Recently in Bordeaux there was a big conference on the theme “Primeurs make headlines, yes… but does everyone benefit?” and I made sure to attend on behalf of my Wine Tour Booking readers!

Anyone who is anyone in the Bordeaux wine business was there and there were many important speakers. These included none other than Hubert de Bouard, president of the Saint-Emilion sector; Philippe Castéja, president of the Grands Crus Classés en 1855; Sylvie Cazes, president of the Union of Bordeaux Grands Crus; Bernard Farges, president of the Bordeaux and Superior Bordeaux association together with Georges Haushalter, president CIVB. The very fact that such VIP speakers turned up in such strength to debate the matter shows how extremely seriously this subject is taken and explains why such a large crowd came.

Added to which this was the first time that the Bordeaux Supérieurs had opened their doors to individual wine lovers since Primeurs tasting week, back in April. Generally speaking, Sylvie Cazes welcomed the sharp rise in interest concerning Primeurs week.

No doubt this is due in part to questions the professionals have been posing as to the quality of the 2011 vintage, as they speculate on futures and what prices may indeed be.

Here all discussion has been very reassuring because as a result of two exceptional vintages one can expect lower prices and this seems to be what the market is looking forward to.

Insofar as the marketing strategy for Primeurs is concerned, so unique to Bordeaux wines, the speakers were unanimous in saying that there were benefits for other producers. The publicity engendered by this annual event is such that it reflects right down the line of Bordeaux wine makers.

Even though the sale of Primeurs affects only a small part of the Bordeaux chateaux, it is they who dominate the rest of the chain. In the space of that week it is not only the Grands Crus but all the rest of the Bordeaux vineyards that the spotlight shines on as Bordeaux becomes the nerve centre of the wine trade.

With regard to the week’s economic impact, that varies from chateau to chateau, depending on their own marketing strategy and distribution network.

The Primeurs phenomenon has become a real craze today and, apart from its obvious economic consequences, the opportunity is there for all the Bordeaux vineyards to communicate their existence worldwide.