Organic 'bombshell'! – Millésime Bio leaves Montpellier for Marseille

'Coup de tonnerre dans la filière viti-vinicole régionale : le plus grand salon international de vins bio a voté en conseil d’administration, le 13 juin, son départ de LRMP pour la région PACA. En cause : un désaccord avec Vinisud, l’autre salon montpelliérain.' 

Marie Corbel of La Tribune has broken the news that Millésime Bio, the world's largest annual organic wine fair, has suddenly decided to leave Montpellier for Marseille for the 2017 edition. After using a number of different venues including Narbonne, Millésime Bio has been a fixture at Montpellier for some time.

It appears that the row is over the decision by Vinisud, to hold their now annual Mediterranean wine fair (always in Montpellier) in 2017 at the same time as Millésime Bio at the end of January. Clearly Millésime Bio did not want to share Montpellier's exhibition space with Vinisud, where there would be many non-organic wine producers. 

The decision was taken yesterday by Millésime Bio's organising committee. There was only one vote for staying put, while there were also some who favoured Toulouse or Bordeaux. 

Carole Delga, the président of Languedoc-Roussillon, is reportedly furious at this decision by the Millésime Bio committee, which she considers rushed as there were hopes that a solution could be found. Corbel reports that Delga likened the sudden decision to 'Des méthodes de voyou' – the way hooligans' behave. 

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The 2107 Millésime Bio will be held at the Parc des Expositions Marseille-Chanot, du 30 janvier au 1er février 2017.

It remains to be seen whether this decision by Millésime Bio is wise. Will all of the 800 or so exhibitors opt for Marseille? Will a number of producers in the Languedoc-Roussillon and other parts of the Mediterranean opt to stay in Montpellier and exhibit at Vinisud? A number of these producers already take stands at both Vinisud and Millésime Bio, which have previously be held about three weeks apart.

By moving to Marseille Millésime Bio will lose the 300,000€ it currently receives from the Languedoc-Roussillon region. 

For myself I will have to cancel the hotel room I had already booked. Then wait to see how many producers, especially those from the Loire decide to go to Marseille. A suivre !

Clearly the politics of wine shows are by no means sulphur free!