SPAIN: Torres pulls out of Vinexpo

Spanish wine producer Torres has become the latest large wine firm to pull out of this year's Vinexpo wine show, due to the effects of the economic downturn on its suppliers.

Family-owned Torres, which exports its wines to 120 countries, will not take part in Vinexpo 2009 in Bordeaux in June, a company spokesperson confirmed to just-drinks today (6 March).

The move means Torres will join other high profile wine firms, including Constellation Brands and E&J Gallo, on the sidelines of this year's Vinexpo, the largest wine show in the world.

A Torres spokesperson said: "Torres feels that in this current situation the more responsible approach is to save the money we would have spent on Vinexpo and use it to support the farmers and the grape prices in their hour of need."

She said: "It is currently a buyer's market, but these are farmers that Torres has worked with for many years and they wish to continue working with them."

Torres, she added, does not view its withdrawal from Vinexpo as a long-term strategy and will "almost certainly" return to the bi-annual Bordeaux exhibition in 2011.

In addition to high-profile withdrawals this year, Australia, Chile, Argentina and South Africa have all declined to reserve "national pavilions" at the show.

Robert Beynat, Vinexpo CEO, told just-drinks this week: "Vinexpo has sold all its space and a record 20 countries are taking national pavilions, among them new exhibitors such as Belarus, Brazil, India and Mauritius."

Vinexpo chairman Xavier de Eizaguirre told just-drinks in January that he did not expect the global economic downturn to cause major problems for this year's show: "In 2004, everyone was predicting a gloomy show but it was one of the best. In difficult times, there is more need to talk, to discuss and to experiment."