The French Pavilion is back at Vinexpo America with 62 wine & spirit producers & merchants ready to meet local professionals. With 50% more producers this year, the pavilion represents 23% of the show’s total exhibitors. To highlight the pavilion’s excellence, Business France is also organizing 2 exclusive tastings.
Following a successful first edition, Business France is bringing together an exciting French pavilion for the second time, now with 62 exhibitors, under the Taste France brand. Along with French wine regions, the pavilion embraces the show’s decision to provide a dedicated space for spirits at Drinks America, bringing 8 spirit brands to New York from March 9th-10th.
Representing almost a quarter of the entire show, the French pavilion is a testament to the determination of French wine and spirit makers to share their unique products and creations with North American partners. Along with the pavilion and as part of the Taste France initiative, Business France is showcasing the hidden gems of France with a wine selection, tasting commentary and Vinexpo Buzz session with Christie Canterbury, MW. As a preview before the show starts, professionals will be invited to an exclusive cocktail hour to sample the many flavors of French Caribbean spirits from Guadeloupe and Martinique.
📍 Find the French pavilion at booth 600-818 (floor plan)
One Pavilion, Many Appellations: Discover the Best of French Wine & Spirits
For this second edition, the French pavilion will gather a wide array of AOCs from the most prominent wine regions of France, making it a mini expo for sourcing French wines. Here is a breakdown of the regions and number of exhibitors:
Alsace – 3 producers
Bordeaux – 9 producers
Champagne – 4 producers
Languedoc – 9 producers
Loire Valley – 2 producers
Provence – 5 producers
Rhône Valley – 19 producers
Roussillon – 3 producers
Southwest – 3 producers
More information on the dedicated page on Taste France wine & spirit digital platform.
Taste France: the Christy Canterbury, MW selection
To highlight the best France has to offer, Business France is collaborating with Christy Canterbury, Master of Wine, to underscore the exceptional caliber of the delegation. She conducted a blind-tasting of a wide range of products from the delegation, selecting and evaluating her top 28 wines and spirits.
“I loved blind tasting these wines and spirits as there were so many delicious discoveries,” said Christy Canterbury, MW. “It’s particularly exciting to see when a producer really delivers on multiple products. That’s clearly a winery or distillery that someone should be courting for importation to the USA! Even for a country as well-canvassed by importers as France is, there are always more delicious wines and spirits out there, whether they come from new producers, producers who haven’t focused on exporting here before or producers who want to change importers.”
Christy Canterbury, MW’s selection of top 28 wines and spirits along with tasting notes will be available to sample at booth 600-1 on-site at the pavilion. She will also be presenting a Vinexpo Buzz session on Wednesday, March 9th from 3:30 to 4pm titled “Master of Wine Christy Canterbury discusses sustainability in French wines”. This informal session will provide the opportunity for conversation and questions around sustainability in the French wine regions.
French Caribbean: Caribbean Spirit Tasting Cocktail
Known mostly for its extensive wine regions, France also offers exciting and original spirit brands notably from its overseas territories. Trade professionals will have the opportunity to meet with the producers and sample Caribbean spirits both on the show and at an exclusive cocktail hour at the Broken Shaker on Tuesday, March 8th at 5:30 pm.
“Spirits from Guadeloupe and Martinique illustrate everything that resonates with the US consumer today: high quality, diversity of products, unique savoir-faire and rich history behind each bottle, with a pinch of exoticism… as well as unexpected spirits such as Martinican whisky aged in rum barrels!” says Manilay Saito, Business Unit Manager of Wine, Spirits, Beer and Ciders at Business France North America. “Spirits from the French Caribbean are yet to be discovered by US aficionados, who may be surprised to find how diverse and atypical they are.