Wine Australia returned to Germany this week for the world’s biggest trade fair for the wine and spirits industry ProWein Düsseldorf, bringing 70 Australian winery representatives and a diverse line-up of more than 350 wines.
The Australian wine stand is a firm fixture at the three-day business-to-business fair and a critical opportunity for Australian wineries to connect with international trade visitors, such as major buyers from the UK, Europe, USA, Canada and Asia. This year, 47,000 visitors from 135 countries attended the fair over the three days.
The Australian wine showcase featured 20 winery and regional booths, and an education area packed with 500 attendees for the 15 masterclasses covering numerous topics, including:
- sparkling wines from the Adelaide Hills
- surprises from the Riverland
- cool climate Tasmania
- organic wines
- Cabernet Sauvignon icons
- Margaret River Chardonnay, and
- gems from Great Southern.
Onsite at the trade fair, Wine Australia CEO Martin Cole said, “ProWein is one of the world’s biggest global wine trade fairs, and it was great to see a team Australia approach – both with the wineries on our stand and those surrounding our stand. It was clear that many of them had busy and productive meetings and I have no doubt that they left a lasting impression on trade.”
Among the wine exhibitors and trade attendees were:
- Wine Victoria CEO Stephanie Duboudin who said, “It was a great year at ProWein, with a lot of interesting meetings and tastings with buyers from across Europe, Asia, Middle East and the US. The Victorian masterclass generated a lot of interest and was a great opportunity to showcase the diversity of wines we produce across the state.”
- Head of Global Sales at Burge Family Wine Estates Colm Mooney who said, “It’s my 18th ProWein and another great show. Our diary was full with 30 pre-booked meetings before the fair kicked off and I’m confident that we’ll get some solid commercial outcomes.”
- Freelance wine educator and writer Dr Nicolas Dilger who said, “The masterclasses on the Australian wine stand were the best masterclasses in the fair. They brought to life the vibrant personalities behind the wines and the country’s unique regions and showcased the quality and sheer diversity of Australian wine.”
The full list of exhibitors and a floor plan is available on Wine Australia’s revamped digital platform Australian Wine Connect:
