Optimistic bulk wine market heads for Amsterdam at WBWE
By Richard Siddle
Amsterdam is inextricably linked to alcohol. Did yo know it got its name from the Amstel river that runs through it? Well, for the next few days they could quite as easily replace the water in that river with wine as the world of bulk wine descends on the city for what is going to be the 10th version of the World Bulk Wine Exhibition.
The major story from last year’s show was the lack of wine around to actually buy. The event might claim that around 75% to 80% of the word’s supply of bulk wine is available to buy and trade, but last year there were more buyers than sellers and the lack of supply from the world’s smallest harvest since the early 1960s meant many went home if not empty handed then certainly without the levels of supply they came for.
This year will be different. Very different. With global harvests returning to normal, or above average in most of the major bulk wine producing countries there should be good deals to be done, that leaves producers and brokers on one side of the fence happy, and enough slack and volume in the supply chain to allow canny buyers to be able to come and get what they need.
Either way if you are not in Amsterdam you won’t be able to do any business. There was much talk last year of the major retail buyers that did not attend the show, thinking the market would come to them, when the reality meant a lot missed out.
It is doubtful they will make the same mistake again and will no doubt be part of the 6,000 plus buyers expected from 60 different countries who will have the chance to do business with 600 wineries and brokers covering 22 countries.
The good news for buyers is that with buoyant European harvests and crucially vintages in Spain, France and Italy all on course to be on average or above, there will be the opportunity to look to squeeze prices from the highs being asked in 2017.
Quite how far producers will be willing to go remains to be seen but a weakening is expected, particularly as South America has also been able to bounce back in 2018 and take Australia and New Zealand with it.
It might also prove to be a more demanding show for producers across Eastern Europe who were very much the stars of the 2017 event as they were some of the few countries with volumes to buy and trade in. The same is the case this year, but they will have to come to Amsterdam with the expectation of lowering prices from 12 months ago.
Debates and panels
The show is not just about what happens on the trading and exhibition floor. In recent years the exhibition has grown to become an important wine event in its own right, particularly around addressing many of the logistical, supply chain, environmental and climate change issues that the international wine market is having to grapple with.
The separate conference programme is certainly worth planning your time around.
Key topics to be covered nclude opportunities in the growing bag-in-box market, how to do business in Scandinavia, the impact of climate change on vineyard management, the consumer trends that are driving the US wine market, where are the new business opportunities for bulk wine and separate sessions analysing the opportunities in Japan and South East Asia. There will also be a focus on resistant varieties in the Languedoc and the role of oak protection with bulk wine.
As are the specialist sessions that take a close look at bulk winemaking and in particular the role of blends and blending in the appropriately named “The Art Of Blending” sessions.
This is an intensive workshop held over the two days of the show and includes 16 speakers covering both oenologists and winemakers, but also buyers and those tasked with making the blends work commercially. Jo Ahearne MW who has extensive experience of working on creating own label brands for major supermarkets in the UK will share here advice on how to successfully blend wines for your target market;
Sergio Correa will be looking at how to make the most of Chilean wines as blends; whilst Cristina Pandolfi will do the same for Argentine wines; Gernot Limbach will look at blends in sparkling wine; Deborah Parker Wong will look at the kind of blended wines demanded by the US market. Elizabeth Gabay MW will take a close look at the possibilities with rosé wine. You can find a full programme of talks at www.blendingwine.com.
There will also be a special area for Vine Research & Innovation that will look to promote the actions being taken around the world to introduce better environmentally friendly and sustainable practices in vineyards.
The event will also see the International Bulk Wine Competition taking place with expert panels assessing bulk wine samples from around the world across a number of categories. The finalists and winners will be showcased within a special tasting at the event.
Members of the WBWE’s Bulk Wine Club will also be able to take part in key networking events during the show.
The Basics:
The World Bulk Wine Exhibition
- the exhibition takes place between November 26-27
- Amsterdam RAI Hall 2 & 3, Europaplein 22, 1078 GZ Amsterdam
- Opening hours are 10am-6pm on both days.
- You can register and find out more at worldbulkwine.com