Top trends at EUROVINO in Karlsruhe: From alcohol-free to Piwis and top national and international wines
EUROVINO – Trade Fair for Wine celebrates its premiere at Messe Karlsruhe on March 3 and 4, 2024: Visitors from the retail, gastronomy and hotel sectors can look forward to a range of wines and sparkling wines from over 265 exhibitors.
This includes also numerous Piwi wines and non-alcoholic varieties. The accompanying EUROVINO programme features a Power Breakfast at the start of both days of the event, the Expert Area with nine advice counters, and the Networking Evening on the Sunday, which will also include the presentation of the Fair Wine Award.
Spotlight on national and international wines
Visitors can look forward to a companion programme relevant to their particular areas of interest. And with more than 265 participating exhibitors showcasing their products from more than 30 countries and 450 wineries, there will plenty to see and sample.
The spotlight will be on a variety of high-quality wines from Germany, other European countries and the rest of the world: Kierdorf Wein, for example, is represented with a selection of top French wines, as is La Francaise d'Exportation, which is showing high-quality châteaux from Bordeaux. Zeter –Die Weinagentur will also be in attendance with four top wineries from France (Languedoc, Roussillon), Spain (Campo de Borja) and Italy (Apulia), offering crémants, garnachas, cuvées and primitivos, among others. Höfferle, meanwhile, will be presenting first-class wines from Argentina, Chile and Mexico.
"EUROVINO focuses on the needs of the market. At the exhibitor stands, visitors will find top wines and specialties for restaurants, hotels and sommeliers, as well as best-sellers for the specialist wine trade and upmarket food retailers”, says Dr. Hermann Pilz, Chairman of the EUROVINO Advisory Board. "Many producers and retailers will also be bringing along new vintages."
This is true of the Neiss winery from the Palatinate, among others, which is presenting the new 2022 vintage of its high-quality Rieslings at EUROVINO, as well as the first wines from the 2023 vintage. Steinhauser from Kressbronn/Lake Constance, meanwhile, will be presenting the Edition Cuvée and Trio vom See from the 2023 vintage, alongside Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris matured in wooden barrels. With a nod to the new vintage, Weingut Klumpp from Bruchsal/Baden will also be presenting a 2023 Auxerrois and, as a further highlight, a 2021 Kirchberg Chardonnay.
Non-alcoholic wines and sparkling wines also showcased
According to the German Wine Institute (DWI), dealcoholized wines accounted for just one per cent in German wine consumption in 2022, but growth in sales was closer to 18 per cent – proof that this topic is becoming increasingly important. This can also be seen in the portfolio of exhibitors at EUROVINO: from wineries and cooperatives to importers – numerous exhibitors have dealcoholized wines and sparkling wines on offer newly.
These include Weingut Hensel (Palatinate), which is presenting its first in-house, non-alcoholic wine and sparkling wine at EUROVINO, and Weingut Julius Zotz (Baden), which has been offering dealcoholized variants since 2012. Alcohol-free Secco and wines have also become an important part of the product range at Winzergemeinschaft Franken, Bavaria's largest winegrowers' cooperative. Due to increasing customer demand, Wein & Secco Köth (Rheinhessen) is also expanding its own range in the segment, and will be presenting a new dealcoholized Chardonnay and an alcohol-free rosé refined with fruit extracts.
Alexander von Fischer, from wine wholesaler and importer Weinkontor Freund, says of the trend towards more alcohol-free wine consumption: "Demand for wines and spirits with little or no alcohol continues to grow and they therefore get a larger part of our range year by year. Drivers, pregnant women or those who choose to abstain for other reasons have resulted in producers developing innovative new products, heralding the start of an alcohol-free revolution."
Mushroom-resistant grape varieties (Piwis) on growth
Figures show that, in addition to dealcoholized wines and sparkling wines, Piwi wines are also growing in popularity. The DWI estimates that in 2022, around three per cent of vineyards in Germany were growing these innovative varieties. According to the Piwi Deutschland association, the figure was 3.8 per cent in 2022, by 2028 it will be closer to 10 per cent in its estimation.
This segment will also be showcased at EUROVINO. Numerous exhibitors are keen to highlight their wines made from Piwi grape varieties, which are particularly resistant to powdery and downy mildew attacks, and therefore require hardly any plant protection. The joint stand of Ecovin, an association of organic wineries, represented at EUROVINO by eleven member companies from six growing regions, will focus on wines made from Piwi grape varieties. As part of the joint presentation by Naturgarten Kaiserstuhl, Bischoffinger Winzer will be presenting Piwis for the first time. Vier Jahreszeiten Winzer from Bad Dürkheim will be showcasing a Piwi Cuvée made from Muscaris and Sauvignon Gris, while Weingut 1616 Pfaffmann Heinz Stiftung from the Southern Wine Route will be presenting its new 2021 Cabernet Blanc.
An overview of the Piwi wines, as well as other alcoholic and non-alcoholic wines and sparkling wines exhibited at EUROVINO, can be found online at EUROVINO's digital wine database: weinguide.eurovino.info
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EUROVINO at a glance
Located in the centre of the four largest German wine-growing regions of Rheinhessen, Pfalz, Baden and Württemberg, Messe Karlsruhe will present the premiere of EUROVINO on March 3 & 4, 2024. As a new trade fair for wine, it is aimed at wine producers, marketers and buyers with a focus on the German-speaking and European sales market.
• Opening hours: March 3 & 4, 2024, 10am to 6pm
• Power breakfast at the start of both days from 9am
• Expert Area with nine advice counters for the retail, hotel and catering sectors, open from 10am to 6pm
• Networking evening on March 3, 2024 from 6pm, including presentation of the Fair Wine Award
To find out more about EUROVINO, visit www.eurovino.info, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Tickets are available at www.eurovino.info/tickets/.
