Vinexpo America proves the global drinks trade is better together
Vinexpo America in Miami has now become a strategic hub for wine and spirits in the Americas. db reports on the success of last month’s show. The post Vinexpo America proves the global drinks trade is better together appeared first on The Drinks Business.
Vinexpo America in Miami has now become a strategic hub for wine and spirits in the Americas. db reports on the success of last month’s show.
Vinexpo America reaffirmed its 2025 mission: to bring together key players in the wine and spirits sector across the continent. Despite an uncertain economic and geopolitical landscape, and its new edition hosted for the first time in Miami, the show, which took place last month, made a success of cementing its role as a central meeting-point for North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. But more than that: it re-established itself as a vital platform for connection, insight and opportunity in challenging times.
The 2025 edition welcomed 2,106 wine and spirits professionals from 46 countries and featured more than 1,000 pre-scheduled business meetings. Most notably, the attendee statistics showed that 40% of the visitors came from Central America, Latin America and the Caribbean – reflecting the show’s growing influence across the region. Additionally, the data revealed that there were also strong delegations from Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico and other emerging markets which have all played a part in helping to reinforce Vinexpo America’s role as a continental business hub.
As a result of the show, Vinexpo America has successfully distinguished itself as an event for people from all sides of the sector, as was noted by its attendees, who travelled from many fields of expertise, melding together ethnicities and cultures to showcase how an event should be in this day and age. The show attracted high-level decision makers from across the Americas, including a strong presence of key importers, distributors and Horeca partner content stakeholders. Notably, buyers from across the US also made the trip to Miami – a clear sign of the event’s growing national reach and influence Stateside.
According to the attendance figures, Latin American representation was particularly robust, with significant attendance from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Puerto Rico.
This regional diversification highlights a positive attribute – the increasing strategic importance of the Americas for wine and spirits producers worldwide.
Speaking about his experience, Bodegas Sonsierra export manager Pilar Lorenzo explains: “Miami is a strategic location: it’s the link between North and South America. Many importers are concentrated there, not only from the US, but from across the continent. It’s truly a hub for the American market.”
One such session, titled ‘Importing and Distributing in the US: Finding Opportunities in 2025’, drew standingroom-only attendance, while the conference topic ‘Wine’s Future Shines Bright: What Gen Z, Millennials & Multicultural Consumers Really Want’ provided valuable insights into evolving consumer preferences and became the talk of the event.
Following the success of the 2025 edition, Vinexposium has already announced that Vinexpo America will return to Miami in 2026, reinforcing the city’s position as the strategic hub connecting the North American, Latin American and Caribbean wine and spirits markets.
Confirming this, Lameyse elaborates: “Miami delivered exactly what we were looking for: energy, connectivity and perspective,” highlighting that the show’s “unique position, linking North and Latin America, with strong ties to the Caribbean, makes it a natural business hub for our industry”. He adds: “We’ll be back in 2026 to keep growing what we’ve built here.”
Vinexpo America reaffirmed its 2025 mission: to bring together key players in the wine and spirits sector across the continent. Despite an uncertain economic and geopolitical landscape, and its new edition hosted for the first time in Miami, the show, which took place last month, made a success of cementing its role as a central meeting-point for North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. But more than that: it re-established itself as a vital platform for connection, insight and opportunity in challenging times.
The 2025 edition welcomed 2,106 wine and spirits professionals from 46 countries and featured more than 1,000 pre-scheduled business meetings. Most notably, the attendee statistics showed that 40% of the visitors came from Central America, Latin America and the Caribbean – reflecting the show’s growing influence across the region. Additionally, the data revealed that there were also strong delegations from Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico and other emerging markets which have all played a part in helping to reinforce Vinexpo America’s role as a continental business hub.
As a result of the show, Vinexpo America has successfully distinguished itself as an event for people from all sides of the sector, as was noted by its attendees, who travelled from many fields of expertise, melding together ethnicities and cultures to showcase how an event should be in this day and age. The show attracted high-level decision makers from across the Americas, including a strong presence of key importers, distributors and Horeca partner content stakeholders. Notably, buyers from across the US also made the trip to Miami – a clear sign of the event’s growing national reach and influence Stateside.
According to the attendance figures, Latin American representation was particularly robust, with significant attendance from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Puerto Rico.
This regional diversification highlights a positive attribute – the increasing strategic importance of the Americas for wine and spirits producers worldwide.
Trade tensions
Vinexposium CEO Rodolphe Lameyse says: “In a time of economic uncertainty and trade tensions, the success of this edition sends a strong signal: the industry is eager to come together, gain clarity and move forward collectively. “Vinexpo America 2025 brought together the full spectrum of the industry – from Canada to Chile – and offered international producers a strategic gateway into the market. The quality of the conversations held here confirms just how essential these events are in driving the industry’s momentum.” A notable plus point was the event’s structured business matching initiative, which generated 1,000 pre-scheduled meetings between exhibitors and prequalified buyers. This meant the focused trade environment delivered a clear return on investment for participants, with many highlighting the benefits of the new business relationships they managed to establish during the event.
Speaking about his experience, Bodegas Sonsierra export manager Pilar Lorenzo explains: “Miami is a strategic location: it’s the link between North and South America. Many importers are concentrated there, not only from the US, but from across the continent. It’s truly a hub for the American market.”
Impressive diversity
Another win for the show saw the 2025 edition featuring an impressive diversity of exhibitors and pavilions, including newcomers such as Wines of Macedonia and Yes, Romania bringing their business to Miami. These participating companies and regions outlined the growing interest in the US market from emerging wine regions worldwide. Added to this, it was evident that traditional wine-producing regions were also well-represented, with significant wine regions from France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and more all showcasing their wares. Meanwhile, an abundance of spirits producers were also present in growing numbers, with a wide range of international brands showcasing whisky, brandy, mezcal, sake, baijiu and ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails. Describing the success of the event, Colombia-based Vincorte CEO Alejandro De Laire highlights the fact that “having the fair in Miami is great for us, as we are located in South America”, and notes: “Miami is a key gateway for trade, not only in North and Central America but also in the Caribbean, so I am excited to be expanding our frontiers thanks to Vinexposium.” Benefits for attendees also included the Vinexpo Academy providing crucial market intelligence through its comprehensive schedule of masterclasses, conferences and the new Quick Talks format. Sessions went ahead addressing the evolving landscape of US distribution, emerging consumer trends and market opportunities throughout the Americas, and each of these were well-attended, according to the organisers.
One such session, titled ‘Importing and Distributing in the US: Finding Opportunities in 2025’, drew standingroom-only attendance, while the conference topic ‘Wine’s Future Shines Bright: What Gen Z, Millennials & Multicultural Consumers Really Want’ provided valuable insights into evolving consumer preferences and became the talk of the event.
Following the success of the 2025 edition, Vinexposium has already announced that Vinexpo America will return to Miami in 2026, reinforcing the city’s position as the strategic hub connecting the North American, Latin American and Caribbean wine and spirits markets.
Confirming this, Lameyse elaborates: “Miami delivered exactly what we were looking for: energy, connectivity and perspective,” highlighting that the show’s “unique position, linking North and Latin America, with strong ties to the Caribbean, makes it a natural business hub for our industry”. He adds: “We’ll be back in 2026 to keep growing what we’ve built here.” 
