As Spain allocates 13 million euros to promote wines and in the US, consumers still refer excitedly to the French Paradox, France remains incapable of defending the message that drinking wisely is part of wise living.

Yet moderate, responsible wine drinking, far from threatening health, helps combat alcoholism and turns wine into a cultural, business and social vehicle that is distinct to each producing country. (Source: Vinexpo)

The first Chinese Tesco Express opened in Shanghai in February. More outlets in the same format are expected to follow in the main Chinese towns throughout 2008. Tesco already runs 50 hypermarkets in China as a joint venture with a local group Tin Cao. The giant British operator intends to dedicate a budget of around £300 million every 12 months to fund its expansion in China over the coming years (source: VSB).

In February, the Paris Appeal Court supported the ban on web-based advertising related to alcoholic beverages resulting from a first case lost by Heineken in a lower court. Heineken Entreprise points out that “its site only presents its complete product range while respecting the limits imposed by the French “Evin” law. The law was however passed  in 1991, when commercial websites did not exist. “Such court decisions clearly go beyond the original intentions of law makers”, observed Entreprise & Prevention. “They again raise the question of the right to take court proceedings given by the government to an organisation, whose goal is not to serve the common interest, but its own agenda, which as we see here, consists of adopting an increasingly more radical moralistic and prohibitionist standpoint”. (Source: Décision Boissons)

Since 2001, wine production has been progressing regularly in Israel, which now has almost 130 wineries. Wine turnover here is estimated to represent around $140 million (€95 million), including $21 million (€14 million) in export sales, a market that grew by 42% between 2006 and 2007. The trend should continue, because Robert Parker tasted Israeli wines for the first time in December 2007 and awarded scores higher than 90 to 14 of them. (Source: VSB)

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)