ProWein 2011 reaffirms Germany's high rank among wine producers

German's ProWein has joined the global roster of major international wine fairs, drawing more than 3,600 exhibitors from 50 countries to Dsseldorf at the end of last month.

That was 200 more suppliers than in the previous year, adding to the variety of vintages on offer from the top wine-producing nation, as well as "exotic" countries like Brazil and India.

There were more than 38,000 visitors from the European, North American and Asian retail and catering trade, with greater interest this year from all parts of the globe, including Thailand and Hong Kong.

The central tasting zone featured more than 1,000 red and white wines under such headings as "Tradition versus Modernity" and "How Oenology determines Wine Styles".

Attracting special attention this year was the much-anticipated 2010 vintage, whose quality has been rated very positively by the experts.

Argentina, California, Chile, South Africa and New Zealand presented a promotional programme called "Down to Earth", and California had its own "Gourmet Ghetto" sessions on wine-and-food pairing.

Host Germany filled two large halls. The German Wine Institute showcased "the Pinot Trio" - Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir - the three major grape varietals grown along the Rhein River. VDP Die Praedikatsweingueter hosted a tasting of German Grand Cru from 1990 to 2002.

Italy's economic crisis trimmed its usually full agenda of seminars, but it held a tasting of Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico and promoted Sangiovese grapes and wines from Tuscany, Veneto and Sicily.

France maintained its stature as the world leader with black-glasses "blind dates" with wines from its southwest presented by sensory expert and tastings of matched wine and food from Alsace, Loire and Cote du Rhone.

The seminars were both in German and English. The only difficulty was in choosing among so many interesting events - there were around 200 seminars alone - held back to back every half an hour, more than three at the same time.
And there were six halls to explore, which required considerable physical strength.

ProWein in fact covers all alcoholic beverages, from French cognac and Japanese sake to premium rum from Costa Rica. "Culinary Cocktails" was a presentation of new trends in mixology, often mingling classic and modern variations with international cuisine.
Hall 6 was devoted to "Wine's Best Friends", in which 30 exhibitors presented select delicacies that particularly complement wines and spirits. Wines from Portugal, Germany's Rheingau region and France's Loire Valley and Alsace were among those on offer.
Among the discussions, the hot topic this year was the global trend toward sustainability and organic wine growing. In addition to the many producers cultivating according to such principles, there were umbrella associations and institutions such as Demeter and the German Institute for Sustainable Development.

Demand for organic wines has risen a great deal in the US, Asia and obviously Europe, especially the Benelux countries and Scandinavia.

Visitors could also sign up for "ProWein Goes City", evening excursions to Dsseldorf restaurants, hotels and wine-spirits merchants.

It took less than 30 minutes to get downtown by train, and the rides were free to anyone with a registration card.
The verdict for this year's exhibition was both thumbs up.
"We are delighted with an extremely successful event," said Hans Werner Reinhard, who helps run the venue, Messe Dsseldorf. "Our expectations were even exceeded, and ProWein 2011 went splendidly. It's the perfect meeting point for the sector to showcase trends and innovations, to discover and discuss."

Next time!

Make plans now for ProWein 2012 next March 4 to 6 and ProWein 2013, already scheduled for March 24 to 26.
Contact Messe Dsseldorf ProWein via Florence Schellberg at SchellbergF@messe-duesseldorf.de or Corinna Kuhn at KuhnC@messe-duesseldorf.de.