Vinexpo

From the 16th to the 20th of this month, one of the world's biggest wine and spirit exhibitions is taking place in  Bordeaux. At the last event in 2011, 47 countries were represented, 1245 journalists were present at an exhibition centre with 45,000 square metres of space. (that's four and a half hectares!) Over 45,000 trade visitors attended. It costs thousands to have a stand there, but the potential is enormous.

So you would imagine That Sherry would be out in force to regain lost ground. Well, only 5 bodegas have a stand: Caballero, Gonzalez Byass, Osborne, Tradicion and Williams & Humbert. And you can bet that many of the products they will be showing are not Sherry - with the exception of Tradicion.

When you consider that proportionally Port and Madeira are much better represented, it seems a real shame that Sherry cannot compete. Only well - and self - financed bodegas will be there. The Consejo's budget doesn't allow it to have a generic stand.

So if Sherry sales are to grow, and Jerez is to be revitalised, it is up to us, dear readers, to spread the word and buy the wine. A challenge, perhaps, but what a good one!