The first day of Wine Paris 2025 highlights a strong presence of European and North American buyers, while Asian attendance remains low. Concerns emerge about a stagnating wine market, shifting trade fair dynamics, and stricter road safety laws affecting consumption. The article explores key insights from exhibitors, organizers, and buyers shaping the industry’s future.
The first day of Wine Paris 2025 confirms what I had predicted in the article introducing this edition of the Parisian event—titled “The (perhaps too high) high expectations of Italians for Wine Paris 2025“—that is, high expectations from Italian exhibitors hoping to find in France what they haven’t found in recent editions of Prowein in Düsseldorf.
Walking through the corridors of the Porte de Versailles fairgrounds felt like being at Vinitaly, given the massive presence of Italian wine producers and managers representing nearly all the major companies from our country.
We will take stock at the end of the event, but this first day has already given us some interesting insights, some expected and others less so.
Among the more expected ones were the “complaints” (though few, to be fair) from those who arrived at the fair in Paris without any scheduled appointments, hoping to “randomly” intercept some buyers. It may seem absurd, but some companies still hold on to such hopes.
Also expected was the joy of being in Paris instead of Düsseldorf, especially for those who took advantage of the fair to bring along some family members, allowing them to enjoy the Ville Lumière.
But let’s move on to the unexpected aspects; among them, the most significant is the comment from several buyers, even European ones, who declared they will not attend Prowein. For them, Wine Paris will be their exclusive reference event for wine fairs, alongside Vinitaly for those specializing in Italian wines.
The next edition of Prowein will therefore be an important test to verify the new balance within the wine trade fair system.
Another less expected aspect is the reduced presence of Asian buyers, which in some way confirms the ongoing crisis in Asian markets, China being the most notable but not the only one. Meanwhile, North American buyers seem to be present in good numbers, though we will have a clearer picture in the coming days.
During the presentation of the fair, the organizers were enthusiastic, highlighting the participation of about 5,300 exhibitors and, most importantly, forecasting an attendance of over 50,000 visitors from 143 different countries.
In fact, Wine Paris is quickly approaching the record numbers of Prowein’s pre-pandemic editions, where the Düsseldorf fair hosted over 6,000 exhibitors.
If what was stated in Paris turns out to be true, Prowein is heading towards a significant reduction, with the absence of important players that had always attended the German event.
This first day, unsurprisingly, saw the French area in full splendor, as Paris strives to present its best image. However, there was also a great crowd in Hall 4, which houses most international exhibitors (USA, Australia, Chile, Argentina, etc.), except for Italy, which alone fills Hall 6 with around 1,200 exhibitors.
Among the most relevant topics of this first day was the concern over declining wine consumption and, above all, the fear that stricter road safety regulations (with increasingly severe penalties) could deliver a serious blow to the sector. The latest data from FIPE in recent days do not offer much reassurance.
Most producers interviewed on this first day are aware that the buyers they will meet are not looking for “something new” but rather for a brand within a given denomination to replace another.
More and more, our wine sector, even from an international perspective, shares the perception of a market that is evolving but not necessarily expanding.
Honestly, and this is a purely personal opinion, it is difficult to clearly understand how the wine market is evolving when viewed solely from the perspective of industry insiders—the usual suspects, myself included.
It would be great if major events like Wine Paris could offer us a broader vision and deeper analysis of larger consumer segments.
The risk is to accept the inevitable downsizing of wine markets and, more importantly, fail to identify new strategies to expand them.
It won’t be easy, but it would be valuable if, at global industry events like Wine Paris, we could take home not just some new buyers (which would already be significant), but also a perspective for the future and a few more actionable ideas.
Key points
- European and North American buyers dominate Wine Paris 2025, while Asian presence is notably low.
- Some buyers now prefer Wine Paris over Prowein, shifting the trade fair landscape.
- Stricter road safety laws could negatively impact wine consumption trends.
- Exhibitors report that buyers seek replacements, not new brands, indicating a stagnant market.
- Wine industry professionals call for broader consumer insights beyond trade fair observations.
