Paris Can’t Wait! Wine Paris 2025 preview

Kicking off the 2025 drinks trade show calendar in style, Wine Paris returns to the City of Light in February with its biggest show to date. Lucy Shaw caught up with Vinexposium’s CEO, Rodolphe Lameyse, to find out what’s in store

Against a turbulent backdrop of geopolitical, economic and environmental instability, the need for the drinks industry to rally together and strengthen its ties has never been greater. Now in its sixth year, Wine Paris provides the perfect platform for engagement, and a place for thought leaders to propose practical solutions to the myriad challenges the industry is facing. Taking place from 10-12 February at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Wine Paris is set to welcome 4,600 exhibitors from 50 countries. Visitor numbers are also on the up, with 50,000 trade professionals from 140 countries due to descend on Paris for the event.

The latest iteration of Wine Paris will be its most international yet, with Germany increasing its floor space by +65%, Italy by +50%, and Spain by +40%, while the 2025 show will welcome international pavilions from New World heavyweights South Africa, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Australia, which is increasing its exhibition space four-fold next year. Vinexposium’s CEO, Rodolphe Lameyse, believes that with budgets becoming increasingly tight, producers and distributors are being forced to choose between trade fairs, and people are prioritising Paris.

“We’ve worked hard to make Paris the global nexus for the wine industry,” he says. “The industry is facing strong headwinds, and we’re not growing as a show because the industry is growing: we’re gaining market share from the competition as producers only have the budget to attend one major wine show in Europe and they’re choosing Paris.” While Lameyse is delighted that’s the case, it ramps up the pressure to succeed. “I’m a big fan of ABBA and I think the winner takes it all, but it means that we have to double down on our efforts so people are happy that they chose Paris.”

Lameyse believes the event has become a must in the drinks trade calendar for a number of reasons, from its early timing to Paris’s abundance of direct flights. “It has become the wine show that buyers are flocking to now due to its easy access,” he says. So much so, that Chinese wineries will be increasing their presence by 60% in 2025 in a bid to grow their international footprint. “The wine output from China is becoming increasingly high quality, and with this comes growing confidence and a desire to export their wines outside of the domestic market, so participation numbers are mirroring that trend,” Lameyse notes.

Another key trend that Wine Paris is at the forefront of is the nolo boom, with the floor space dedicated to no- and low-alcohol producers doubling next year. “There’s a real appetite for nolo products right now,” says Lameyse. “A number of Bordeaux producers have been investing significantly in de-alcoholising their wines, and Moët Hennessy recently bought a minority stake in alcohol-free sparkling wine brand French Bloom, so it will be interesting to see how the trend plays out. The nolo segment is a supplement to wine at the moment, but it provides a great opportunity to bring new consumers into the category. Any innovations that help to make wine more fashionable to consumers need to be embraced.”

With French drinks representing 60% of the floor space at Wine Paris 2025, big names will be in attendance, from Bollinger and Lanson to Chapoutier and Guigal. On the spirits side, French whisky will be highlighted at the BeSpirits ‘show within a show’, where over 200 producers will be showcasing their wares. Homegrown classics from Cognac to Calvados will be on pour alongside international spirits such as baijiu, soju, sake and umeshu. If you’re keen to try cutting-edge cocktails, head to the 40 metre long Infinite Bar where leading mixologists from around the globe will be causing a stir with their quirky creations.

Hot topics from sustainability and climate change to the impact of current geopolitical issues on the drinks industry will be tackled at a series of talks during the three-day event, which will include insights from over 250 speakers at the Wine Paris Academy. The V d’Or Awards will be back with a bang in 2025, and will see the best sustainability and CSR initiatives across the industry being recognised and rewarded. While Lameyse is candid about the fact that times are tough for the drinks trade right now, he believes the current situation has created opportunities for those willing to seize them. “It’s a glass half full or empty situation. You can’t sit in your office waiting for better days; you have to go out and fight for them.”

Ever the optimist, Lameyse believes Wine Paris can serve as a catalyst for positive change in the industry through the sharing of knowledge and best practice, and combining of strengths. “The pandemic proved how important face to face events are in the drinks trade, and it all comes down to sharing, be that knowledge or stories about what makes your wine or spirit unique,” he says. “On a practical level I want people to leave the show with full purchase orders. On a personal level, I want to give people hope. The number of wine drinkers around the world may be decreasing, but that doesn’t stop it from being a fantastic product that can never be replaced. Wine is special: it brings people together, and in working in the industry, we are all playing our part in delivering joy to people. We should never forget that.”