Lorenzo Biscontin
The season of major global wine fairs is upon us: Wine Paris opens in less than two weeks, ProWein will follow within a month, and then Vinitaly in mid-April.
While Vinitaly’s role as the Italian wine fair has never been questioned internationally, there’s no doubt that over the past three years, the growth of Wine Paris has threatened ProWein’s position as the premier global wine trade fair.
Equally undeniable is ProWein’s ability to maintain its position and, above all, its strategy to relaunch itself by presenting a new vision that begins with the 2026 edition.
To better understand the practical implications of the new strategy, we interviewed Frank Schindler, the new Director of Prowein.
The result was a long conversation in which Schindler discussed all aspects of the new ProWein 2026.
1) ProWein Düsseldorf 2026 motto is “Cultivate the visionary in you!”. How is the motto implemented in the fair organization and operation?
The wine industry is currently undergoing a fundamental transformation. Climatic, geopolitical, and socio-economic shifts are creating a situation that requires broad-based rethinking. “Cultivate the visionary in you!” is therefore not only a guiding principle for ProWein 2026 to explore new paths and continue to develop sustainably; it is also a call to our exhibitors and visitors to take bold steps into the future.
For this reason, we have consistently further developed many of our existing formats. This ranges from our education platform ProWein Agora to the repositioning of spirits under the ProSpirits umbrella, and to a stronger integration of the city of Düsseldorf through the new ProWein City Vibes concept. Ultimately, these are evolutionary developments — but taken in very large strides. Our aspiration is always to provide orientation for the industry, set impulses, and enable sustainable business — with a trade fair that encourages breaking new ground.
2) What do you think will be the top 5 highlights at ProWein Düsseldorf 2026?
ProWein Düsseldorf 2026 offers many highlights — for me, the following five stand out in particular:
At ProWein 2026, the former spirits sections will be consolidated under ProSpirits in Halls 5 and 7. This was a logical step to reflect their growing importance and to provide exhibitors with greater visibility. There will be numerous bar and mixology offerings, turning ProSpirits into a true experience.
The Agora Stage is the social heart of the fair and the platform for innovation and future-oriented topics in Hall 6. With keynotes, talks, and short impulses, it delivers thought-provoking content whose messages we carry beyond the industry. All sessions will also be available digitally after the event.
The trend toward alcohol-free wines and spirits is well established. It is currently one of the most dynamic segments of the industry: not only are style and technology advancing rapidly, but the resulting products are also becoming increasingly independent in character. ProWein Zero in Hall 5 brings this development to life with tastings, exciting insights, and the ZeroBar, which demonstrates how enjoyable and diverse alcohol-free wines and drinks can be today.
Sustainable forms of cultivation are a central topic for the industry, reflecting not only producers’ values but also growing economic relevance. Accordingly, products in this category can be found across all halls and areas of ProWein 2026. In Hall 1, ProWein Organic Visions brings together the international range of certified wines and complements it with tasting zones and various knowledge formats.
The growing sparkling wine segment is presented as a journey of discovery at ProWein Sparkling Visions. In addition to Prosecco, Cava, Sekt, and Champagne/Crémant, Hall 4 offers a rich selection of international semi-sparkling and sparkling wines. The Sparkling Bar becomes a central meeting point for tasting, exchange, and networking.
As a former exhibitor, I am also particularly pleased with the new structural improvements: a simplified hall concept with a clear country structure increases exhibitor visibility while reducing walking distances by 30%, without changing the overall exhibitor space. The optimized matchmaking tool Fair Match brings exhibitors and visitors together in a targeted way and is supported by the new I2A framework (insights-to-action), which for the first time digitally bundles the customer journey and enables optimal trade fair preparation. To help make the best use of I2A, webinar recordings for exhibitors and organizers are available on the ProWein website.
The trade fair experience is rounded off by ProWein City Vibes, which brings the passion for wine, spirits, and enjoyment from the exhibition halls into Düsseldorf’s city center. This fosters interaction between producers and consumers, an important pillar of successful marketing.
3) A trade fair is also an opportunity to learn what’s happening in the business. Can you anticipate something about the ProWein Agora program?
Visitors can look forward to a diverse and high-caliber program on our Agora Stage, where industry experts classify current developments and provide forward-looking impulses.
One panel discussion, for example, focuses on the social and political debate around alcohol and health. In the session “Poison or Culture: Who Drives the Alcohol and Health Debate?”, Julian Braithwaite, together with Felicity Carter and Dr. Tom Croghan, explores how scientific findings make their way into media, politics, and regulation — and where important nuances are often lost.
With a focus on trade and consumption, the talk “Next Economy: How Can We Drive Growth at the POS of the Future?” examines how consumer behavior is changing. Germany’s best-known futurologist, Theresa Schleicher, outlines which strategies can enable future growth.
Another program highlight is dedicated to wine tourism. In “From Experience to Value: The Future of Wine Tourism”, Prof. Dr. Gergely Szolnoki and Dr. Magalie Dubois discuss how wineries can translate experiences into sustainable economic success.
Overall, we offer more than 20 hours of programming covering all areas of the industry. Visitors and exhibitors also have the opportunity to apply by email for 15-minute keynotes, helping us open and liberalize our thematic worlds.
4) Food pairing is an essential part of the wine experience. What’s the purpose of Urban Gastronomy?
The Urban Gastronomy concept makes food and wine pairing accessible at ProWein Düsseldorf in a modern and experiential way. Chefs and selected food influencers prepare creative bites on site together with our partner Tony Askitis (#asktoni) and demonstrate in workshops how easily and flexibly food and wine can be combined today. The format is specifically aimed at the gastronomy sector and sommeliers. With this, we set a strong content focus on an established but constantly evolving field within the industry.
5) ProWein Düsseldorf was the first wine fair to dedicate a specific space to No & Low wines. This segment is growing in sales and interest, but consumers often still perceive a taste gap compared to alcoholic wine. What wines would we find at ProWein Zero?
ProWein Zero impressively demonstrates how strongly the no- and low-alcohol segment has developed. Visitors will discover de-alcoholized and partially de-alcoholized still and sparkling wines, as well as proxies that are often produced without traditional fermentation. The entire category has gained significantly in structure and complexity and is becoming increasingly independent stylistically.
It should now be clear to everyone that low and no alcohol is not a short-term trend. It is a growing market segment that will continue to differentiate and one that industry insiders must understand. The newly structured ProWein Zero provides orientation, classifies developments, and creates a clearly organized platform for producers and trade visitors. The Zero Tasting Bar curated by Meininger offers a hands-on approach and makes developments in this dynamic segment tangible. For the first time, alcohol-free spirits will also be featured at ProWein Zero.
6) Why did you decide to dedicate a specific space to sparkling wines?
The sparkling wine segment exerts — almost magically — a strong appeal not only to consumers but also to our professional visitors. In developing the concept, we were responding in part to visitor demand. With ProWein Sparkling Visions, we create an experiential world that showcases the wide range of sparkling and semi-sparkling wines and presents new faces and styles alongside established classics. At the same time, exhibitors gain an additional platform to present their entire portfolio in a dedicated setting. The concept enables a clear thematic entry point and a quick overview of a complex segment.
7) Wine and spirits are two different businesses. ProWein has always paid special attention to spirits and bartending trends, and in 2026 ProSpirits will grow to new records in both space and exhibitors. Do you see cross-fertilization between the two industries? Do you plan activities to bring them closer together at ProWein?
For me, wine and spirits are as closely connected as, for example, wine and proxies. While distribution channels and production processes differ in some cases, many spirits are produced from grapes, pomace, or wine and are aged in former wine barrels. There is also significant overlap in distribution, gastronomy, and among consumers.
These many points of contact create great potential for mutual inspiration. On the visitor side alone, many buyers are responsible for both segments and appreciate being able to cover them together at one trade fair. In addition, many wine producers also have spirits in their portfolios, which is why this category has actually been part of ProWein for over 30 years. Today, we consciously use these overlaps to promote exchange between both industries. With the profiling of ProSpirits and the integration of alcohol-free spirits into the ProWein Zero Bar, we deliberately create content interfaces from which all sides benefit.
