VINEXPO wines and spirits update 2004.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a sneak preview in New York, of the VINEXPO AMERICAS exhibition that will be held in Chicago, in June 2004. First, I should explain that VINEXPO is the International Wine and Spirits Exhibition. The Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Industry created the exhibition in 1981 in Bordeaux, France. Since that time, every other year the exhibition is held in Bordeaux and has evolved into the leading event for international professionals in the wine and spirits industry. In 2003, 2,322 exhibitors from 47 countries, and 47,282 visitors from 143 countries attended the exhibition. In 2002, VINEXPO AMERICAS made its debut in New York, and Luxury Experience was there, along with 10,128 trade professionals who attended this event. After such a successful U.S. launch, it was decided to hold this year’s exhibition in Chicago. I learned many interesting facts and figures during the sneak preview that I thought I would pass on to Luxury Experience readers.

In the Global Spirits Market, the following spirits are the top contenders as favorites:

Country’s National Spirit (i.e. Japan – Sake), Vodka, Rum, Brandy, Scotch, Liquors, Gin, Bourbon/US Whiskey, Tequila, and Cognac/Armagnac.

The top 10 producers of wine are: France, Italy, Spain, US, Argentina, Australia, Germany, South Africa, Portugal, and Chile.

The top 5 wine exporting countries are: Italy, France, Spain, Australia, and Chile.

The top 5 wine importing countries are: UK, US, Germany, Japan and Netherlands.

The top 10 consumers of light still wine are: France, Italy, Germany, US, Argentina, Spain, UK, Romania, Portugal and Japan.

The top 10 sparkling wine consumption countries are: Germany, France, US, Russia, Italy, Spain, UK, Poland, Australia, and Hungary.

The top 5 suppliers of still light and sparkling wines to the U.S. market are: Italy, Australia,

France, Chile, and Spain.

The top 5 destinations of U.S. wines: UK, Netherlands, Canada, Japan and Belgium.

VINEXPO AMERICAS also shared its results from a study conducted in December 2003 by Harris Interactive, where Harris Interactive conducted online interviews with 1,143 Americans. The following are a few of their findings.

Which types of wine do they most prefer?

Red Wine                   Males  57%     Females  31%

White Wine                Males  27%     Females  33%

Sparkling Wine          Males  6%       Females  18%

The top 3 occasions they bring a bottle of wine as a gift:

Dinner at a friend’s                 78%

Christmas                                54%

Anniversary                             48%

When asked if they were likely to buy a lot of wine at once and store it:

Agree                                       27%

Disagree                                  73%

How do you determine what type of wine to serve to friends and family? (Multiple responses allowed).

Based on personal taste           69%

Recommendation                     50%

Based on brand and/or            29%

Vineyard reputation

I hope that you enjoyed reading about what the trends are in the wine and spirits market. However, whatever your preference for wines or spirits is, relax, enjoy and savor your moment at the end of the day. To learn more about VINEXPO AMERICAS, please go to www.vinexpo.com.