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Indian importers with Noela Piriz, India Coordinator for Fenavin |
If one were to go by the figures released, Fenavin has been a great success and leaves an enviable record for the organisers. The 70,175 business contacts reportedly made this time were more than three times those of 2005 when 21,369 contacts were made; seven times more than 10,000 developed in the second edition in 2003.
The figures are in line with the growth in the number of exhibitors. With 300 participating in the inaugural edition in 2001, this year's number was about 1000, with about 200 waiting in the wings to participate. Despite the number of pavilions increased to 7 from 6 in the previous edition, all interested wineries could not be accommodated.
'We do not want to compete with any other wine shows. We want to improve the performance of our Spanish wine sector and we are very satisfied,' said Nemesio de Lara,
President of Fenavin, at the concluding ceremony on May 10.'It is only human to compare with other shows, but they should not forget that it is actually good for wine to have more such shows.'
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Nemesio de Lara, President of Fenavin at the concluding ceremony |
'I am happy that the name of our Capital ( Ciudad Real ) of the State (Castilla-La Mancha) has been shown in the best light at this Fair,' he added.
According to sources, the wineries of this region are heavily subsidised for participating in the Show. The region is the biggest in the world in terms of vineyard acreage and currently, is in the grip of excess inventories.
Some exhibitors were not too happy about this arrangement though. They felt that tasting on one-to-one basis brought them closer to the buyer and made it more meaningful. They had a point, but tasting in privacy has merit too. Most of the Indian importers made a judicious use of this facility.
The show had more than its fair share of the parallel activities - a usual feature at such shows. But what was attractive were some unusual topics for the 47 Activities that took place. Many were typical, of course, like The Wine Market in Japan , Globalisation in the World of Wine, The Wine Market in China , The Indian Paradox, Andalucian wines and Tapas and The Vineyard in Castilla La-Mancha.
What seemed like unique or interesting topics included Wine and Women, Wine and Sports, Different Strokes for Different Folks, The Soul of Wine, A matter of Noses etc.
That the Show was extremely well organised, was undeniable. The Business Center which brings in the importers and gets them in touch with the producers was well staffed with English speaking and charming hostesses, on the right side of thirty, ever willing to help the buyers. The courtesy was extended even 188 kms, and 50 minutes away to the North, in Madrid .
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Tasting At Ten : Impressive Wine Gallery with Index Sheet for each wine |
The Wine Gallery, open for professionals daily for four hours, was the highlight of the show. There were 941 wine labels from 375 bodegas that were enough to keep you busy tasting for a month. The specific tasting of wines would give the buyers an idea about the wines before meeting their business contacts.
Comprehensive information on each wine including the grapes, tasting notes, alcohol content (something most wineries avoid releasing even on their tasting notes for inexplicable reasons), price and location of wineries in the Show was outstanding. With a tasting glass and the tasting note book, it could keep you occupied for hours, with nothing else between you and your glass. No wonder, 8000 professionals made use of this Gallery.
The 1157 importers attending the Show were almost three times the 400 or so that were invited last time. The 58,459 visitors were 22,000 more than the previous editions.
The statistics do not reflect the absence of many of the known biggies who prefer to exhibit at the biannually held Vinexpo in Bordeaux (17-21 June). Their logic apparently is that both the international and domestic buyers are at Vinexpo, who otherwise might ight not come only for Spanish wines which this show showcases exclusively.
For instance, Torres, the only recognised global brand from Europe, which has a strong presence in Vinexpo, Alimentaria in Barcelona and even Vinoelite in Valencia (as a member of the participating PFV) was conspicuous by its absence at the Fair.
Indian importers were invited for the first time to this Show. ' India has become a very attractive market for the Spanish producers,' said Patricia Franco Jimenez, the Business Center Coordinator. 'That's why we were also very keen for you to take part in the seminar for the Indian market and were very mystified by your topic The Indian Paradox', she told Arora .
The show was unique for most visiting Indian importers. They were suitably impressed by the variety of wines. Mr. Pardal, an old hat at importing wines was able to identify a Cava which could compete with the existing Spanish bubbly in India . S.D. Rawat who handles the Duty Free Shop for ITDC at Bangalore felt that with Aldeasa-ITDC venture taking off in Mumbai from June 1, the Spanish wines stand to gain presence in the duty free shops. Juan Carlos LLopart, Export Manager of an old Riojan winery, Bodegas Franco-Espanolas who had come to India and was alo at this Show seemed very hopeful to place his wines in Mumbai. Arun Kumar of Aspri Spirits seems to have locked in with a Riojan winery which would be a jewel in the crown for any portfolio.
The importers were disappointed that the hosts had not organised some vineyard visits before or after the show. Such visits are not only educational, but also allow participating wineries to network with the importers. The organisers have missed out the possibility of a long term contact between the importers and the wineries. They have also missed out a great opportunity to propagate the La Mancha wines and the Manchuega cuisine.
They did organise a wine and culture evening in Hotel Parador, in Almagro, a quaint suburban village of Ciudad Real, where unlimited quantity of 89 wines from 30 member wineries were served with tapas throughout the evening.
How much business will be conducted in the short term remains to be seen. Out of the 170,000 cases imported in 2006-07 less than 10,000 were from Spain ; mostly Torres and Freixenet . The potential to increase the market share of Spanish wines is immense. Connectivity has been established between importers and producers at the Fair, resulting hopefully in more business between the two countries and more variety for Indian wine drinkers. |
