Horeca: the fair’s No.1 visitor category

Every year, Horeca professionals prove to be strong Loire Valley enthusiasts. In 2011, they represented 21.9 % of visitors to the fair – a figure that underscores Loire wines’ top rank in restaurants, which sell an average of 6.3 (75cl) bottles from the region daily. For Julien Chazot, owner of L’Harmonie des Vins, a wine bar in Lyon, “the Loire Valley Wine Trade Fair is an unmissable event. It’s still a vigneron’s fair, convivial and accessible, and we always attend. ” Restaurateur Gilles Vert, who runs Le Petit Jardin in Paris, takes a similar view: “This fair is the only chance I get during the year to travel to the Loire Valley and discover or rediscover local wines over one or two days. ”