux, supported by
exhibitions in Hong Kong, Tokyo
and New York. Vinexpo Explorer
very much encapsulates its desire
to introduce measures designed to
bring producers and key buyers
together to help them work better
together and ultimately do business.
The first Vinexpo Explorer event will
take place in Austria on September
11-12 thanks to a new link up
with Austrian Wine.
But beforehand it has set itself quite
a task. Just who do you include
in such an illustrious list and do
you not risk putting some pretty
prominent noses out of joint by not
including them in your first Top 100
list? With so many key markets and
buyers to choose from, it is going
to be fascinating to see who makes
the final cut.
But Vinexpo’s chief executive,
Guillaume Deglise, believes this
new “revolutionary approach” is
needed to help bring buyers and
producers closer together.
It will take buyers from mixed
retail backgrounds and encourage
them to swap ideas, and share
experiences and insights. Be they
a Scandinavian monopoly,
a multinational hotel group, major
supermarket chain or restaurant
group. The final selection of
buyers will, he says, reflect
the “complexity” of the wine and
spirits trade.
“We want to create a community of
buyers and it is also a chance for
us to get to know our buyers better,”
said Deglise.
The list of 100 buyers will be
tweaked year from year to suit the
nature of the event being held.
The inaugural trip to Austria in
September, for example, will
be exclusively wine buyers to
work with the programme being
devised by Austrian Wine and its
managing director, Willi Klinger.
Klinger sees this first event being
an enormous opportunity to translate
growing interest in Austrian wines
in to hard sales over the coming
years. “It’s great exposure for
us and a chance to transport the
image of Austrian wine into sales,”
he said.
Klinger hopes the event will help its
three year strategy to grow Austria’s
global exports from around €150m
a year to nearer €200m.
The Vinexpo Explorer events
will be backed up by further
buyer networking opportunities
both at Vinexpo Bordeaux and
its sister events in Hong Kong,
Tokyo and New York.
The two-day Explorer events
are designed to give buyers the
chance to take part in one to one
meetings with producers and taste
special wines and spirits from the
host country not possible on any
normal trade visit.
They will also include business
workshops in which buyers will be
expected to work in small groups
with their fellow buyers to discuss
and analyse key trading issues for
the host country or region and then
feedback their conclusions to the
wider group.
Vinexpo will use its database
and knowledge of the global
buying scene to identify the top
100 buyers to invite.
Guillaume Deglise says it is too
early to say where future events
will be held but said it was an
ideal vehicle to take buyers to
explore the whisky distilleries of
Scotland or the wineries of Oregon
or Swartland in South Africa.
The key will be to offer buyers
“intimate contact with producers
from all over the world” •
Willi Klinger
Managing Director,
Austrian Wine
WE WANT TO CREATE A
COMMUNITY OF BUYERS AND IT IS
ALSO A CHANCE FOR US TO GET TO
KNOW OUR BUYERS BETTER
VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE 5

NEWS
© Phillippe Labeguerie
UK & EU Wine Leaders Unite
in Call For a “Free Trade Brexit”
Vinexpo debate sets out best and worst-case scenarios for wine industry
following the UK’s exit from the EU
The UK and EU might be going through
a public, and hopefully not too painful,
divorce, but behind the scenes, British
and European wine bodies are very
much united in trying to ensure there is as
little fall out as possible from Brexit.
That was very much the underlying
message from last week’s Vinexpo Brexit
debate, held on the second day of
formal UK and EU negotiations taking
part in Brussels.
Although the talks are at the earliest of
stages, it was clear from the panel that
the hopes of a trouble-free Brexit have
been raised.
Both Miles Beale, chief executive of the
Wine & Spirits Trade Association in the
UK and Jean Marie Barillère, president
of the CEEV, representing the interests of
EU wine companies and bodies, were
united in the view that they would like
to see “as little change as possible” to
current trading arrangements from any
Brexit deal.
“We want to see trade as free and as
unrestricted as possible,” stressed Beale.
Barillère hoped the Brexit talks would be
as much of a “non-event” as possible.
They are certainly doing all they can
between their respective bodies to present
the case to the UK government and EU that
a continued free trade agreement was in
everyone’s interests. Both the WSTA and
CEEV, and other relevant world trade
bodies, were also working on creating a
potential “blueprint” for how future trading
could work post-Brexit that governments
could quickly implement.
Beale said news from the UK government
that Chancellor Philip Hammond would
welcome a transitional period for future
trade deals to be done after the UK leaves
the EU means a phased implementation
is now more likely. “It is the first time we
have heard that and it’s a significant
step,” added Beale.
It would effectively mean the UK leaving
the EU in March 2019, then having the
needed time to agree a EU trade deals,
the UK then leaving the Customs Union,
followed by the opportunity for the UK to
then negotiate bilateral trade deals with
non-EU countries.
That would then give the industry anything
between two, three, five or more years to
carry on as normal and prepare for any
subsequent trade deals to be done. “That
is the best for the business community to
deal with,” he said.
Andrew Shaw, group wine buying
director at Conviviality, the biggest
wine distributor in the UK, said it was
vital a “roadmap” could be established,
which businesses could then follow in
order to get some “sustainability” back
into to their decision making. It was the
“uncertainty” that has gripped the wine
market since the EU referendum that was
so hard for a business like Conviviality to
have “clarity” on its future strategy. “We
need future trade to be as simple and
effective as it is now,” said Shaw.
Sean Allison, owner of Bordeaux’s
Château de Seuil, said it was vital both
sides took a “pro-active approach”
to maintain “security in the economy”
and ensure the UK does not start losing
foreign investment.
Whilst the big changes and falls in
currency rates post the EU referendum
have only added to that insecurity,
they only account for 1% to 3% of the
overall costs and it was still inflationary
pressures and duty and VAT that were the
“dominant factors” that the wine trade
has to face up to, stressed Shaw. Beale
confirmed that UK inflation in the past
year has seen a 3% increase on wine
prices compared to 1% in the previous
two years.
Vinexpo chief executive Guillaume
Deglise says it’s very much in the interests
of the global wine industry that there
should be no future “unfavourable trade
deals”, and that Vinexpo is very much
in support of the UK wine and spirits
industry. “The UK is in the top two of
countries’ wine exports and the trading
power of UK wine buyers is formidable,”
he said •
6 VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE

François Adamski
with his team of
apprenticies
Adamski Reveals Air France
Menus at Vinexpo Soirée
The Michelin-starred Chef, François
Adamski was present at Vinexpo at
a private evening organised by Air
France for some of its top customers
and partners.
Adamski having received a Michelin Star
in Bordeaux, and another in Bourges,
Meilleur Ouvrier de France (2007) and
Bocuse d’Or (2001), now creates menus
for major restaurants in the South-West.
His dishes invite all Air France Business
customers to enjoy his culinary skills:
cuisine without pomp and ceremony,
which tastes just right and is always
surprising.
Since October 2015, Adamski, has
been working with Servair and Air
France in the long and medium-haul
Business cabins. In keeping with his
commitments, the Michelin-starred
Chef is also the president of the French
Bocuse d’Or team, an association that
supports the French candidate, of which
Air France and Servair are Premium
partners.
At Vinexpo Bordeaux, he revealed the
six new dishes to enhance the pleasure
of Air France Business customers on
board long-haul and medium-haul flights
departing from Paris.
They will be, in July:
Roast chicken thigh, curry risotto and
chorizo,
Lightly smoked shrimps, coloured
vegetable balls and creamy lemon
sauce.
In August:
Slow-cooked beef with creamy tomato
sauce, mashed potatoes with green
olives,
Roast chicken fillet with supreme truffle
sauce, carrots, celery and mushrooms.
In September:
Candied lamb shoulder, semolina with
baby vegetables, preserved lemon,
Cod with meat jus, crumble with
hazelnuts, parsnips, celery, chestnuts.
According to Adamski, there are a
number of constraints when it comes to
concocting menus for in-flight dining: “The
first is products; we can’t use all products.
We also have to respect a certain
cooking temperature so as not to have
problems with bacteria. Then the most
important problem is that of re-heating.
We work upstream in the kitchen, and
then there are the cabin crew who have
to re-heat the food. And it’s this re-heating
that is the most complicated stage. We
can feel that Air France, with their rise
in quality, is training its staff as it should.
There is a will to ‘do the right thing’ and
that’s a very good thing.”
As all French gastronomy tends to be
just as visual as it is tasty, this is another
challenge. “In Business Class, we are
working plate by plate in a spirit of
‘plating’, where, in some aircraft, the
plates are dressed in-situ. The staff are
trained by experts at Servair in this
respect. This was already the case in La
Première, but now we can also find this
in Business Class.”
PAOLO BASSO – SOMMELIER FOR AIR FRANCE –
WORKING WITH BETTANE+DESSEAUVE ON WINE LIST
Since September 2014, Air France has
been entrusting the elaboration of its
wine list to Paolo Basso, elected best
sommelier of the world in 2013. He
collaborates with bettane+desseauve,
authors of the Great Guide of French
wines in the first and business cabins.
Associating the intimate knowledge
of the French vineyards of
bettane+desseauve with Paolo Basso’s
expertise as a taster allows Air France
to offer a selection of exceptional
quality: a journey through the regions
of France and the prestigious domains.
In business, the new wine menu is
innovative, highlighting the diversity of
the French vineyard, with renowned
labels, for example Médoc Château
Rollan de By 2009. The discoveries
also have their place and the favorites
of Paolo Basso are in the spotlight.
The first cabin focuses on the excellence
of the French Vineyard, in particular
its major regions (champagne and
Bordeaux with renowned labels,
but also Burgundy, Rhone Valley).
Champagne Krug Grande
Cuvée, Saint-Emilion 1 st
Grand Cru classified Chateau
Beau-Séjour Kiss 2008, etc.
bettane+desseauve and Paolo
Basso select the best areas and
the most exclusive properties,
in vintages adapted to the
consumption on board.
Every year, one and a half million large
bottles of wine, including eight hundred
thousand bottles of champagne, are
served aboard Air France flights •
Paolo Basso
Best Sommelier
of the World in 2013
VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE 7

NEWS
Napa Winemakers
on a Quality
Conquest of
Europe
Forty winemakers from
California’s Napa Valley were
exhibiting at Vinexpo Bordeaux
last week, on a mission to change
perception of the region’s wines.
They spearheaded the 525
wine makers grouped in the
association of Napa Vintners.
The group seeks to distance
Napa Valley wines from the rest
of California and drive home to
the thousands of European and
Asian buyers at the fair how
Napa Valley wines are subtler,
more nuanced and capable of
quality ageing.
Setting themselves apart, the
Napa Vintners thus had their
own pavilion, close to, but apart
from, the main California wines
booths.
Dana Osbourne, international
marketing manager, for Napa
Valley Vintners says that 150
years of tradition have resulted
in wines of the highest quality,
cultivated in one of the most
extraordinary places in the
world.
A three-year plan is in place to
change perceptions of Napa
vines so that they are seen to be
of distinct quality from California
A GRAND CRU OF… WATER
France is the world’s #1 exporter of mineral
water, and for the second time running,
Abatilles was designated as Vinexpo’s
Official Water in 2017, a partnership that
gives the brand worldwide visibility.
Indeed, after decades of being
underestimated, “premium waters” have
gained recognition as an indispensable
component of gastronomic meals. Like
wine, they are increasingly tantalising the
curiosity and appetite of consumers, who
can now appeal to a growing population of
specialists, such as water sommeliers, to find
out more and enjoy all the subtleties of these
very sought-after waters.
At the same time as enjoying a strong
regional position with national ramifications,
while Abatilles made its first steps towards
international recognition at Vinexpo 2015
- now exported to supply a dozen markets,
Vinexpo 2017 enabled Abatilles to develop
its outlook and do business with another ten
targeted countries •
wines in general. The plan will
explain why quality means that
prices may be higher, ranging
from $22 to as much as $225
a bottle and while quantities
available will be lower.
In contrast to their reputation,
production is small. Napa
produces only 4% of the total
California wine harvest; on
a global stage that accounts
for only four tenths of world
production.
Dana says that there is clear
evidence from media reaction
around the world that the
Napa strategy is working. “The
messages coming all sectors of
the media, bloggers and social
media emphasise quality. People
are beginning to understand
why Napa Valley wines are
The estate of the Dampt brothers, located
different.”
between Chablis and Tonnerre in the Yonne,
Not least, Napa Valley Vintners
offers, among other things, a beautiful
have a new generation of wine
palette of wines from the three valleys of the
drinkers in their sights. “There is
Yonne.
a new generation in Europe that
wants to venture outside their old
experiences” •
A TOUR OF THE YONNE –
WITH LE DOMAINE DAMPT FRÈRES
From the valley of the Armançon, the Tonnere
Burgundy and the Epineuil Burgundy will
sharpen one’s taste buds at aperitif time.
From the Yonne valley, Emmanuel and Eric
propose an Irancy village wine.
Following along the Serein valley, a little
Chablis born on the plateaus, as well as the
Chablis from the slopes and to crown the
lot, five Chablis Premier cru “Barbu”, “Les
Stoves”, “Vaucoupin”, “Mont de milieu”,
“Fourchaume”, as well as two rare Chablis
Grand cru «Bougros» which possesses a
particularly sharpened minerality, and “Les
Preuses” with a chalkier structure.
Eric and Emmanuel Dampt have been
working their vines in a “reasoned struggle”
since the creation of the estate in the
1980s and say they wish to pass on their
knowledge and the love of their terroir to
future generations •
8 VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE

DGB Pty Ltd, South Africa’s largest
independent wine, spirits and
craft beer producer, announced
at Vinexpo that it has secured an
exclusive distribution agreement with
China’s massive COFCO group.
COFCO (China Cereals, Oils and
Foodstuffs Co-operation) is China’s
largest importer and exporter in
these fields. The agreement will see
COFCO now operate as the South
African producer’s sales, marketing
and distribution partner with very
ambitious marketing and growth
plans.
Following the agreement, COFCO
will, in the initial phase, exclusively
import and market DGB brands
Boschendal and Tall Horse, with
the expectation to later expand the
portfolio with other brands from the
DGB wine stable.
China has become an increasingly
important market for South African
wineries:
China’s wine import market totaled
638 million litres in 2016 – a
year-an-year increase of 15%,
according to the Asian giant’s
customs department – while import
values grew by 16,3% year-on-year,
amounting to $2,364-billion. Wine
sales in China are predicted to grow
by 39,8% over the next three years,
leading the country to become the
world’s second largest wine market
after the United States – surpassing
France and the UK. South Africa
has seen its market share improving,
as interest in wine in China starts
to extend beyond “traditional” Old
BY-THE-GLASS
INNOVATION
World wine producing countries.
Mainland China is currently the
biggest Asian market for South
African wine by volume and the
sixth largest export destination for
the country.
Says Castle Li, General Manager of
COFCO Wine & Wine: “We are
proud to be associated with the wellrespected
South African industryleader,
DGB. Chinese consumers
are showing increased interest in
‘New World’ wines, and we believe
DGB, with its diverse portfolio, is
well-positioned to provide in this
need. The Boschendal and Tall
Horse brands offer two of the great
market drivers: value and reputable
quality” •
Premium South African Producer
Signs Distribution Agreement with
China’s Largest Importer
At this year’s Vinexpo, Digby presented its by-theglass
wine dispenser on the stand of La Wine
Tech, “The world-wide coordination of wine
start-up”.
The stand regrouped start-ups from all around
the world - building the first international
coordination of fledgling companies around
wine and digital technologies.
Some of them were focused on B2C, while
others like Digby were mainly B2B, as the
company’s innovative dispenser is perfectly
suited for restaurants, hotels, wine merchants,
and even supermarkets.
Digby demonstrated a 2-module dispenser
for a total of 4 bottles of wine. Indeed, all the
dispensers are made of several modules that
receive 2 bottles each in which one can set
the serving temperature independently, while
preserving all the qualities of the wine for several
weeks.
The dispenser can take up to 6 modules and
control up to 12 bottles of wine and serving
volume can be set by the centilitre. Digby is also
a connected device. The owner can control the
temperatures, prices and wine details displayed
on the screen via a web interface.
Digby reports that the Castel group has chosen
its wine dispensers to highlight their most
prestigious products and offer the best way for
their clients to taste them •
The commitment of Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits is to offer consumers
brands they can trust, full of flavours, boldness and experiences.
VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE 9

NEWS
Advertorial
Lionel Osmin,
Thomas Dassé -
Export Sales Europe
and Damiens Sartori -
Oenologist,
Lionel Osmin & Cie
(l. to r.)
The Osmin Report
A look back by France’s south-western wine “guru” Lionel Osmin
on the 2017 edition of Vinexpo Bordeaux
Looking back at Vinexpo 2017, the
show has been a big success for
Lionel Osmin & Cie. As the show
drew to a close on Wednesday
21 st June, we asked the head of this
leading southwestern French wine
company to give us his “feeling”
about the show.
For Lionel Osmin & Cie, Vinexpo is the
gateway to the world. You can’t not be
at Vinexpo if you have an international
ambition! We have primarily been
interested in meeting buyers from around
the world, but not necessarily from
emerging markets, whose buyers are
more interested in the “big names”. As
our region is lesser known internationally,
we are more interested in specialist
operators in mature markets than broadscale
operators in emerging markets.
Already for many of them, getting to
know the Bordeaux and Burgundy
varieties is hard, so you can imagine
what it’s like trying to sell them on the
southwest.
What is the biggest challenge for you
at a show like this?
Our challenge is above all to show,
in all markets that have an ingrained
wine culture, where the consumers
are already somewhat “wine aware”,
we can talk to them about Madiran,
Cahors, Jurançon, Buzet, Marcillac or
Gaillac, but at Osmin & Cie, we have
created complementary ranges of wines,
meaning that our offer today is centred
on two main ranges. On the one hand,
we have appellation wines, wines of
character, terroir, but we also wanted
to adapt our offer to consumers who
are less “enlightened” with a range of
varietal wines. In fact, there are several
ways of attracting consumers around the
world: through appellations, châteaux
and brands, but also through the varietal
- the grape varieties. It’s these cépages
that are at the heart of our DNA, so we
have created a range of very “Frenchy”,
modern wines, called the “Villa” and
“Reserve” collections. These wines are
not overly “funky”, so as to reassure the
consumer, based on indigenous wines,
but can sometimes be blended with
more international varieties.
We saw that the Malbec was very
popular at your stand. What is the
general opinion about this with people
tasting your wines? Do people need
more education?
The Malbec has become internationally
renowned, but its source and origin is
Cahors in the Lot Valley. Traditionally
it’s full-bodied, but we now provide two
interpretations of this wine. The new one
is a fruity vintage, which I would say is
“civilised”, and in no way resembles
the historic, traditional “rustic” variety.
Demonstrating to consumers that Malbec
is an interesting variety, that it is not only
French, but from the southwest, allows
us to promote it today as the “original
French fresh Malbec”. The Negrette
is also very unique, planted only at
Fronton just north of Toulouse, producing
excellent rosé wines.
Your stand was clearly marked with
your new “sub brand” - Les Passeurs
du Vin. What is this exactly?
While my entire career up until relatively
recently in the wine world was centred
on selling wines from my region around
the world, I also wanted to help people
in France discover other amazing wines
from different regions in the world – a
kind of “payback”. So to cut a long
story short, one day I was talking to
Imanol Harinordoquy (eds: a French
International Rugby Union player), who
was a big wine fan, and the idea of
creating a new entity in this sense really
appealed to him. Finally, this has come
to pass, and he is now attacking this
new challenge with as much gusto as
when he was a rugby international. This
is the first time we have presented this
activity at Vinexpo.
Finally, what is your overall impression
of this year’s show?
We achieved what we set out to do –
that is to educate, interest and excite
buyers of French southwestern product
on the global stage, and of some
exceptional little-known foreign wines
in France. I am convinced that all those
(and there were many) who stopped by
our stand, will have walked away with a
new understanding of not just one, but a
number of new products! •
Madiran Charles de Batz
Domaine San de Guilhem,
Carpe Guilhem blanc sec
10 VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE

Advertorial
The Villa Collection
by Lionel Osmin
Lionel Osmin’s Villa Collection of
varietal wines marries tradition and
modernity. Plentiful or shy, these are
traditional grape varieties unlike any
other. With fruit and personality, these
accessible wines are a pleasure to
drink throughout the year.
VILLA LA VIE EN ROSE
Négrette is one of the best grape
varieties in the southwest for the
production of rosé wines. This native
variety is mainly planted to the north
of Toulouse, and the Cuvée bears
a name that pays homage to this
famous “Ville Rose“ so beautifully
sung by the French blues star Claude
Nougaro. Its pale and delicate dress,
its very fruity, expressive style and its
characteristic freshness make this rosé
a versatile and festive wine.
VILLA CHAMBRE
D’AMOUR
The golden and sun-drenched clusters
of gros Manseng and Sauvignon
blanc are picked after the first frosts of
the autumn to give this wine mellow,
refreshing and sweet notes at the
same time. It enchants with its notes
of grapefruit, pineapple, pear and
bourbon vanilla, as well as its low
level of alcohol (10.5%). It bears the
evocative name of the famous beach
at Anglet in the Basque Country, on
the Atlantic coast.
VILLA GRAND CAP
A blend of Colombard and Sauvignon
Blanc with a touch of gros Manseng,
selected in the heart of the various
vineyards of the southwest, gives
“Villa Grand Cap”, the profile of an
THE VILLA COLLECTION
elegant white wine: fresh and fruity.
Its assertive style makes it possible
to associate it with many dishes of
international gastronomy.
VILLA DE COCAGNE
The Merlot and the Tannat with a
hint of Syrah, give this wine with
the scents of violet, grey pepper
and crisp black cherries wrapped in
silky tannins. Its roundness and fruits
allow it to be served slightly chilled to
accompany any meal •
WHO
REALLY IS
LIONEL
OSMIN?
“My family path was drawn:
gold, precious stones,
watchmaking... But, it was
written that I would be the
family troublemaker! My father
pushed me to follow agronomy
studies so that I could have the
choice. I love the earth, the
men who work with it; I love
the wine, the smells, the scents,
the taste, the friendliness, the
idea that only one’s will can
change things profoundly. My
future was thus in the heart
of the Earth and of people.
I wanted to be a farmer or
a pianist. I tried, I got lost, I
went awry. Basically, what I
really wanted was to share
my enthusiasm. That’s what I
needed to succeed. The rest is
an ordinary story. Agricultural
Engineering degree in my
pocket, I was ready to face
the world and finally, I had a
great desire to do. I probably
chose a difficult path, but I am
so attached to my region: the
southwest! My will is to offer
only the best. My ambition: to
magnify blends to shape high
quality wines, each in their
segments.
THE ARMAGNACS
OF LIONEL OSMIN:
THE ADDITIONAL SOUL
OF THE SOUTHWEST
For more than 700 years, in the heart of the Southwest,
in Gascony more precisely, the growers of white wines
gave birth to one of the most beautiful French spirits:
Armagnac.
Fiery and racy, this precious liquid finds wisdom and
fullness through many years of ageing in the quiet of the
cellars.
5 Armagnacs, from 12 to 39 years of age, bear the
Lionel Osmin signature - a selection based on emotion
and pleasure, which have given birth to a limited range,
with Armagnacs in the purest possible style, with little or
no reduction, leaving the accelerators of aging to enable
the intrinsic character of this genuine and authentic eaude-vie
to be fully expressed.
The wines of the southwest
are true and rare. We owe
this to the terroirs and to the
men. For me, the Southwest is
authenticity, another dimension
whose originalities magnify
one’s enthusiasm.
In a new business, our only
way out: do it right. You
know, 3,000 years ago, man
already produced wine. I have
the furious will to share my
southwest with you. Besides,
I’m not alone. “Lionel Osmin”,
certainly, but “& CIE” (eds: and
company) above all.
VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE 11

SEEN AT VINEXPO
Good Things in
Small Packages
A wine in a small screw-top bottle? Yes, you can!
This Asian-based company is currently offering
unpretentious and affordable packaging for
Portuguese wine, that can be stored like this
for 15 to 25 years. Alcohol-free to 11°, this
product is intended to compete with the mode
of consumption of beer. Currently available in
China and Singapore.
Xuangliang Yu – General Manager
Edivo Wine –
From Under the
Sea
Hailing from Croatia - a unique memory of the
depths of the Adriatic Sea: a bottle of wine
from the Peljesac Peninsula, the premium Plavac
Edivo that spends one to two years immersed
under the sea. A beautiful layer of coral, shells
and algae will cover the bottle or the amphora
in which the bottle has been placed.
Château Haut Selve
Celebrates 20 th Vintage at
Vinexpo
The first vintage of Château Haut Selve was released in 1996, and at
Vinexpo, the 20 th Anniversary vintage (2015) was presented.
Château Haut Selve lays claim to being the only vineyard created in Bordeaux
in the 20 th Century. It was planted in the historical Graves Appellation area
over a pine forest where vines used to grow 120 years ago.
12 VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE

Russian Recipe –
Romanian Production
Stalinskaya Vodka was presented at Vinexpo Bordeaux by
Prodal – a producer based in Romania. In three different
varieties, the name Stalinskaya is derived from the Russian
“Stal” – meaning “strong as steel”. The Romanian-made
Vodkas have won 65 international awards over the past
eight years. Prodal also presented its premium dry Gin,
“Pride of Wembley”.
Prodal Export Director Ovidiu Chiscan
Spirit of Sushi
The clientele of the restaurants and sushi bars
are now being offered a French white wine
assembled from the varietals Sauvignon,
Semillon and Muscadelle. Create specially
to agree with sushi and Japanese cuisine in
general. The idea stems from Adrien Truchon-
Bartes, and has been developed by oenologist
Stephane Grangeot.
Stephane Grangeot (left)
and Adrien Truchon-Bartes (right)
Two Gins…
Two Characters
Master blender Laurent Vallet, known until now for his
Cognacs, presented two new Gin varieties, distilled
from grapes: Osmoz Classic and Osmoz Citrus.
Vallet told Vinexpo Daily that the Gins have “two
complementary personalities, two incomparable
interpretations, and a shared vision of alchemy and
diversity of aromas.
Laurent Vallet
VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE 13

TRADE TALK
The Fine Art of Creating
the Wine-list for Alain
Ducasse Enterprises
The celebrated chef Alain Ducasse has many mouths to feed on a daily basis considering
his group now includes 28 restaurants across eight different countries. But that is also a
challenge for his executive wine director Gérard Margeon to create a wine list that not
only complements every dish, but is as challenging for some customers, yet tried, tested
and re-assuring for others. We asked him what key trends he sees at the moment in terms
of wine sales in his restaurants.
Gérard
Margeon
Executive Wine Director,
Alain Ducasse Entreprises
We are really seeing a return to the wines of
France once again. But there is also a lot of interest
in cool, refreshing ocean wines, where there is the
influence of the sea.
This year’s partner country was Spain. What do
you think of Spanish wines?
I love Spain and have a house in Catalonia. The
red wines have made incredible progress in recent
years, but there is still work to be done on the white
wines. But their producers have a very modern
approach to winemaking.
Which Spanish regions do you find the most
interesting?
Those that interest me the most are the producers
who work with Grenache. So Montsant and then
Priorat.
What are your secrets for getting the most out of
a busy show like Vinexpo?
I have visited Vinexpo every year since the first
edition in 1981. I know all the secrets of Vinexpo:
1/ You have to be very disciplined.
2/ Create a strict program and stick to it.
3/Do not forget to greet all the winemakers you
know.
What are your thoughts about Vinexpo Daily?
Vinexpo Daily is very complete and also very
playful at the same time •
THERE IS A LOT
OF INTEREST IN
COOL, REFRESHING
OCEAN WINES,
WHERE THERE IS THE
INFLUENCE OF THE
SEA.
THE VINEXPO
CLUB: BRINGING
TOP BUYERS
TOGETHER
The Vinexpo Club is the leading network of top wine and spirits
buyers and key decision-makers, and this year at Vinexpo
Bordeaux, the initiative proved to be a great success.
Being a member of the Vinexpo Club gives the opportunity to
network with international industry players and discuss common
issues all year round. Those who participate also get a preview
of Vinexpo’s market research reports to keep them abreast of
emerging trends •
14 VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE

PRESS CORNER
Seek and Ye Shall Find
What were the media looking for at Vinexpo this year? We put the question to
several as we met with them in the convivial press zone…
Cathy Huyghe
forbes.com
The issues and trends that are on my mind, and that
I hope to “fill in” at Vinexpo, are things like labor
and immigration, and price adjustments in reaction
to the political climate in the UK and the US. I also
have a special affinity for sparkling wine (including
those produced outside of Champagne), and for
what’s happening in emerging consumer markets
such as sub-Saharan Africa and China. Vinexpo is
so comprehensive that I’m sure I’ll be able to learn
about those things and more! At this show, there’s no
way to cover it all, so it helps to go in with a very
solid “itinerary” that I adjust as needed.
Richard Siddle
Editor and co-founder, the-buyer.net
Vinexpo is a wonderful opportunity for a
journalist and commentator on wine to hear
first-hand the issues, the opportunities and
challenges wine producers the world over
are facing. It’s vital to spend as much time
as possible asking the right questions and
listening to the answers. My tips? Find the
time to explore, discover, attend keynote
talks and remember the world of wine is
changing far quicker than your business so
you need to be watching and listening to
keep up.
Rodolphe Wartel
Publishing director, Terre de Vins
We are looking to meet with operators, mainly French,
that we do not meet with regularly. It is an opportunity
to better understand their developments and their news,
and to have new sources of information. Our focus is on
France, all regions. For Bordeaux, where a part of our
team is installed, we will also be looking for a “different”
Bordeaux, less woody, more creative, engaged: wines
that can give a rejuvenated image of Bordeaux, as part of
a supplement that we publish in September. We also hope
to learn! The conferences proposed on Brexit and Spain
as a guest of honour are points of interest that position
Vinexpo at the heart of international news.
VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE 15

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Dark and Broody:
Meet De Bortoli’s New Shiraz…
and Much More!
The Australian winemaker goes from strength to strength in
international markets
On 13 th June, New South Wales
Environment Minister Gabrielle
Upton presented De Bortoli Wines
with the state’s first Sustainability
Advantage Platinum Project at a
ceremony in Sydney. Awarded
for outstanding environmental
leadership and innovation, De
Bortoli Wines is the only business
in NSW to have reached this
level in the Office of Environment
and Heritage’s (OEH) flagship
Sustainability Advantage
program, which encourages and
enables sustainable business best
practice. This acknowledgement
recognises “The De Bortoli
Method”, a unique potassium
Francis Aguilar
General Manager,
UK & Europe - De Bortoli Wines
recovery system that turns the
winery’s wastewater into an
environmentally friendly cleaning
agent that has the potential for
commercial application for any
business using caustic chemicals.
Meanwhile here at Vinexpo,
Francis Aguilar - General Manager
UK & Europe - De Bortoli Wines
hosted a very popular stand,
where we met with him and asked
about the key trends in Australian
wines today…
Mediterranean varietals such as
Assrytiko, Tempanillo, Dolcetto, Arneis,
Vermentino have been making waves
either as straight varietals or blended
alongside more familiar names such as
Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Shiraz.
Pinot Noir has seen great changes over
the past years with many cool climates
slowly perfecting this ever-challenging
grape variety. From choosing the right
clone to using winemaking techniques
such as whole bunch fermentation,
have all added to the slow and steady
improvement over the years. Regions
such as Victoria’s Yarra Valley but
also other Victorian regions such as
Gippsland, Mornignton Peninsula and
Geelong have grown a lot in popularity.
In general, there is a move towards
more restraint and much more focus
on tannin, character, and region rather
than fruit, oak and so on. This you can
find across all grape varieties -- even
in Chardonnay and Shiraz. For an
example, we have released a wine
called Woodfired, which has been
a massive hit in Australia. It’s a dark
broody Shiraz from Heathcote, but it
leaves a nice crunchy freshness on the
palet which you would not have found
in Australian reds years ago.
How are Australian labels becoming
more globally competitive up against
famous French or Italian wines?
Australian Wine labels remain at the
forefront of the global wine market
today with its shift from a brand
reputational message to a more casual
and alternative “look and feel” that
provide the consumers an emotion that
inspires or conveys a sense of relating
to oneself. This is the next step. Labels
that talk, make you laugh, give a pointer
to how you can enjoy… all things easy
from an Australian perspective, which
has the end result that consumers have
learnt to love from Australia: providing
a friendly demystified wine tasting
experience.
How are sales of Australian wine
progressing in China?
Booming! 5 years ago, when the
Chinese leadership changed, everyone
was crying as sales plummeted
following the new leaders’ commitment
to stamping out corruption. However,
that’s all history given the build of the
“real” market.
THERE IS A
MOVE TOWARDS
MORE RESTRAINT
AND MUCH MORE
FOCUS ON TANNIN,
CHARACTER, AND
REGION RATHER
THAN FRUIT, OAK
AND SO ON.
Sales are rising on an annual rate of plus
40%, to today’s figure of $US540M
worth; second in line to France. This says
a great deal, given the reputation for the
image conscious Chinese consumer. So,
China has turned out brilliantly, diverse
as they come, with a real enthusiasm
and recognition for Australian wine.
Originally, Australia was known for the
Barossa and Hunter Valleys, however
this is changing rapidly today, with the
Riverina and other key growing areas
emerging with quality product. What
are the key trends in that respect?
Indeed, Barossa and Hunter are 2 of
the earliest wine regions to become
famous. However, so many other
regions are just the coolest places to be
right now…whether it’s the 8,000-yearold
Cambrian soils from Heathcote or
the Upper Yarra sub region of Woori
Yallock Australian wines of today are
more about expressing the region or
vineyard where they are from. Riverina is
also interesting for botrytis, fortifieds and
producing wines to a price. Organic is
something which is growing in many
regions •
16 VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE

Peter Gago
Penfolds Chief Winemaker
I TRAVEL THE WORLD QUITE A LOT,
BUT HERE, WE COME TO ONE PLACE
AND THE WORLD COMES TO US, AND
THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF VINEXPO IN
BORDEAUX.
The World Gets the Taste
of Australian Wines
Penfolds Chief Winemaker – Peter Gago – imparts his knowledge
and wisdom at Vinexpo 2017
The custodian – amongst other
things – of the legendary Penfolds
Grange – chief winemaker for the
Australian producer, Peter Gago
was present at Vinexpo Bordeaux
where he held a series of Master
Classes. We asked him to tell us
about the tastings…
The great thing about Vinexpo is that we
are able to show people from across the
planet what we do – not just with the
current releases, but with tastings across
the decades. The tastings here have
been on Saint Henri – a wonderful Syrah
or Shiraz blend – and Bin 389, and
we’ve gone back across five decades.
Because there is an understanding that
Australian wine can be good value
for money and lots of fruit and flavour,
but it’s only when you look at the older
wines that the seriousness of the offer
becomes quite prevalent. Having said
that though, we have been very big
proponents of Vinexpo going way back.
I’ve lost count of how many Vinexpos
I’ve had. For us, this is THE showcase
for fine wine. The people we’ve been
meeting with from every part of the world
here, it’s just been amazing. We put on
a dinner in a beautiful property in the
middle of Bordeaux for our Chinese and
other Asian guests. So, it’s an Australian
winery, in Bordeaux, entertaining Asian
clientele. When we were at the Cité
du Vin the other day in Bordeaux, we
saw Penfolds Grange and Penfolds Bin
28. That would not have happened 20
years ago. You have a world epicentre
of fine wine here in Bordeaux that’s very
positively, generously engaging wines
from across the planet; and that’s such a
professional and mature approach. We
also met with Jacques Olivier Pesme from
Kedge Business School of Bordeaux,
as there is a lovely liaison between the
University of Adelaide and the University
of Bordeaux. And in fact, I am now
officially the global ambassador for the
Great Wine Capitals of which Bordeaux
is one; Adelaide in South Australia is
the second out of only ten across the
planet, including Napa, San Francisco
and Oporto. We have been meeting at
Vinexpo to discuss links in education, in
tourism, and obviously also in business.
So, it’s not just about pouring wine. This is
a great, great venue for talking about the
world of commerce, the world of wine
education, and so many other things. I
travel the world quite a lot, but here, we
come to one place and the world comes
to us, and that’s the beauty of Vinexpo in
Bordeaux.
What is the feedback like from the
people who have been tasting your
wines?
The first reaction was more or less of
shock (laughs)… Humble Bin 389, which
is not at the top of our tiers of portfolios,
but is more mid-range. “Wow! How
fresh is that 1989? Doesn’t that ’78 look
good!” … Like surprise and shock. But
also putting things back into perspective.
Bin 389 has been released for 57
vintages uninterrupted. St Henri goes
back to the late 1800’s. From a Penfold’s
perspective, we resurrected it in the early
1950’s. People talk about Old World
and New World, but when they leave
this tasting, they no longer use the term
New World, they use the term Newer
World!
WORLD’S MOST
EXPENSIVE
WINE
How is the global perception of
Australian wine evolving?
There’s a big change in attitude. When
I used to do tastings in Paris 15 or 20
years ago, we would invite 20 media.
Two might respond, one might arrive. In
September of last year, we invited 22
top people… and all 22 came. That
doesn’t even happen in Adelaide! That
shows the difference in the perception of
Australian wine. Times have changed •
Peter Gago is the winemaker
behind the most expensive
wine in the world – the
Penfolds Ampoule Kalimna
Block 42 Cabernet
Sauvignon 2004, valued at
over $US160,000.
VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE 17

REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT: AUSTRALIA
SUNSHINE CREEK
STANDING PROUD
@ VINEXPO
Mosel Wine region
Adelaide, South Australia –
a Great Wine Capital of the World
In 2015–16, South Australia’s fact, more than 200 of our cellar
Sunshine Creek winery was back at Vinexpo for the
wine industry generated doors are within an hour’s drive
second time – but for the first time with a “standalone”
booth.
$AUS2.11 bn in revenue, with of the city centre of Adelaide, the
$AUS1.34 bn of this from wine capital of South Australia.
exports, and in July 2016, Our state has a unique history of
Sunshine Creek is the venture of Chinese-born
Adelaide / South Australia winemaking. The region is one of
packaging magnate James Zhou, whom over many
became a member of the Great the few places in the world that is
years has worked with Grant Burge, Philip Shaw
Wine Capitals Global Network, free of the grape vine destroying
(eds: a guest at the Vinexpo stand), Philip Jones, Pat
recognising excellence in all pest phylloxera, and the local
Carmody and Mario Marson, and was looking for
aspects of its wine industry producers make almost 80% of
a site to produce wines under his own brand to sell
including wine grape production, the nation’s premium wine from
domestically and overseas. Having found just the
winemaking, research and some of the oldest vines in the
right place at Yarra Glen – Martha’s Vineyard (first
development, tourism and world. With these credentials, it’s
established in the 1980’s) – the new label came to
education.
no wonder Adelaide is known as
be just a few years ago, and today is producing
Australia’s wine capital.
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a Cabernet blend
Eighteen distinct wine regions
of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc,
span across South Australia, National wine industry
Malbec and Petit Verdot. A Heathcote Shiraz is also
including the Adelaide Hills, associations, major wine
produced.
Barossa, McLaren Vale, education and research and
At Vinexpo 2015, the fledgling winery from the
Yarra Valley near Melbourne was bundled with
a group of other Australian producers. This time,
as the owner, Mr Zhou, had recently purchased
Coonawarra and Clare Valley. In development institutions all have
Château Renon in Tabanac, the group decided to
do a “two-in-one” stand featuring both French and
Australian wineries side-by-side. Hentley Farm’s Andrew Quin
With such an impressive stand, Group Export,
Sales & Marketing Manager, Benjamin Roberts, told awarded Barons of Barossa
Vinexpo Daily that the reason for this was to be able
to host daily master classes covering both wineries.
2017 Winemaker of the Year
“In Australia, our most popular products are our
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir,” explains Roberts. “This
year, it’s been interesting for us to see that our most
popular product here is our 2013 Chardonnay.
Everybody really enjoys the ‘old world’ style of this
At this year’s Declaration of
Vintage celebration in South
Australia, winemaker Andrew
wine. It’s not tight and lean. It’s not a buttery, oaky
Quin was awarded the
gold medal award-winning wine. It’s probably got
more structure and complexity, and people really
seem to enjoy that.”
prestigious Barons of Barossa
2017 Winemaker of the Year.
Quin has taken a slightly
unusual road to winemaking,
According to Roberts, there has been new genuine
interest at Vinexpo from distributors in Poland,
Denmark, Switzerland, Holland and Quebec.
transitioning from his original
field of study – horticulture. For
Andrew, winemaking provided
French buyers still, according to Roberts, shy away
an unparalleled opportunity to
combine scientific knowledge
with his artistic flair, in the pursuit
their headquarters in South
Australia, providing leadership
in winemaking and viticulture
intellect and expertise.
Today, the South Australian
wine industry supports not only
highly regarded, established
wine producers, but also a
large number of exciting young,
innovative winemakers who
embrace the use of alternative
varietals and natural winemaking
principles with minimal
interventions and organic farming
techniques •
of creating something that others
could enjoy… great wine!
Andrew joins an elite class of
Barossa winemakers and further
cements himself as one of the
best and consistent young talents
in the country. “I think it’s a pretty
tough job for these guys picking
a winemaker every year, this
community is bursting with great
winemakers,” he stated. “I’m
obviously incredibly honoured
to be the person selected for this
great award in 2017” •
18 VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE

REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT: GERMANY
GERMANY:
TREND
TOWARDS
HIGHER QUALITY
WINES FOR
EXPORT
Mosel Wine region
Rediscovered: Germany’s Aromatic
Grape Varieties
Last year around one million hectoliters of German
wine valued at 288 million euros was exported to
130 countries, representing a decline in value of
Aromatic grape varieties are one of the major German bouquet
experiencing a revival both in varieties. Scheurebe wines range
4% and of 3% in volume. Entry-level wines were
Germany itself and abroad. from dry to luscious sweet,
most affected by this development.
This year’s Vinexpo covers the and from quality to ice wines.
full gamut of these wines, which
On the other hand, quality wines are becoming
appeal especially to younger wine Sauvignon Blanc is the
increasingly important in German wine exports,
enthusiasts – thanks to their shooting star among German white
having gained an 85% share of the total export
intensive aroma, coupled with a wines. Over the past ten years, its
revenue and a 75% share of the export volume.
pleasantly fresh fruity acidity and vineyard area in Germany has
subtle sweetness.
more than tripled to 960 ha, with
Compared with the previous year, this corresponds
further potential for growth.
to an increase of 2%, continuing the trend towards With over 100 years’ history,
higher quality wines in exports that has been
observed for some time now.
“German wine exporters see themselves up against
very stiff international competition, especially in
the entry-level sector”, explains DWI managing
director Monika Reule. “This is amongst other
factors due to the declining wine consumption in
Scheurebe has a cultivation area
of around 1,400 hectares, and is
Then there’s Gewürztraminer, a
monument to German wine culture
the large European winegrowing countries. In the
past few years, these countries have increased their
export activities and – due to the relatively lower
production costs - are able to offer their wines at
a more favourable price than German producers.
Because of this, the path we are taking in our wine
One-Stop
German Partner
exports to raise our profile through quality and
increase added value for our producers is, in the
long-term, the right one,” says Reule.
The average price of exported quality wines
remained unchanged in 2016 at 3.23 €/l,
compared with a one cent drop in the mean value
for all wines, now at 2.88 €/l. Red quality wines,
For those who are looking for estate
bottled, natural Riesling and Pinot Noir
wines from all wine growing areas
of Germany, and who wish to get
a choice of finest quality wines from
ONE source of supply and on one
in Germany.
with a share of 7% of total exports, were exported
invoice, MO-RHE-NA has a very long
at an average price of 3.61 €/l
list of references.
For many years, German wine exporters have
generated more than a quarter of their total revenue
in the USA. In 2016, 187,000 hectolitres of wine
with a value of €80m and an above-average price
of 4.26 €/l in the mean were exported to this
MO-RHE-NA and its associates commit
themselves to making and promoting
high class quality estate wines, and their wine portfolio •
– steeped in centuries of tradition.
A total of 420 ha of the overall
965 ha can be found in the Pfalz
– the largest vineyard area of this
variety. The remainder is grown in
Baden and Sachsen as a speciality.
Gewürztraminer seduces the
senses with its captivating scent
of roses. Matured as a dry to offdry
wine, it complements Asian
cuisine or game pâté, while luscious
sweet varieties are especially tasty
with aromatic desserts and spicy
cheese •
are able to connect interested buyers
or importers with a number of wellknown
wine estates from many regions
MO-RHE-NA brand names such as the
Refreshing Riesling, the Wine Diva and
the Scheurebe Spätlese in blue bottles,
the luscious Riesling Eiswein (icewine)
or the fine B.A.(Beerenauslese) top-off
VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE 19

SPECIAL FEATURE: SPIRITS
Spirits brands from across all the
growing categories were out in
force at last week’s Vinexpo, giving
buyers the chance to taste, see and
enjoy the next big thing coming to
a back bar soon.
WHISKY AND WHISKEY
Leading the charge were the number
of new whisky and whiskey brands
at the show, reflecting the growth in
a category that Vinexpo and IWSR
research predicts will keep growing
with Scotch whisky set to reach 93.8
million 9-ltr cases by 2020, up on 87.7
million cases now.
Scotch and US whiskies combined are
expected to be the best-performing
Distillery that produces “The Irishman”
range of single malts, said: “The interest
is just so big. Asia and Africa are among
the leaders but the Middle East and Latin
America also want to drink whiskey. We
are in 45 international markets and Irish
whiskey is one of the fastest growing in
the world.”
The Walsh Distillery’s own expansion
plans reflects the expected growth with
plans to move from an 800,000-bottle
capacity distillery to one that can
produce 8.5m bottles a year.
Ireland’s The Shed Distillery was also at
the show and hosted a masterclass on
“The Irish Spirits Renaissance”.
Spirits Raise
was able to show this new Terrapure
ageing at the show.
RUM
Premiumisation is very much the driving
force of the rum category with more
premium brands on the market.
But it is also about being able to tell
a story, like with Dzama Rhum of
Madagascar which has a vintage going
back 33 years. Dan Bastien, marketing
director, said the rum’s unique flavour
comes from using wild grown sugar
canes rather than farmed crops common
in most major brands.
“This is the ylang-ylang of our rum – the
particular factor that gives our canes
Sophie Lawrence, brand manager,
said it had enjoyed a busy week.
“Our brands go all over the world. At
Vinexpo, it’s like the world is coming to
us!” she said.
VODKA
One of the biggest launches at the show
was Taiga Shtof, a super-premium vodka
made in Siberia with 100% Alpha Spirit
(the highest grade of alcohol) and the
purest water sourced from three different
locations in the icy Taiga region of the
country. The distillery dates back to
earlier than the Russian revolution.
Roman Gazine, joint founder said:
“We chose Siberia to give Taiga Shtof
appellation authority – the first vodka
brand to do this. Shtof is the original unit
of measurement, 1.23ml, that has been
used in Russia since the 12th century.
Each of our bottles gives 10 measures,
or shots, of 1.23ml. Using the craft
approach, we are raising the level of
production of Russian vodka to a new
level.”
the Bar at Vinexpo
international spirits categories between
2016–2020, with consumption of
bourbon set to rise from 39.5 million
cases (in 2015) to 46.5 million cases
in 2020.
But it is Irish whiskey which really is
booming in some markets. Connor
Booth, brand ambassador for the Walsh
BOURBON
One of the stand outs in the bourbon
section was Earl Hewlette of Terressentia
and owner of O Z Tyler Bourbon from
Kentucky. He has patented an ageing
process that reduces the time the spirit
spends in barrel to as little as six months.
The cost saving of doing so is huge. He
grown here a different personality, of
taste and flavour,” he said.
Sovereign Brands from the UK were also
at this show with its range of premium,
craft produced lines including Bumbu,
Belaire and Cloud Chaser which are
now sold in over 100 countries.
SAKE AND SOCHU
There was a large delegation of 23
sake brewers and five sochu distillers at
this year’s show thanks to the efforts of
the Japanese Sake and Sochu Producers
Association. It was a big opportunity for
them to showcase the best of what is
happening with sake and sochu that
is gaining more listing particularly with
sommeliers looking for something new •
20 VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE

Tovaritch!
What a Performance!
Russian vodka brand
Tovaritch! was not only
presenting new brands at
Vinexpo, it was putting on
daily performances of cocktail
making with top mixologists at
the Spiritual bar.
Writers’ Tears Set to Flow in
France Following Vinexpo Deal
One of Ireland’s leading Irish whiskey
producers, Walsh Whiskey Distillery,
hopes to build its popularity in France
thanks to a new distribution deal with
Dugas of Paris signed at Vinexpo.
Thanks to the deal, Dugas will start
distribution of Walsh Whiskey’s Writers’
Tears premium Irish whiskey range from
September 1 st . The contract was signed at
the show by founders and chief executives
of the two companies, Francois-Xavier
Dugas and Bernard Walsh.
Dugas has built a reparation in France for
its strong Irish and Scottish whisky ranges.
Walsh said he believed Dugas was a
“great fit” for the brand as it had such
a good network of high-end bars and
specialist retail stores across France, one
of its key strategic markets.
There are three whiskey’s in the Writers’
Tears range: Copper Pot; Red Head Single
Malt; and Cask Strength •
Tovaritch! is now sold in
over 30 countries and is
aimed at the premium hotel
and restaurant market. It has
grown to be the third biggest
Russian vodka brand in the
UK and is number one in
Belgium and South Africa and
hopes to widen distribution
further after Vinexpo 2017.
It is produced using 100%
natural, organic and non-
GMO ingredients, combining
spring wheat and rye from
the Volga region with water
drawn from underground
cellars •
Monteru Brandy
Turns Japanese
France’s Monteru Brandy
has built a reputation for
developing not only innovative
products, but the way in which
they are produced.
Monteru is the first producer of
single grape brandy using the
traditional “double distillation”
and the most sought after
single varietals from the best
producing regions of France.
They add to this by aging
their eaux-de-vie in pre-used
oak barrels for a maximum of
3 years in order to keep the
typicity of each the unique
varietals.
French Whisky
from Black Mountain
France is slowly gaining a reputation for
the quality of its whiskies as well as its
other more famous spirits. Black Mountain
Compagnie is typical of a new breed of
The producer’s latest launch
craft distiller that is making regional French
claims to be both the first
whisky a category of its own. That means
brandy, and French spirit,
making whisky from water that comes direct
to be finished in Japanese
from a high-altitude spring in the Haut
mizunara casks, famous for the
Languedoc. Its distillery won’t be finished
quality they bring to traditional
until 2018, but that has not stopped it from
Japanese whiskies • making award-winning blended whiskies,
finished in French spirits casks called the
Black Mountain Selection. The BM No 1
was named Best European Blended Whisky
at the 2015 World Whiskies Awards
whilst the BM Notes Fumées was named
Best Blend of France at the World Whiskies
Awards in 2016. A limited edition will
soon be released of Black Mountain No
1 that’s spent six months ageing in barrels
whilst being sailed between France and the
Scilly Isles •
VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE 21