Greek winemakers garner awards, new business at Prowein 2019 international wine and spirits exhibition

Athens, 26 March 2019 | Greek winemakers distinguished themselves at this month’s Prowein 2019 exhibition, the largest international trade fair for wine and spirits, winning awards for quality and attracting new business prospects from overseas markets.

The Greek national pavilion, organized by Enterprise Greece, included some 100 top Greek winemakers from around the country, including from the regions of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace, Attica, Epirus, Crete and Central Greece, while also hosting the awards ceremony for the TEXSOM 2019 Awards. Greek wineries won 8 gold, 46 silver and 27 bronze awards in this internationally prestigious wine competition.

The Prowein trade fair, held in Düsseldorf, Germany, March 17-19, is the leading annual exhibition for the industry and the most important wine and spirits trade fair in Europe. The year’s fair drew 7,000 winemakers and 61,500 business visitors.

During the exhibition, thousands of foreign attendees visited the Greek pavilion and tasted the wide variety of wines presented at both the central wine bar and in the individual stands of the wineries. For the first time at Prowein, Enterprise Greece also organized a Spirits Bar, where a Greek sommelier introduced visitors to the traditional Greek spirits tsipouro and ouzo.

Throughout the exhibition, a variety of promotional events (tastings, presentations, etc.) prepared by the Greek sommelier and the German Master of Wine Caro Maurer took place, culminating in the TEXSOM 2019 Awards ceremony. The TEXSOM 2019 Awards ceremony was held on Monday, March 18th and guests were able to sample all the award-winning Greek wines.

Enterprise Greece Chairman and CEO Grigoris Stergioulis said: "Greek varieties are becoming steadily more and more popular in major markets in Europe and America. Enterprise Greece, in cooperation with all wine producers in Greece, will continue its support and promotion activities, which it has been implementing for years, aiming at the further development of the sector's exports."

The Consul General of Greece in Düsseldorf, Maria Papakonstantinou, the Economic and Commercial Attaché, Paris Nikolis, and Frainda Georgiou, Secretary of the Commercial Department of the Düsseldorf Consulate also visited the Greek pavilion during the exhibition.