All news

Organic wine and wine tourism: Montpellier shows its strengths at International Agricultural Fair in Paris

Information updated on 28/03/23

Montpellier Métropole had its first booth at the International Agricultural Fair in Paris, showcasing local winegrowers and producers, some of whom are involved in the "Destination Vignobles de Montpellier" label. The logical followup for 2022 strategies.

La Métropole de Montpellier présente au Salon International de l'Agriculture 2023

Montpellier shows its strengths at International Agricultural Fair in Paris

Montpellier Métropole has always been a wine capital and now wants to make it known. They therefore decided to participate for the very first time in the International Agricultural Fair, which took place from February 25 to March 5 at the Porte de Versailles Convention Center in Paris.
 
Local authorities brought a dozen winemakers and four producers who offered tasting.

With 200 winegrowers across nearly 3,000 hectares, wine is very much a part of our DNA, as well as our cultural and natural heritage,” explains Michaël Delafosse, Mayor of Montpellier and President of Montpellier Métropole. “This is why, starting back in 2021, we chose to help structure this excellence industry in our territory by creating a Wine Cluster, then a Wine Council. Our goal is to promote and support industry professionals in their efforts to build their business.” 

Placing Montpellier Métropole on the map of wine routes

The International Agricultural Fair in Paris is the country’s second largest trade show in terms of attendance, with 700,000 visitors each year. This event was the perfect opportunity for Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole to showcase local talent and promote its new “Montpellier Wine Destination” program after earning the “Vignobles & Découvertes” label by Atout France in March 2022..
 
Montpellier Métropole began the process in early 2021, uniting all of the vineyard, wine, and wine tourism stakeholders in its territory. With this label, they now have a new tool to make their area a major new wine tourism destination in France. All the more so given that 40% of the producers are certified organic. 

Montpellier is home to the future of agronomy and agriculture

It is a question of culture. The “Destination Vignobles de Montpellier” program has a foothold in an area that blends health, the environment, food, agronomy, and agriculture. As a historic capital of wine, the Montpellier metropolitan area continues to innovate relentlessly.  health established in 2022 in partnership with the State and the Occitanie / Pyrenees-Mediterranean Region, is a good example.  
 
Designed to promote economic and job development, MedVallée’s vision is to meet tomorrow's major challenges at the crossroads of the Health, Food, and Environment sectors and to strengthen France’s health and food sovereignty. This excellence hub also encourages and facilitates collaboration between the region’s powerful academic ecosystem, businesses, large groups, and its network of startups, many of which are graduates of the Montpellier BIC incubator.
 
All are innovating in support of more virtuous agriculture, without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers: Airgaia (air management for greenhouses), Mycea (natural solutions for plant health), Sowit (precision agriculture), Rosella Biosystem (optimizing animal feed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions), Greenphage (bacteriophages, bacteria-eating viruses), and Elicir (natural solutions for biocontrol and plant biostimulation).

Montpellier, birthplace of the Territorial Meetings on Agroecological Transition and Sustainable Food

The “Territorial Meetings on Agroecological Transition and Sustainable Food” were created in 2019 in Montpellier. Every two years, this business event highlights territorial initiatives and strategies promoting more responsible agriculture and food. Scheduled for 2024, the next edition will come back to the city where it originated.
 
As the birthplace of such a wide variety of initiatives, Montpellier Métropole felt it was necessary to finally be present at the International Agricultural Fair, simply as the logical continuation of policies and strategies it has launched since 2020.