Roque Cunha Ferreira, export manager of JP Ramos, said the show was “the biggest event of the year” and said its March-timing and central European location offered “a great opportunity to present the latest vintages”.
Joel Masoliver of Beveland Distillers said 70% of his appointments were with established partners and 30% new business, but that there was a good opportunity to meet new visitors, especially from Eastern Europe.
Markus Eser, premium wine manager at Accolade Wines said he had seen many English retailers at the show and that big companies are eschewing LIWF, despite London being a traditional wine-buying maket.
Bruno Castro-Almeida, product manager of the Vinho Verde Commision described the show as “the most international" and "very well organised” yet “less expensive to exhibit than Vinexpo” and “three-to-four times less expensive than LIWF”. “It’s a fair price for this fair,” he said.
General manager and chief winemaker of Cono Sur, Adolfo Hurtado, said the show was important for his company but its one drawback was the number of Asian visitors, compared to Vinexpo.
