News丨ProWein Düsseldorf 2026 press

On 13 November 2025, ProWein – the world’s leading trade fair for wines and spirits held a press conference during the 12th ProWine Shanghai to present the new vision and positioning of ProWein Düsseldorf 2026. The event brought together the industry experts , key business partners and journalists to discuss new trends and opportunities in the global wine and spirits sector.

• New transformation: ProWein Düsseldorf 2026 defines the industry’s future through innovation

• Regional market: The global footprint and synergies of ProWein World

• China focus: Understanding consumption upgrades and helping wineries go global

As a bellwether for the global wine and spirits industry, ProWein Düsseldorf 2026 will enter a new era under the motto “Shape, Create, Elevate”. Over the past 30 years, ProWein has evolved from a small trade fair with just over 300 exhibitors into an international platform with more than 4,000 exhibitors. Throughout this journey, ProWein has consistently connected the global wine and spirits industry with openness, professionalism and innovation, and has actively led the industry transformation.

This transformation goes far beyond a refreshed visual identity and cuts to the core of how trade fair works. A newly created Buyers & Concierge Team and an upgraded, next-level matchmaking set-up are designed to take the buyer experience to a new standard, offering tailored solutions for international top buyers and making business connections more targeted and efficient. In parallel, the new Insight-to-Action (I2A) framework, together with an enhanced ProWein Agora stage programme, a sharpened ProWein Zero focus on low & no alcohol and a significantly expanded ProSpirits area, will create more immersive, content-driven experiences that tightly link trends, category innovation and concrete business opportunities.

Marius Berlemann, Chief Operating Officer of Messe Düsseldorf, stated:

“We do not define ourselves solely by our past but are consistently developing ProWein Düsseldorf to be the leading trade fair. Staying innovative and agile is essential, especially in a challenging market situation such as the one we are currently experiencing. Just as every participant in the wine and spirits industry must now carefully rethink and adapt their strategy, we too are critically examining ourselves – and energising ProWein Düsseldorf with fresh, innovative ideas.”

The new ProWein Director, Frank Schindler, also pointed out that:

“Climate change, geopolitics and shifts in consumer demand are driving the wine industry through a profound transformation. Traditional market logic and ways of communicating are no longer sufficient for today’s realities. The industry must fundamentally rethink how it defines its products, its value and its target audiences.”

Against this backdrop, ProWein Düsseldorf 2026 is not just an annual trade fair but is positioning itself as a driving force and partner for the industry. With its new concept and services, ProWein calls on the sector to rethink business models, step up innovation and translate ideas into concrete commercial outcomes – and will work hand in hand with the global wine and spirits community to do so.

With Düsseldorf as its core, ProWein has built a global trade fair network – ProWein World – spanning Europe, Asia and the Americas. Starting from Düsseldorf, this matrix extends to Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Mumbai and São Paulo, creating a year-round platform for industry dialogue that enables markets at different stages of development to share information and resources on the same stage.

At regional market level, ProWein not only “brings trade fairs to different markets” but also helps the industry to better understand the structure and pace of each market through in-depth local research and active cooperation with local partners. Natalie Wang, Founder of Vino-Joy, used macro data to break Asia down into markets at different stages of development, sketching a diverse consumption landscape covering Thailand, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. She noted that younger generations are reshaping drinking culture, placing greater emphasis on self-expression and brand storytelling, and that digital communication and lifestyle-driven content will be key to brand success, providing clear reference points for international wineries planning their strategies in Asia.

On this basis, ProWein World uses its trade fair matrix to turn “trend insights” into “market pathways”. At the press conference, Renee Zhao, Director of ProWine Asia Marketing & Communications, presented the “Ticket to the World” roadmap for 2026: Düsseldorf in March as the starting point of the year, followed by Tokyo and Singapore in April, São Paulo in October and a return to ProWine Shanghai and ProWine Mumbai in November, forming an annual rhythm that spans Europe, Asia and South America. She commented:

“Our goal is not only to expand the network of trade fairs, but to provide each regional industry with truly practical business support through knowledge-sharing, buyer communities and market insights. ProWein aims to be a bridge connecting global resources with local opportunities.”

This global set-up allows ProWein to aggregate industry information from multiple perspectives: on one side, the trend insights contributed by industry observers; on the other, buyer data and market feedback accumulated across regional shows. For exhibitors and trade visitors, this not only means entering new markets more efficiently, but also having a stronger global foundation for decisions on products, channels and branding.

As one of the core markets of ProWein World, China has a distinct dual role on the global wine map: on one side, international exhibitors use ProWine Shanghai to gain a deeper understanding of consumption upgrades, channel innovation and the preferences of a new generation of consumers in China. On the other hand, more and more Chinese wineries are leveraging ProWein World’s global network to go abroad and build a clearer brand and terroir image in the international markets.

At the press conference, Jeuce Huang, Wines of Germany China Director, shared the branding and IP-driven marketing strategy for German Riesling, against the backdrop of steady growth over the past decade in Chinese consumers' awareness, import volume and value of German Riesling wines. 

She highlighted how creative video contents on social media have successfully integrated German Riesling into everyday life scenarios, enabling the variety to break out of niche circles and become one of the most recognized grape varieties among Chinese consumers. Additionally, through professional education sessions, tastings, and collaborations with industry platforms, Wines of Germany China has deepened trade professionals' understanding of German Riesling's distinctive style and key selling points. International trade fairs such as ProWine have played a crucial role in fostering this sustained and meaningful industry dialogue.

In terms of the development of Chinese wine itself, Professor Li Demei of Beijing Agricultural College stressed that Chinese wine is shifting “from volume to value”, with education, research and the standardization of appellations forming the key to improving the competition advantage on international stage. Charles Guo, Founder of Winemaster House, added:

“For Chinese wineries, ‘going global’ is by no means just about selling wine abroad. Only when we can resonate consumers with our stories, our terroir and our culture will Chinese wine truly have the potential to globalize.”

In addition, the “Chinese Fine Wine Club” will make its debut at ProWein Düsseldorf 2026, presenting the quality and international image of China’s fine wineries and marking another important milestone in the journey of Chinese wine onto the world stage.

With “Shape, Create, Elevate” as its core mission, ProWein will continue to connect global markets, lead industry innovation and create meaningful experiences in the global wine and spirits ecosystem. From 15 to 17 March 2026, we look forward to welcoming you again in Düsseldorf.