Millesime Bio turns Montpellier into world's organic-wine capital
Now in its 19th year, Millésime Bio, the international trade show for the organic winegrowing sector, took place from 23 to 25 January 2012 in Montpellier (southern France). The trade show brought together 588 exhibitors from 13 countries, along with 3,360 visitors.
- (1888PressRelease) March 06, 2012 - Now in its 19th year, Millésime Bio, the international trade show for the organic winegrowing sector, took place from 23 to 25 January 2012 in Montpellier (southern France). The trade show brought together 588 exhibitors from 13 countries, along with 3,360 visitors.
The Millésime Bio trade show has confirmed the position it holds as an international trade event of reference for the organic winegrowing sector. As a unique meeting place, both in France and worldwide, now in its 19th year, Millésime Bio welcomed numerous returning exhibitors and visitors between 23 and 25 January of this year, in the southern French city of Montpellier.
Exclusively open to organic-certified wine producers, Millésime Bio brought together 588 exhibitors from 13 countries and 3,360 visitors of 38 different nationalities. Two business conventions - one for organic wine and one for food products - were organised during the trade show by Sud de France Développement, the export-support agency for the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. These conventions attracted buyers from close to 75 companies that work in European and global markets.
While France, Italy and Spain still represented the top three countries of origin among exhibitors, the number of Austrian and German exhibitors increased in 2012 on previous years. Wine traders and producers from Argentina, Egypt, South Africa and the US also returned to Millésime Bio in 2012, demonstrating the loyalty of New World players to the trade show for the third or fourth year running.
The trade's interest in organic wines was confirmed by the higher visitor attendance at the trade show, with 3,360 visitors in 2012, against 3,200 in 2011. This rise in attendance also demonstrates the dynamism of the market for organic wine, against a difficult economic background overall.
Coming in increasing numbers, non-French visitors this year represented 22% of the total, headed by professionals from Benelux countries (close to 17%), Germany (13%), North America (over 12%) and Scandinavia (over 11%). Wine merchants (19%) were the main visitors to the trade show, followed by importers (13%), wine traders (over 10%) and caterers (i.e. the café, hotel and restaurant trade, under 8%).
Among the most interesting aspects of the trade show were the wine-sampling corners. There was an area named Enoteca, which is Italian for 'wine repository', and a Millésime Bio Challenge area. These areas enabled visitors to taste each wine being exhibited, along with the wines that received medals in the latest Millésime Bio Challenge competition.
This year, the trade show also highlighted the know-how and excellence of the organic-wine offer found in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. At the sampling corner for wines labelled Sud de France, a sommelier helped visitors discover a selection of organic Languedoc-Roussillon wines that have been featured in the press or have garnered awards at various world-renowned competitions.
Millésime Bio also promotes dialogue through round tables and theme-specific conferences such as the Professional Meetings about Organic Winegrowing conference. The theme of the conference this year was French Organic Winegrowing within the European Context: Conditions and Prospects.
The growth of the organic-wine market has now become an underlying trend worldwide, as illustrated by the increasing success enjoyed by Millésime Bio, year on year. This trend involves most wine-consuming countries as well as the entire range of distribution channels, including wine merchants, caterers, the mass-retail sector, and specialised networks.
About Millésime Bio
The Millésime Bio trade show was launched in 1993 by a small number of Languedoc-Roussillon winegrowers who organised it to stimulate interest in (and to encourage a constructive dialogue around) organic wine.
The trade show is organised by the Association Interprofessionnelle des Vins Biologiques du Languedoc-Roussillon (AIVB-LR), the trade association for organic-wine producers in Languedoc-Roussillon. Millésime Bio is also supported financially by the European Union.
The 2012 Millésime Bio trade show took place from 23 to 25 January 2012, at the Montpellier Exhibition Centre, in Montpellier (southern France).
For further information, please go to: www.millesime-bio.com
For further information, please contact :
Quote ref. : FTPB3704
Ms Katherine WOODS - Press Officer
UBIFRANCE Press Office in London
Tel: +44 (0) 207 024 3640
katherine.woods ( @ ) ubifrance dot fr
View other press releases at :
http://www.ubifrance.com/uk/
###
space
space
Satisfied Users & 
Approved Press Releases
Print
Email
Report Spam