Otilia Romero de Condés, general director of the World Bulk Wine Exhibition that will hold its 5thEdition on the coming 25thand 26thof November in Amsterdam, pointed out in an interview that “the international Meeting for Large Volumes will increase commercial transactions in a crucial year for the sector”.
Particularly conscious of the current situation in the sector, Romero de Condés understands the existing concerns among some Spanish wine-producers, because although everything indicates that the harvest will be quite big, at the same time she considers that “purchasers and sellers are the ones who have to work in order to fix a price that will satisfy everybody. The main objective of the World Bulk Wine Exhibition is to function as a meeting platform”.
During her interview she also commented on the global harvest forecasts made public by Federico Castellucci, general director of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), which establishes the harvest at 281 millions of hectoliters, similar to 2006, and which represents an increase of more than 8% compared to 2012. However, the total amount barely tops the quantity of a normal harvest by 2.5%.
If the forecasts are correct, Italy will produce 2% more than in 2012, with 45 million hectoliters; France 7% more with 44 million hectoliters and Spain more than 40 million hectoliters, exclusive of grape-juice and other derived products. According to Romero de Condés, the figures Castellucci suggests are a good starting point to sell well. Even more so if we take into account that the report notices that bulk wines will gradually regain their place back on the markets after last season’s poor harvest.
The WBWE general manager thinks that exhibitors should bring their best products to Amsterdam and that they should foster the selling of the added value sections, such as the wines with varietal appellation or with geographic indication or those with bag-in-box packaging, “because that will open the doors to the majority of the wine sector”.
Romero de Condés remarks that “while France, Italy and Spain have extensive experience in the bulk wine market where they commercialize great quality wines, we cannot forget the selling power of countries of the New World such as Chile or Argentina, both very competitive in terms of quality and price. Just like other countries that sell their productions at high prices such as Australia or New Zealand, or those who rely on the bag-in-box concept as generator of a higher added value, like South Africa and some Uruguayan producers”.
World forecasts predict a significant increase in Romania that will reach six million hectoliters, 79% more compared to 2012. According to the OIV, Chile will break a new record with nearly 13 million hectoliters, Argentina that has vinified more than 15 million and the United States that will exceed 22 million hectoliters.
According to Romero de Condés, these numbers demonstrate the need to be competitive and to display one’s best at events such as the WBWE. Furthermore, these numbers are confirmed by the 13.5 million hectoliters produced by Australia and the 2.5 million hectoliters produced by New Zealand.
Just like Castellucci, Romero de Condés considers that there are new prospecting market niches, which have to be explored by wine sellers, “all the more so if we take into account that we have just gone through a year with a low production and that in some cases, potential customers have been left, without supplies”.
WORLD BULK WINE EXHIBITION
The World Bulk Wine Exhibition offers an exclusive place to show and discover the best bulk wines worldwide, just after the end of the grape harvest.
During the past edition, the World Bulk Wine Exhibition brought together 130 producer companies from 11 different countries and, during only two days, they had the possibility of presenting their products to more than a thousand buyers and 4000 visitors who came from more than 40 different countries. In short: an acquisition capacity of nearly 20 million hectoliters.
The 5thedition of theWorld Bulk Wine Exhibition will be held on the coming 25thand 26thof November at the Amsterdam RAI.
MORE INFORMATION
Cristina Villar Miranda
press@worldbulkwine.com
686702587
www.worldbulkwine.com
