A WORLD FIRST! Les Vins d’Alsace are launching Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting®

Written by Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting®

The 1st virtual trade show with real-life tastings organised exclusively by cross-industry experts

In a fast-changing world where we constantly have to reinvent ourselves, Alsace is taking up a position right at the interface of ingenuity and popularity as it launches Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting^®, an audacious Alsace Wine Show, ahead of the curve and entirely dedicated to professionals.

From June 7-9, 2021

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 15 March 2021 - Cancelled in 2020 given the current public health situation, Millésimes Alsace, the must-attend biannual trade fair organised by the Vins d'Alsace, will indeed take place in 2021. Driven by the dynamism of the Alsatian vineyard, it will adopt an entirely new format this year. Entirely conceived and created by the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d'Alsace (Interprofessional Wine Board of Alsace), the show becomes Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting® to combine the physical and digital worlds.^[1]

First 'phygital' show entirely developed and organised by a wine area, Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting® is a new way of exploring the full potential of Alsace wines. Combining real-life tastings and virtual meet-ups, this show, devised on an international scale by local winemakers, is a first both for the French and global wine industry. And with 100 exhibitors presenting 4 wines each, there are 400 wines listed!

Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting®: the new show design

Sharing ideas, meeting colleagues, and tasting wine: these are the priceless experiences that bring professionals together as they stroll down the aisles of wine trade shows. Conscious of the need to take their destiny into their own hands, Alsace winemakers combined current health and market requirements to create a new format integrating virtual meetings and real-life tastings: Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting^®.

So, what is the USP of this event? Prior to the show, visitors will be offered tasting cases that they will be able to taste with the winemaker during virtual meetings.

These boxes will contain some of the 4 still wines that each of the 100 exhibitors has selected. Each box will be made up of 4 mini glass bottles (3 cl mini-bottles) from the same producer, giving its taster a good idea of the winery's expertise and personality.

Consistent with the care provided to PDO quality wines, and in line with Alsace wines' specifications, the wines are bottled in their region of origin in a small glass shaped like a traditional Rhine flute. A unique technological process guarantees the wines' integrity: bottled in an inert atmosphere, they retain their most subtle qualities and aromas. By staying as close as possible to the original product, this process respects Alsace wines' very essence.

With all the characteristics of a real trade show, designed for professionals to talk about wine

To meet our professionals' expectations and ensure that the products take centre stage, Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting® has been organised accordingly.

By registering on the dedicated platform www.millesimes-alsace.com ^[2], visitors can discover all the wineries and access the wines' technical sheets. A filter system allows visitors to select the wines that best match their criteria from among the 100 wineries and 400 wines listed. There are wine-related filters (colour, sweetness level, vintage, grape variety, appellation...) and winery-specific (distribution circuit, environmental practice, country of export, importer search).

Going to a trade show is also about seeing what comes along and being open to beautiful surprises and unexpected discoveries. This is why, after selecting the wineries for which they wish to receive a sample case, participants will also receive 'discovery' samples added by Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting® to their order. It is an opportunity to make beautiful discoveries -- be surprised!

When ordering the samples, each visitor can choose between 2 options to suit their needs and receive them free of charge at the address of their choice:

- 5 boxes = 4 selected boxes + 1 'discovery' box (i.e. 5 wineries, 20 wines)

- 10 boxes = 8 selected boxes + 2 'discovery' boxes (i.e. 10 wineries, 40 wines)

This free service will allow participants to receive the small flutes they have ordered anywhere in the world prior to the show while stocks last.

And what would a trade show dedicated to discovering new wines be without a tasting to complement the discussion? Just like at a real exhibition, winemakers will be able to share their know-how with the visitors, discuss grape varieties and Alsatian terroirs while tasting the wines together. Naturally, visitors will be able to chat virtually with any of the producers, even if they did not order a tasting box.

Last but not least, Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting® is also a real large-scale trade show with conferences, workshops, and themed events about wine, terroirs, the economy, and consumer trends. Visitors will also be able to share their experiences thanks to integrated networking features on the platform and social media.

A responsible trade show 'made in Alsace'

Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting® is a responsible initiative launched by the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d'Alsace. The choice of glass for the mini-flutes, which can be recycled ad infinitum, is in line with its optimised waste recovery strategy.

Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting® is a unique initiative, and it is also the 1st virtual exhibition to be devised, created, and entirely organised by a vineyard firmly grounded in its region. From the show's layout, the cases' design, their shipment, printing, assembly, bottling, to the whole creative and digital design processes, everything will be carried out by local craftsmen and service providers within a radius of fewer than 75 km.

'Alsace has changed dramatically.

Check the latest updates as it's changing faster than ever! It's a whole vineyard, continually reinventing itself, collectively and ambitiously. It's a major fundamental shift that's taking place across industries: in the technique, sector management, marketing, and sales dynamics, etc., and the most recent example of this is the innovative DigiTasting® initiative. Having been the first vineyard to put together a major response to the current situation right from the first lockdown, Alsace is once again the first to innovate in the strategic field of trade shows! We remain a small vineyard globally, but we are ambitious and determined to achieve our goals. Alsace has a strong history and is resolutely turned towards the future!'

Didier PETTERMANN, Chairman

CIVA -- Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d'Alsace

'The current context should not be an excuse, but rather a sign. Alsace's capacity for innovation continues to grow, and we are part of the action. With this initiative, we wanted to combine century-old know-how with cutting-edge technologies. It's fascinating! Digital technology is not an end in itself: its primary purpose is to bring people together and make the virtual and physical worlds work together. Wine is not a product like any other. It is both intangible because of the emotions it evokes and very real thanks to its terroirs and the men and women who produce it. Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting® aims to generate synergy between the real and the virtual worlds and create a relevant and successful exhibition designed to provide a quality experience for visitors and exhibitors alike.'

Philippe BOUVET, Marketing Director

CIVA -- Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d'Alsace

How to attend Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting^®?

#1 Register free of charge at www.millesimes-alsace.com ^[3] (for professionals only).

#2 Receive your registration details and personal codes.

#3 Explore all the 100 exhibitors and select the wineries whose wines you would like to taste.

#4 Order your sample boxes (while stocks last):

Option 1 | 5 boxes, including 1 'discovery box' (5 wineries) and 20 samples.

Option 2 | 10 boxes, including 2 'discovery boxes' (i.e., 10 wineries) and 40 samples.

#5 Receive your boxes free of charge at the address of your choice and taste them during the show.

#6 On the day: attend the show at www.millesimes-alsace.com from June 7--9, 2021, taste the samples with their producer, meet virtually any other producer, and attend a rich programme packed with activities.

#7 You can access the platform for 1 year and attend new conferences, tastings, in-depth discussions, get in touch with other producers, etc.

Website launch www.millesimes-alsace.com on ^[4]

March 29, 2021

Tasting boxes orders from March 29 to May 2, 2021

A second press release will outline the event schedule

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/vinsalsacedigitasting ^[5]

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/vinsalsacedigitasting ^[6]

LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/vinsalsacedigitasting ^[7]

#MillesimesAlsaceDigiTasting #Digitasting #DrinkAlsace #VinsAlsace