ProWein Q&A with Chris Stroud, New Zealand Winegrowers Market Manager – Europe

What attracts you to attend events like ProWein, and what does a day at the world’s biggest wine show look like?
New Zealand wine attends ProWein in Germany to provide a platform for our members to showcase their products to an international audience, and for them to meet key decision makers and buyers from the world of wine. Our producers use the event to connect with existing suppliers and customers to make plans for the year ahead or to present new opportunities and of course look for new business.

A typical day at ProWein consists of organising, preparing and holding meetings – whether it be with existing suppliers, or potential new business.  There is less walk-up trade than you might think, but it is always important to be prepared to meet someone who may be specifically looking for a new product to add their business for instance, and of course people are always interested to taste New Zealand wines.

How does the ‘Marlborough’ name resonate around the world with fellow attendees?
Marlborough is very highly regarded in the world of wine as a premium wine region with a distinctive style and unique flavour profile.  Many visitors come to discover and taste the wines - sometimes for the first time as it brings a quality reputation which they may not have experienced it before – especially from smaller markets – so definitely there is a cache to the region.

Is it still heavily Sauvignon Blanc interest in Marlborough from for the international wine show community?
Absolutely. One of the last meetings on our stand, a winery had a walk-up customer from Mexico who was specifically looking for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is still considered very important to include on an importer portfolio as it is considered a significant must have category.

However, there is also the opportunity to show other varieties alongside Sauvignon Blanc to show the wine trade the diversity Marlborough and New Zealand can offer.

Have you picked up on any new trends in wine internationally throughout this year’s ProWein? New regions, varietals, methods, packing, technologies etc?
There is always something new to discover or focus areas at international trade fairs.  Sustainability remains a key topic with many talks and presentations around that subject. Our New Zealand Wine Pavilion featured 30 Years of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) allowing us to showcase our sustainability programme’s achievements to an engaged international wine trade audience. Packaging is a continuing trend with alternative forms being profiled such as cans, bag in box etc.