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October 2018 WINES&VINES 21 TA K E A L O O K AT O U R N E W W E B S I T E T O F I N D O U T W H AT M A K E S U S D I F F E R E N T w w w . g w k e n t . c o m O rganizers of the annual World Bulk Wine Exhi- bition say they will have exhibitors pouring wines from all of the major wine producing regions of the world, covering 80% of the more than $4 billion global bulk wine market. Now in its 10th year, the show continues to draw the world's largest producers, bro- kers and buyers of bulk wine but representatives of smaller win- eries looking to join the global market account for a growing share of the more than 6,000 attendees expected at the show that will take place Nov. 26-27 in Amsterdam. Both bulk and packaged wine imports have bolstered total U.S. sales recently. According to the latest Wine Industry Metrics re- port, imports grew 7% in the past 52 weeks and drove a 5% in- crease in total U.S. sales to more t h a n $ 6 9 b i l l i o n . G o m b e r g Fredrikson & Associates also re- cently reported that imported bulk wine shipped by U.S. winer- ies grew 23% and packaged wine imports rose 4% in the first nine months of 2017. The World Bulk Wine Exhibi- tion has grown beyond being a forum for players in the bulk wine market to strike deals to include various panel discussions, market reports and workshops on such topics as wine blending and the use of oak barrel alternative products, said the event's com- munications manager Cristina Villar Miranda. Jean-Marie Aurand, director general of the International Or- ganization of Vine and Wine, will deliver a keynote speech on Nov. 26 about the current bulk market. Aurand's remarks will be fol- lowed by several other sessions including a presentation on the wine market in Southeast Asia and round table discussions on the growth of bag-in-box wine packaging and changes in U.S. wine consumption habits. On Nov. 27, Hans Reiner Schultz, Ph.D. of Geisenheim University, José Ramón Lissar- rague, Ph.D. in viticulture from Universidad Politecnica de Ma- drid and Gregory Jones, director of the Evenstad Center for Wine Education at Linfield College in Oregon will discuss the effects of climate change on the world's vineyards. Miranda said the expo will also feature extensive informa- tion on the logistics and equip- ment of shipping wine to and from the world's wine markets. "It is an exciting and complex topic that we can summarize as we always do: by upholding and promoting the quality of wine," she said. The expo will also explore ways to sell and market wine in- cluding private label brands and various options for packaging. "We will once again pay close at- tention to private labels and how brands are created, as well as to the trends that are successful in the new importing markets," Mi- randa said. The main goal of the expo, however, remains to be the best place for members of the global wine trade to catch up on the lat- est trends in bulk wine as well as get some deals put together. "These two days of expanding business networks are enriching for everyone interested in the wine industry, whatever their oc- cupation might be." The event takes place at the Amsterdam RAI conference cen- ter. For more information and to register visit: worldbulkwine.com — Wines & Vines staff Catch up on the Trends in the Global Bulk Wine Market WINE INDUSTRY NEWS