ProWein 2024: Three Days of Wine & Spirits Jam

During these super busy three days of the leading trade fair for the wine and spirits industry, Düsseldorf transforms into the Wine & Spirits capital for those immersed in this international business scene. So, despite a rail strike disrupting many visitors’ plans on the final day, ProWein celebrated its 30th anniversary with an impressive turnout.

Due to the rather noticeable overlap in time with the global forum in Paris – Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris – on the sidelines of ProWein one could hear the desire of some participants to compare the growing French hub with the Dusseldorf patriarch. And yet, despite the attractiveness of the French location and the large-scale efforts of the Parisians, the experience won and Dusseldorf at the anniversary event, despite the impact of the pandemic in previous years, once again demonstrated numbers worthy of the world leader of wine expositions. A total of 47,000 registered trade visitors from 135 countries and 5,400 exhibitors from 65 countries contributed to the event’s success.

The high ratings from visitors for the exhibited ranges created a positive atmosphere throughout the exhibition halls from 1 till 17!!! Trust us, it takes significant endurance to navigate through this expansive exhibition space multiple times a day, engaging with partners, negotiating new collaborations, attend bright events, and meticulously preparing for presentations and tastings – The Wine Travel Awards Tasting Around the Sustainable World.

Director Peter Schmitz comments on the success of ProWein, stating, “No other trade fair offers as wide a range as ProWein. All international wine-growing regions are represented in Düsseldorf. We are delighted to not only register top quality on the exhibitors’ part but also see top-notch people travel to Düsseldorf from all over the world, including an increased number of executives with decision-making powers.”

Indeed, we can confirm this truth firsthand, witnessing the bustling negotiations at the booths and engaging in conversations with the attendees. Additionally, the organizers provided us with feedback on the distribution of our publications. It’s evident that all these esteemed guests had the opportunity in all these business platforms to get acquainted with two print editions of Drinks+ Media Group:

The Wine Travel Awards Guide 2022-2023: the final catalogue of the WTA community members, that aims to showcase during the awards year the most dynamic and inventive wine and spirit businesses, brands, personalities, and projects participating in the second edition of the Wine Travel Awards.

Drinks+ magazine edition specifically about the Ukrainian market during the war time. Through this issue, our publishing house aimed to shed light on the unwavering spirit of Ukrainian winemakers, sommeliers, distributors, and all individuals in peaceful professions. Despite the challenges of vineyard shelling, enterprise destruction, and loss of lives, they persist in upholding the economy of both the industry and the nation.

These print editions were represented at the ProWein International Trade Press Stand as well as on the Digital Trade Press Stand – an online platform by Messe Düsseldorf, enhancing its visibility through integration with the ProWein Web Portal.

As well as had the opportunity to visit the esteemed yet intimate affair, The Wine Travel Awards Tasting Around the Sustainable World, called Weinland at ProWein Forum, to taste a meticulously curated selection of truly exceptional beverages, each imbued with the unique characteristics of its birthplace, discover the rich tapestry of the wine world.

ProWein 2024: What’s Fresh?

ProWein Expands its Offerings to Include ProSpirits for the First Time.

This year, ProWein reached a new milestone with the introduction and featuring an impressive and expansive showcase of ProSpirits, a dedicated brand world for spirits. Hall 5 showcased spirits, a segment with significant potential, alongside the Trend Show “same but different” for the urban bar scene. With 420 exhibitors from 40 countries occupying 4,800 square meters of exhibition space, ProSpirits highlighted trends such as brandy, vodka, liqueurs, agave spirits, and AI-RTD cocktails. Participants included spirits professionals from various countries, offering a diverse range of products and expertise. The ProSpirits Forum, featuring masterclasses, exhibitor presentations, and tastings, complemented the event.

The Trend Hour Tastings also proved very popular. Here, spirits ambassador Jürgen Deibel, (by the way, nominated for the Wine Travel Awards in the category “Ambassador of the Year” and for which you can vote here , showcased a variety of specialties and rarities, sharing valuable expertise and enjoyment with all attendees. The new concept received positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike, highlighting the significance and potential of the spirits segment at ProWein. Jürgen Deibel comment’s: “ProSpirits was again well organized and the number of people attending the new spirits home in hall 5 was fantastic! I really enjoyed my two sessions on the five trends in spirits! Big compliment goes out to the organizers and their team!”

The Moldova’s first AI Vintage

The Moldova’s first AI Vintage was presented at the ProWein 2024Masterclass moderated by wine connoisseur, Robert Joseph, who is one of our honourable judges at the Wine Travel Awards project. This first AI Red and White wines – a testament to the harmonious blend of Moldova’s rich winemaking tradition and ground-breaking technological advancement. Under the guidance of Chelaris, AI Winemaker, this red and white wine offered a unique insight into the future of viticulture and winemaking, where precision meets passion.

Robert Joseph comments: “Having been involved in this project from the beginning, I’m delighted with how it has turned out and in awe of the collective effort from everyone involved in Moldova. Unlike any other ‘AI-wine’ efforts of which I’m aware, this was not a one-off publicity campaign. It is genuinely an ongoing project bringing together Moldova’s wine and tech sectors with the aim of helping producers to make the best wine possible, with the help of truly useful data, data-anlysis and advice. It is NOT about handing over winemaking or viticulture to computers and robots. It IS about humans working WITH a wide range of tech.

Central market topic: Sustainability

At ProWein 2024, sustainability took center stage, reflecting the industry’s ongoing focus on this crucial topic. International associations and initiatives like Bioland, Demeter, Ecovin, Fair’n Green, Respekt Biodyn, and Vignerons de Nature have long been champions of sustainability at the event. The “Organic World” featuring numerous organic vintners was a key highlight, alongside leading NGOs like the International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) and the Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR), further underscoring the trade fair’s commitment to sustainability.

In addition, Drinks+ Media Group also contributed to the topic of presenting sustainable development in such an important, but still not widespread among professional wine business as Sustainable Wine Tourism. The brilliant performance of Prof. Dr. Gergely Szolnoki from Geisenheim University, the WTA jury for the third year in a row was made in the framework of the presentation and tasting of 5 WTA nominees at ProWein Forum. His lecture concentrated the experience of several years of research and development of 1,500 wineries.

So, despite the fact that the event took place on the last day of the exhibition and against the background of the transporters’ strike, the hall was full. The organizers offered the guests of the event – distributors, wine critics, ambassadors, winemakers and sommeliers – a carefully selected pool of six truly exceptional drinks from five unique regions of the world, each of which was a reflection of the unique characteristics of its birthplace.

At ProWein 2024, several industry trends emerged – the short list.

“ProWein Zero” in Hall 1 focused on “no and low” alcohol options, accompanied by tastings organized by Meininger Verlag.

The “urban gastronomy by #asktoni & ProWein” Lounge targeted young, urban restaurateurs from Germany and beyond.

The “Packaging & Design” special show explored alternative packaging materials beyond glass bottles.

The Concept Store offered insights into wine presentation and marketing at the Point of Sale, covering topics like digital signage, sommelier bot consultations, self-service tastings, and sustainable packaging.

The Champagne Lounge showcased extensive Champagne ranges, drawing significant attention from attendees.

Let’s note a unique project from Valencia – Tarongino. With the help of innovative technologies and great enthusiasm, a few years ago the young generation of the company’s owners launched a very fashionable and truly progressive product on the market – 100% orange wines. As far as we know, this is truly the first orange wine made exclusively from 100% Valencian oranges by Tarongino. It has 7% alcohol, a transparent elegant color and an incredibly fresh taste. We couldn’t resist – and tasted Orange Spritz, Orange Wine, Frizzante Valencian Orange. We admit, it was really a new and incredible experience for us.

ProWein 2024: Iconic Partner Meetings and Tasting Tours

During the three very busy business days at the exhibition, Drinks+ Media Group editors had the chance to connect with partners and nominees of the Wine Travel Awards.

Florence Authier Meuric, a WTA nominee in the Ambassador of the Year category (vote for by March 31 Florence Authier Meuric), organised an exceptional stand at this ProWein 2024. With over 12 years of experience organizing stands at the ProWein trade show in Germany, she brings together multiple producers. Florence offers an “all-inclusive” formula, allowing producers to focus solely on meeting their customers while she takes care of the rest.

It was a delightful encounter at the Bernard Magrez Group stand, where we had the pleasure of conversing with the marketing team and personally greeting Mr. Bernard Magrez. We took the opportunity to present the WTA Guide. It’s worth noting that in 2023, WTA was chosen from among 2,000 startups to join the Bernard Magrez Start-Up Win Incubator. Now, we’re part of a dynamic environment that fosters innovative ideas and projects aimed at advancing the wine industry and wine tourism.

Moreover, we had the opportunity to meet with our longstanding partners, Consorzio dell’ASTI DOCG, and personally introduce the WTA Guide 2022-2023. During this meeting, we engaged in discussions with the consortium’s director, Giacomo Pondini, and the marketing director, Martina Bukavec. We are delighted by this encounter and value our collaborative partnership immensely.

Amidst meetings and and engaging discussions with top brand owners and innovative projects, we carved out time to participate in two exceptional tastings. “Surprising world-class wines from Chateau Purcari”, renowned for their exceptional quality and rich flavors, which are representing a perfect blend of tradition and innovation, moderated by Thomas Brandl, namely Chateau Pourcar has participated in the WTA in previous years, making the meeting quite pleasant.

The second tasting marked by us “The Evolution of Azerbaijani Wine” – an emerging treasure, offering a unique palette of flavors that reflect the country’s rich viticultural heritage and diverse terroirs. Thus it’s always enriching to gain further professional insights from colleagues in the field.

Speaking about the exclusive meetings during the press tour, to which we were invited by the organizers of ProWein, we should note that we received extremely valuable professional and simply pleasant impressions. One highlight was the first day, where we found ourselves enveloped in the enchanting ambiance of a gathering hosted by VDP. Die Prädikatsweingüter & the German Sommelier Union, celebrating the 30th anniversary of ProWein Somm Together. The event, characterized by its relaxed atmosphere and focus on wine, left a lasting impression.

Another exciting and unforgettable event from ProWein Team, organized for the special pull of journalists and guests where the Prosecco DOC Party ‘Sparkling Night’ at the very creative place in Dusseldorf Place to be | Forty Four.

A carefully planned informal meeting with Prosecco DOC management and the ProWein office team highlighted the priority of sparkling wine quality and excellence. After all, the Prosecco DOC label today is a sign of the highest craftsmanship and signals to the buyer that gastronomic pleasure is guaranteed.

The personification of this credo was a very good, refined party led by the management of Prosecco DOC. Once again, we were able to make sure that the northern pearl of the Italian sparkling wine tradition embodies freshness, celebration and versatility in pairing. Made from grapes grown in the picturesque Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, these sparkling wines are renowned for their light, fruity and floral notes, making them perfect for any occasion. From the lively bubbles of the Brut to the sweeter notes of the Extra Dry, Prosecco DOC offers a range of expressions, each promising a delightful experience that captures the spirit of Italian vivacity.

In short, live music, haute cuisine, fine sparkling wines and the relaxed atmosphere of Sparkling Night shone brightly in the ProWein space.

So, let’s stay energized and optimistic to meet again at the fantastic professional showcase of ProWein on 16-18 March, 2025! Cheers!