The first edition of Dégustez en V.O ! held this Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 May in Montpellier has come to a close. Although attendance was finally less than anticipated, all the participants have emphasized the excellent organization of an event which had been sorely missed in the region.
A very constructive first edition
Since the disappearance of Vinisud, the wine producers of Occitanie no longer had a forum in which to present their wines to wine professionals.
The organisers of Dégustez en V.O ! wanted to address this problem, and have largely succeeded in rising to the challenge with their excellent organisation, acclaimed by all participants, and a rich programme of Masterclasses that were filled to capacity. In spite of somewhat disappointing attendance (580 professional visitors registered), the winemakers have no doubt about its potential. “We know that it’s never easy getting something new off the ground, that’s just how it is, and that was combined with the postponement from March to May, which is not a good moment for the wine world. Nevertheless, it is a useful event, the next edition will be better placed, and I believe has the potential to be a real success” declares Louis de Faramond, owner of Château de Lastours in AOP Gaillac.
An adverse change of date
Initially planned for the 6 and 7 March, the 2022 edition of Dégustez en V.O ! was postponed to avoid overlapping with Millésime Bio. A change of date that was not to its advantage, leaving certain exhibitors with a sense of a missed opportunity. “My big advantage as a neo-winemaker is that I arouse people’s curiosity. So I attract buyers looking for something new, and I made some interesting contacts. Overall I’m very satisfied with the general organisation (easy access and attention to the details that are important to a producer: plenty of ice, parking, an interface to put the wines on line…). But any orders I get will be for the autumn catalogue, the selections for the spring/summer season have already been made” explains Alexandre Thouroude, who set up Clos des Ors, in AOC Languedoc-Sommières, in 2021.
A potential to be exploited
Buyers also expressed their satisfaction about the return of a modestly sized wine fair in the biggest wine producing region of France. Yu Chen et Shanshan Zhang, representatives of the Chinese negociant and export company “Les Domaines Unis”, who came from Bordeaux, said they appreciated this new wine show “in the centre of town”, and noted particularly the “high quality work of some Languedoc cooperatives.”
For other professionals, such as Alice and Laure of “Les Papilleuses”, a travelling wine shop based around Béziers and Pézenas, “this focus on Occitanie is interesting, you discover small appellations, or those which you don’t often see at other professional wine fairs.”
2023 on the horizon
Dégustez en V.O ! fully intends to bounce back with a new edition scheduled for Sunday 5 and Monday 6 March 2023.
[i] (The Syndicat AOP Languedoc in partnership with the CIVL, The City and Metropolitan Councils of Montpellier, the Occitanie Region, and the Department of Hérault)