Expovinos 2023: Latin America’s largest wine fair returns to Bogotá and Medellín

The Expovinos 2023 fair arrives in Bogota in the first week of August with the central theme “As simple as enjoying a wine”. This year the fair celebrates its 18th anniversary with a proposal that seeks to highlight the delicacy of a product that can be enjoyed in any setting.

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Wine culture in Colombia is growing

The Expovinos initiative to boost and promote wine culture in Colombia has borne fruit: wine consumption in the country has shown a notable, albeit gradual, increase in recent years.

For example, in 2006 per capita consumption reached 0.3 liters. Today in Colombia, wine consumption has reached a total of 0.9 liters per person per year.

So says Carlos Mario Giraldo Moreno, president of Grupo Éxito, who also notes that in the 2022 edition 35 thousand glasses of wine were sold, 5 times more than in the first edition in 2006.

On this occasion, the Expovinos 2023 fair will have more than 22 thousand square meters and will be spread over the length and breadth of the Corferias pavilions.

For the organizers of Expovinos 2023, the growth is evident. In 2006, the proposal had less than one-sixth of the facilities available for this edition.

Special guests at Expovinos 2023

Sommeliers of various nationalities will accompany the celebration with the theme “As simple as enjoying a wine”, to the delight of consumers who will have an unforgettable experience.

The fair, aimed at consumers, announced the participation of special guests who stand out for their extensive experience and expertise in the wine industry.

They are guests with decades of experience in the wine industry, from its production, cultivation and tasting.

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From Spain, the sommelier Anna Vicens, the master in winemaking Ervigio Adán and Miguel Martínez, professor of “Sommelier and beverages” at the Universidad de La Sabana will be participating.

For Andorra, Quality Wine Int. manager Xavier Casal has already confirmed his participation in Expovinos 2023, as has Victor Kompanichenko, a Ukrainian sommelier.

Finally, sommeliers José Rafael Arango and Michelle Morales will be representing Colombia.

From August 17 to 20, Expovinos 2023 will be held in the city of eternal spring, since Medellin is the second city in Colombia with the highest consumption of the beverage.

Wine consumption in Colombia

Reports from Grupo Éxito indicate that Bogota leads wine consumption in the country with 47%. Medellin, in second place, has a consumption of 29%, followed by Cali with 6% and the Caribbean Coast with 11%.

Consumption in the Eje Cafetero was also 6%. The Santanderes and Boyacá recorded consumption of 7% each.

The organizers of Expovinos 2023 state that there is a notable inclination towards red wine consumption in the country, which is the choice of 62% of consumers.

White wine ranks second in consumer preferences, followed by sparkling and rosé wines.

It should be noted that more than 70% of the wines preferred by Colombians are imported, mainly from Chile and Argentina.

The wine industry in Colombia

Although wine consumption in Colombia is far from approaching the per capita consumption of countries such as Portugal, where the figure stands at 52 liters, market behavior shows sustained growth.

According to Nielsen statistics, as of June 2023 wine was the second most consumed beverage by Colombians after beer.

In 2022, sales were recorded at around 43 million bottles of wine per year, which in sales is equivalent to more than 300 million dollars.

These figures underscore the growth potential of the wine industry in the country. Experts stress the importance of seeking more production areas in Colombia, despite the fact that climatic conditions are not ideal.

For those familiar with the subject, it is key to boost the production of the fermented fruit drink, because although there are currently producers, the industry demands state support for its optimization.

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