ON THE ROAD | Paul Richards at Wine Paris
The trade show Wine Paris has become a fixture in the wine industry calendar each February. But what actually happens across the vast expanses of the cavernous exhibition halls? Global Head of Wine and Spirits Purchasing Paul Richards, part of the 67 delegation at this year’s event, reports back…
Each February, the wine trade descends on Paris for what has become the leading trade show for the fine-wine world. It’s absolutely huge – spread over three levels in what feels like a concert venue – plus a separate hall for spirits and one the size of Kensington Olympia dedicated solely to low-and-no drinks (which, you’ll be relieved to hear, I didn’t set foot in once over the entire three days).
Most of the stands are taken by producers, distributors, negociants, generic bodies, all there to pour wines, make contacts and connect with customers from around the world. Plus there are countless seminars and masterclasses on all sort of topics – I believe Kylie Minogue even presented one (though sadly I didn’t make that, either).
There’s a very strong international presence, so it's really useful in terms of actually talking to producers in real life rather than on email. 67 was there in full force – I was with CEO and Founder Grant Ashton; Head of Wine Europe Kathrine Larsen-Robert MS; and Investor Relations Manager Chris Myers. It's about connecting with suppliers, strengthening relationships with trade Members and investors, and uncovering new opportunities, notably ahead of our Bordeaux Club opening (most of the entirety of one floor was taken up with Bordeaux negoçiants, so there were plenty of options for filling the Club's burgeoning wine tower…)
To an extent, we're also there to sell the Club – sowing seeds for masterclasses with big-name winemakers or trips to top-end producers. But of course, we’re a target too – as soon as you register for the event, your name becomes visible to all those attending, and you're bombarded with requests to meet. Some of these are useful, while others are more along the lines of, ‘Oh, you must meet my cousin – he’s got a barrel of natural wine to sell…’
I’m not so much actively looking for new wines, but it happens almost by accident as you wander around and bump into people you haven't seen for a while. So I literally bumped into Charlie Matthews [export manager for Opus One] coming out of the bathroom, and he said, ‘You need to try this,’ and dragged me to a producer I didn’t previously know.
Beyond the exhibition halls, the evenings are just as busy – if a touch more glamorous. We enjoyed soirées hosted by our friends at Château Beauséjour, Château Lafite-Rothschild and Bodega Catena Zapata, whose powerhouse sisters Laura and Adriana Catena presented a masterclass of older wines back to 1994. And there was an equally spectacular gathering of the 12 producers who make up the Primum Familiae Vini, the family producer association spanning Torres to Antinori, Hugel to Perrin, and hosted this year by Château Haut-Brion’s Prince Robert of Luxembourg at the Grand Palais. Then it was off to the Automobile Club de France at Place de la Concorde for the Tour De France Des Appellations party jointly hosted by the longstanding family friends behind Pol Roger, Olivier Leflaive, Domaine de Chevalier and Domaine Faiveley – the ‘86 Chevalier in six-litre format was my abiding memory there.
I’m not expecting much sympathy, but such a schedule does take it out on you – especially when you don’t tend to eat all day long. By the final night, I was overloading on canapés and the delicious apple juice made by Provence rosé brand Château d’Astros.
Overall, the event had a positive vibe. Whereas last year the market was pretty depressed and buyers were exercising a fair degree of caution, this year there was more optimism and energy, and a tangible sense of confidence slowly returning to the wine-buying world. The US is still a tough market, though – both for those exporting to the country, given the tariffs, and those trying to sell US wines in Europe, given the political situation. I fear that not even Grant has the clout to sort that situation out…
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