An exploratory group from the Portuguese Ministry of the Environment has just visited Szechwan province in south-west China in order to study the feasibility of planting cork oak there and developing a cork production industry with local partners. The Portuguese company Vinocor already has installations in China in the Shandong coastal province, the main wine producing area. (Source VSB)

Per capita wine consumption reached record levels in Germany at 20.6 litres over the last 12 months, which represents an increase of half a litre per person. 80% of these volumes is sold in retail outlets and hypermarkets, while the remaining 20% is commercialised through on-trade channels. The consumption of sparkling wines, however, remains unchanged at around 3.7 litres per person. These figures position Germany 4^th of the top consuming markets in the world. France continues to lead the field with 33 million hectolitres consumed, followed by Italy and the US (source Vinexpo / The IWSR).

To publicise the event with visitors from the Asia-Pacific region, Vinexpo has already embarked on a large-scale promotional campaign. The objective is to attract 7,500 to 8,000 Asian visitors, all of whom are professionals, including importers, wholesalers, super- and hypermarket purchasers, duty-free purchasers, retailers, food & beverage managers, sommeliers and restaurateurs. Vinexpo Overseas President Dominique Hériard Dubreuil and General Executive Robert Beynat have already headed up 5 promotional conferences in Tokyo, Taipei, Seoul, Shanghai and Peking, bringing together more than 420 industry professionals and journalists.

30,000 brochures have been sent to professionals in Hong Kong, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. This promotional campaign is based on the forward-looking analysis of wine and spirits onsumption and production throughout the world, that Vinexpo has commissioned for fourteen years from international consultant The IWSR. (Source : Vinexpo)

A budget of 113 million euros has been allocated from now until 2010 by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture to promote Spain’s wine growing industry. The objective is become the world’s leading wine producer. At the same time, France invents the pregnant woman logo on labels and finances campaigns referring to wine as a product that is harmful for health! (Source: Revue du vin de France)

The Financial Secretary of Hong Kong has just proposed today to exempt the duties on wine, beer and all other alcoholic beverages except spirits with immediate effect. Vinexpo, who has advocated such a reduction for many years, is delighted with this decision. Having negotiated an exemption from customs duties for its exhibitors during Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2006 in Hong Kong, Vinexpo joined and supported the Hong Kong Wine and Spirits Industry Coalition which has led an active lobbying campaign in favour of a reduction in customs charges (Source Vinexpo).

Just three months before the International Wine and Spirits Exhibition opens its doors, Vinexpo’s Technical Manager and architect Pauline Mercier travelled to Hong Kong to check the building of Vinexpo stands (turnkey solutions designed to meet exhibitors’ needs and erected on site by our teams) and make sure that the services provided by our partners are of reliable quality. Meetings were also planned with representatives of the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre to take final decisions on the general fittings and decoration of the exhibition, and agree on the stand erection and dismantling schedule. (Source Vinexpo)

ASC, the leading importer in China, has just opened its “Wine Residence” in Shanghai, a luxurious wine centre consisting of 180 fully equipped cellars that will be rented out to private customers in which they can keep their best wines. The centre also includes tasting rooms, a library, a museum and a retail outlet, where ASC will always have available a range of 2,000 wines worth $1.5 million. The “Wine Residence” should also host training courses and introductions to wine run by the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET). (Source : VSB)