The biggest buyers in the wine and spirits sector were in Saguenay on Tuesday to discover the region’s products. This is the first visit to Quebec for the Vinexpo Explorer meeting.
They come from China, France, Spain, the United States and several other countries to taste local products. In total, 35 foreign buyers come to visit 25 Quebec distilleries. The objective is to create relationships to export products internationally.
“We are a professional trade fair organizer. Every year we want to go to a vineyard, or a region that offers spirits, that is not yet in the spotlight, that is not yet fully known and that needs a small boost in exports,” explained Camille Cordasco, director of the project. for Vinexposio.
“I think Quebec producers are very imaginative, very creative. They use ingredients that are not necessarily found in Europe. There are several products that we would like to import to France,” mentioned one of the buyers.
“There are gins and whiskeys that interest certain buyers. Others look for rum, creams, acerums,” says Iana Tislinscaia, head of large buyers at Vinexposium.
This is a novelty on Quebec soil. This year, it’s Quebec’s microdistilleries that interest them.
“We see it in lounges almost everywhere, more and more a part (is dedicated) to spirits. Quebec is definitely on this trend. These are relationships that will probably last two, three, ten years, that is why we want to bet,” admitted Geneviève Laforest, from the Union of Quebec Distilleries.
“We chose the Fjord distillery because the forest and the aromatics are very far away. The idea was to give them the Quebec experience. There is a word that I have seen come up very often: surprise,” Cordasco added.
A buyer from Taiwan explained that Quebec products are attracting more and more international attention.
“Now we don’t have any products from Quebec, it’s a missing piece. I might find interesting things for our marketing in Taiwan,” she said.
And Distillerie du Fjord seems to be doing well, not least for a UK buyer.
“The product that stands out for me and many others is definitely Labrador tea. “It’s fantastic!” he exclaimed.
For the distillery’s co-founder, Jean-Philippe Bouchard, this is an opportunity for his company to develop in the international market.
“It means growth for us. It puts us “in trouble”. Little by little we are beginning to (take steps) at the international level. I had excellent contacts with the United Kingdom, the United States and Taiwan,” she said.
It will be this Wednesday when we will know if the seduction operation was successful. Buyers will choose products that have performed well and can be sold in other countries.
