Avenue Vine

After clearing customs with addresses from Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania, mounds of paperwork and a logistics nightmare (don’t try this yourself), the wine is delivered from warehouses during the black of night Friday (June 16). Security is tight. On Saturday, exhibitors, some 2,400 of them, start preparing the stands, chilling the wine, finding missing props, gathering glasses and putting up signs for the onslaught of wine buyers and journalists when the show opens at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday. Think of it as Macworld with a cork screw.

The Secret:
Invitations to Vinexpo evening events have been flying through the mail for more than a month. There are dinners with Michelin-starred chefs, black-tie dinners, dinners around a pool (bring your suit) and dinners on boats, barges and on verandas with stunning vine views. There are private dinners, such as the one at Château La Mission Haut-Brion (one of the darlings of the 2006 Bordeaux futures tastings) on Friday (June 15) and at Château Mouton Rothschild on Monday. But the most sought-after ticket is the dinner Thursday, June 21 that brings VinExpo 2007 to a close.

This is the Fête de la Fleur, which began as a way to celebrate the flowering of the vines that begins the countdown to the next grape harvest. Now, it’s a headache of invites, confirmations, changes, seating plans, entertainment (Placido Domingo was a surprise guest singing for his supper at friend Baroness Philippine de Rothschild’s when Château Mouton hosted it four years ago). At Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte in the Graves, host of this year’s fête, Americans visiting last month couldn’t get a word out of Mme Florence Cathiard about the theme. It’s always kept a secret. But it is not secret that security will be tight and unlike previous fêtes held in amazing tents on the lawn, the dinner will be in the Cathiards new, dramatic and huge barrel room. Which is rather lucky, actually, since the forecast is for rain.

On the Wine Water Route:
The world’s longest floating route des vins was installed this week at Bordeaux’s exhibition center to link wine traders across a lake with the world’s premier wine trade fair, Vinexpo.

At 460 meters, or about 1,500 feet, the $670,000 span is a Lego-type system of heavy duty patented-plastic components by EZ Dock of Missouri. Each 80-inch by 10-foot section is capable of holding up to 4,000 pounds. What this means in winespeak is hard to ascertain, but spokeswoman Sharon Wahrmund put it this way: “Well, we floated a Hummer in the middle of the lake on three sections and it did fine.”

As the bi-annual wine event often arrives with high temperatures, side railings were ordered to keep afternoon wine tasters from taking a swim in the lake.

So with all this wine, who drives?
Then there is the problem of drinking and driving. After centuries of ignoring it, a few years ago the French cracked down, hard. So transportation has to be arranged. It is enough to make the staff of the host chateau virtually overwhelmed (especially as they normally work a 35-hour week). There are hundreds of Bordeaux chateaus putting on evening events to wow customers. Producers from other countries rent chateaus. Think of it: how would you arrange individual transport for 100 to 1,500 people (times dinners every night for five nights) who are staying as much as 60 miles apart, so they all arrive on time and in reasonably good humor? This year, several have arranged buses, private cars, even Smart cars (though who has to sit in the back?). What kind of carbon footprint does it produce? Figure it out and let me know.

Sunset:
There is a reason why Vinexpo is held at the solstice. They are willing to risk searing daytime temperatures (as the Australians and New Zealanders discovered, in 2003, when their red wines were popping corks because the air conditioning broke down). But the real reason is because, being on the 45th parallel, it doesn’t get dark until 10:30 p.m. and there is nothing more delightful than a summer evening at an amazingly bug-free chateau.

Vinexpo Facts at a Glance:

What is Vinexpo?
It is the premier wine trade show in the world. It is held every other year in Bordeaux, France.

Who is at Vinexpo?
The wine world (trade, important private clients and press only). An estimated 45,000 wine traders and 2,400 exhibitors from 45 countries.

Where is it?
Bordeaux, France

When is it?
June 17–21, 2007 (held every other year)

What happens?
Wine is bought and sold, new wine products are introduced, new partnerships made and they party.

Who organizes it?
Vinexpo, a company formed for the first of these events 26 years ago, continues to be run in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bordeaux.

It has hosted off-year shows in Asia and the United States. The next Vinexpo Asia is in Hong Kong in 2008; the next Vinexpo trade show in the U.S. is tentatively scheduled for 2010.

Thanks Kathleen...

Source: “Vinexpo 2007,” Kathleen Buckley, Wine Enthusiast, June 17, 2007