Having already developed a branding for itself as a leading destination for wine tourism, Portugal is keen to develop this segment of tourists from India as well. With this objective in mind, Portugal mounted a large delegation for participation at the recent ProWine Mumbai 2022, leading wine show in the country.

Despite its relatively compact size, Portugal is home to a large variety of wines, that vary dramatically from the warmer Mediterranean climate in the south to the relatively colder Atlantic Coast in the north. Away from the coast, the hinterland also produces its own diverse range of wines.

The compact size, diversity of wines and a well-developed wine tourism industry has helped propel Portugal as the second largest destination for wine tourism in Europe, behind only Italy. “Besides the United States, we receive a lot of tourists from Germany, Spain and France, despite the fact that our two neighbours themselves are very large wine producers,’’ Carlos Pereira Marques, Ambassador of Portugal to India, tells India Outbound.

Now, Portugal is keen to expand its market to India and with the objective of attracting Indian tourists to explore its renowned vineyards and sample some of the iconic wines. With this intent, Portugal mounted a well-rounded delegation with over a dozen vineyards making a strong pitch for Indian tourists to savour some of the best countryside experiences in the world, while sipping an astounding variety of wines.

The cherry on the cake for the tourists is that two of wine producing regions are also recognised as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO – the Douro Valley Wine Region (or Douro Vinhateiro in Portuguese) and Pico Island Wine Region (Ilha do Pico Vinhateira). Portugal has a big variety of local kinds, producing a very wide variety of different wines with distinctive personality.

Accordingly, at ProWine in Mumbai Portugal presented its 12 select wines for promoting not just the export of wines to India, but also to create greater awareness about the rich opportunities for wine tourism in Portugal.

Besides Portugal, the second edition of ProWine Mumbai, part of ProWine World and jointly organised by Messe Düsseldorf India and All Things Nice, saw wine producers from at least a dozen countries, including Italy, France, Germany, Australia, South Africa and Chile.

ProWine organisers say that trade visitors at the show came from all relevant sectors, from small top restaurateurs through to wholesale importers. “The event has witnessed an encouraging response from the industry with participation of over a thousand brands from across the world covering wines, spirits, craft beverages and allied segments,’’ says a press statement by ProWine Mumbai.

ProWine Mumbai featured over 150 companies showcasing over 1000 brands across 19 countries and 4140 attendees from the industry, they say.

Besides the wine, in the spirits section, the show also featured producers of gin, vodka, single malts, rum, tequila, mezcal and beer.

“I am very delighted to see the stakeholders from the global Wines and Spirits industry converging at the 2nd edition of ProWine Mumbai 2022. With representation from national as well as international brands from 19 countries, ProWine Mumbai 2022 has set a new benchmark for the industry. For the first time, the winners of the India Wine Awards were felicitated during ProWine Mumbai Night, in association with the Sonal Holland Wine Academy. With a tasteful blend of Masterclasses, Exhibition and Networking night, ProWine Mumbai 2022 has, once again, successfully created a much revered platform for the industry to Meet, Network and Taste,” says Thomas Schlitt, Managing Director, Messe Düsseldorf India.

“This year ProWine Mumbai exceeded all our expectations. In its second year, we had a record number of exhibitors with participation from all over the world and a record number of visitors too. The Masterclasses were well attended and The ProWine Mumbai Night was a successful networking evening. We are intent on creating the biggest and most comprehensive platform – one that can compete on a world stage – to promote wine, spirits and craft beverage businesses, brands and awareness in India. We are humbled by the support of various governments and the eagerness to showcase their brands from local distributors and producers. We strongly believe that this is India’s moment and we look forward to organising elevated editions of ProWine Mumbai in the years to come”, says Nikhil Agarwal, Founder of All Things Nice and Co-organiser of ProWine Mumbai.

The third edition of ProWine Mumbai is scheduled for October 12-14, 2023.