Vinitech 2022, a great edition in Bordeaux, France

Vinitech 2022, in Bordeaux, France, is now over. It was an amazing edition of this major wine event – that Fermentis has been attending for many years now. Of course, it was great to be able to meet so many winemakers, partners and key players of the industry, especially after a tough few years of Covid.

And to do so alongside our main partner in France, Soufflet Vigne, made it extra special. Together, we held several mini events during the trade show, including our wine masterclasses, held every day in the afternoon.

Let’s take a quick look at how the event unfolded, and what we had in store for the winemakers of France!

Wine masterclasses with Soufflet Vigne

From Tuesday to Thursday, we held 3 masterclasses with our French partner Soufflet Vigne. Our team members, Nathan Wisnieswki, Maryam Ehsani and Cécile Bergia gave presentations about E2U™ quality, thiol production and wine fining using yeast protein extract.

The presentations attracted many visitors, who came to listen to our experts and learn more about how yeast and yeast derivatives can help drive and manage fermentation as well as refine wines using only the amazing properties of microorganisms.

We also held a few tasting sessions to illustrate in practice how our products can affect the sensory profile of the wines.

Vinitech Innovation award

On Tuesday (day 1), we were thrilled to pick up an honourable award for our E2U™ quality label, offered to us by the Vinitech Innovation jury. For the 10th anniversary of E2U™, it was fitting to receive this recognition, proof that winemakers appreciate the research and effort we’ve put to make their lives easier.

Thanks to E2U™ products, it is possible to pitch the yeast directly into the must or use a standard rehydration protocol. All our numerous studies have proven there is no significant difference in fermentation metrics – be it from an analytical or sensory standpoint.

Our General Manager, Stéphane Meulemans received the award in person, during a short ceremony in the afternoon.

Wine tasting session for an ongoing R&D Project

Leveraging the concentration of many wine experts all coming to the same event, our Technical Manager for Wine, Arnaud Delaherche, had organised a tasting session, with over 20 wines (whites and reds).

Qualified members of our Fermentis team, as well as experts from IVF (Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin) and other selected professionals were invited to the session.

For the time being we cannot reveal what the tasting was for, but it will undoubtably be very valuable for our R&D program.

Beer & wine making – looking at similarities between the two

On day 2 of Vinitech, our Regional Sales Manager, France & Wallonia, Enguerrand Abt came in to give a special presentation about how beer making shares a few similarities with wine making. The two beverages are of course made with different ingredients, but there are many reasons to compare the two.

Both beverages share some aromatic compounds. They have also been known to inspire each other, with new beer styles such as Brut IPA or Italian Grape Ale, which are beers with strong wine world influences.

The presentation, held right at the very heart of the main hall of Vinitech, was one of the most popular talks of the day, with a full house in attendance and a highly focused public.