Editorial
Wine Paris: soon a victim of its own gigantism?
Wine Paris succeeded Millésime Bio and can rightly boast of having outdone it in terms of attendance and buzz. Wine Paris was a party, full of pomp, with buzzing and noisy aisles, thus asserting its status as the world’s leading wine and spirits event, after three days of record attendance of 52,622 visitors. The 2025 edition recorded an 80% increase in the area dedicated to international exhibitors compared with 2024, with three entire halls reserved. With 54 exhibiting countries, 116 international pavilions (including 8 new participants) and 45% of its visitors coming from 154 countries, Wine Paris 2025 confirmed its role as the summit of the global wine and spirits trade. Vinexposium’s commitment to commercial development was also reflected in a 35% increase in the participation of top buyers from key markets. In addition, French participation recorded a 7% increase, with representation from all French wine regions and the participation of independent winegrowers, cooperatives, négoce houses and major brands. Enough already! The injunction to be present at Porte de Versailles is now strong, even if it comes at a cost (more than 3,000 euros for 6 m2!)! As for Vinexpo, but without drawing untimely analogies, a reservation will be voiced, on the strength of a purely personal impression: the gigantism of the event. If wine was indeed celebrated, what of the winegrower, the figure of the maker? An excess, a showiness that revealed, a contrario, the relative sobriety (certainly a future challenge for Wine Paris) of Millésime Bio, a human-scale fair filled with winegrowers alone. Comparison is not reason here, since the 32nd edition of Millésime Bio, the world’s largest organic wine, beer and spirits fair, drew 10,000 visitors in three days – five times fewer than Wine Paris – across 1,500 stands of winegrowers or distillers from 16 countries. We can hope that these two necessary fairs find their place at wider intervals and in distinct registers, and perhaps for different uses.
Wine Paris was the stage for a few announcements concerning our vineyard, including the presentation of the new Crus Bourgeois classification. Yves Raymond, who inaugurates our new “Carte blanche”, looks back at the history of this Médoc classification. While he regrets its current form and its shrinkage, with only 189 applicants, he notes, in unison with the Revue des Vins de France (1), that this new classification harbours and showcases some real nuggets, and will for some provide a real and necessary marker.
The crisis naturally remains at the heart of the subjects addressed by Édouard Vauthier of Château Ausone, who discusses in the “Spotlight” the place of en primeur and the role of négociants. Cécile Cazeaux and Frédéric Mignot, consultant oenologists, for their part look back, in “Industry Voices”, on the need to rediscover rationality in order to reassure consumers and resellers.
Inno’vin, our partner, invites us, through scientific presentations and feedback from the field, to question the effectiveness of biocontrol! The Agence Fleurie report shows, if proof were needed, that the Sauternes area may be tomorrow’s Eldorado. Clémence and Luc Planty of Château de Malle will not prove us wrong.
Happy reading to all!
Faithfully yours.
Henry Clemens, publication director
(1) RVF No. 688 – March 2025
