Record Aussie showing at ProWein 2013

A record Australian attendance at ProWein this year, including 26 wineries on the Wine Australia stand, has cemented the show as the leading trade fair in the global market.

The largest Australian attendance coincides with the show increasing to 4,783 total exhibitors, which has resulted in two additional halls being opened for this year's event to cope with the additional demand.

In addition to large individual stands from Australian wineries including De Bortoli, Treasury Wine Estates, Warburn Estate, Kingston Estate, Cumulus, Grant Burge and Accolade Wines, Wine Australia organized 26 wineries to exhibit together under the organisation’s banner.

“We could have sold the spots on the ProWein stand twice over,” Wine Australia regional manager, John McDonnell, told TheShout.

“We could possibly be twice the size next year,” he said.

The 26 companies on the Wine Australia group stand include: Australian Vintage, Belvedere Winery, Brown Brothers, Brothers in Arms, Elderton, First Drop Wines, Fox Creek Wines, Gatt Wines, Gemtree Vineyards, Henry’s Drive Vignerons, Hither & Yon, Independent Fine Wine Growers Australia, Jacob’s Creek, Langmeil, Kangarilla Road, McWilliam’s Wines, Mitolo Wines, Possums McLaren Vineyards, Quarisa Wines, Robert Oatley Vineyards, Shingleback Wine, Step Rd, Wakefield, Wirra Wirra Vineyards and Yalumba.

“With triple the space from last year and an enthusiasm to match, we are pleased to have over two dozen different companies collected together on our stand, between them representing regions as diverse as the Hunter Valley in New South Wales to Beechworth and the Yarra Valley in Victoria and with an array of great producers from the Barossa, Eden Valley, Clare Valley and McLaren Vale amongst others from South Australia,” said Wine Australia director – UK, Ireland and Europe, Yvonne May.

“As a producing nation, Australia is responsible for just four per cent of the world’s wine – which is about the same amount as Bordeaux – but as a land mass it’s not dissimilar to the entirety of continental Europe and has a breadth and depth of wines to match. We have some of the oldest vines in the world and a heritage of winemaking that dates back 150 years,” she said.

Source: The Shout, 25 March 2013