An Insight Into A Wine Tourism Press Trip. A Week in Germany

I went on a wine tourism trip and attended the biggest wines & spirits fair. Content creators often get invited or arrange their own trips to expand their horizons as well as get more stories. As a Wines & Spirits Journalist, I aim to travel to different winemaking countries to see what they are about. I had heard that Messe Dusseldorf would be organising a reputable event called Prowein. Prowein is the biggest international wines & spirits fair. This event was the place to be for wine and spirits professionals from all over the globe. I had to be there!

Hello Dusseldorf

Arriving at Dusseldorf Airport, I could tell that many people were heading in for the 3-day fair. I even met a South African winemaker as we were queuing at the passport control and immigration check-up points. Coming from Kenya, you can imagine the kind of warm and sunny weather I left, only for me to be greeted by -4°C weather and snow. I hopped in a cab and directed the driver to drop me at the Oscar Wilde Hotel Ship which would be my home for the next few days.

Because the hotel ship is located on the Rhine River, a taxi can only go so far and one has to walk for a short distance. My taxi driver was in an unbelievable rush to get rid of me and he hustled me to hurry up with payment and getting out of the car. He placed my suitcase on the snow-covered sidewalk, said something in German and drove away fast. He even gave me a strange look as if to say, “Why is your suitcase so big? I am sorry but you are on your own”.

I felt my heart sink, I was so alone. There was no one to help me. There were people on the street but they all gave me puzzled looks. I refused to let this moment discourage me. I had not come all the way to let one cab driver ruin my mood. I opened my suitcase and got a jacket and scarf and slowly pulled (and even lifted) my overpacked suitcase down the steep stairs. Soon after, a stranger came by and helped me. He was an old man who did not understand any English but I said “Danke” almost a million times to appreciate his generosity.

Later that day, I met up with a friend of mine called Lena who took me to “The Longest Bar” in Dusseldorf town for some beer and orientation. We had an early night because the next day would be the official opening of Prowein.

I took this photo on another sunny day but this is where I was pulling my suitcase. On the arrival day, it was covered in snow

This is where the cab left me and I had to descend some stairs and walk to the ship

The hotel entrance

Prowein in all its glory

I walked to the Messe Dusseldorf area where the fair was happening. There were halls with different wine producing countries. For example, Wines of Austria had their hall. It was like the Superbowl of the beverage industry. The statistics were alarming. There were 6,870 companies and wineries exhibiting, 60,000 visitors and attendees from 133 countries.

The fair entrance

On the first day, I just took everything in. I had scheduled some appointments and after that, I started exploring the booths. Every booth was unique. It was as if they were trying to outdo each other. There was a whole section dedicated to champagne. The spirits were not left out either.

Wines of Slovenia and Wines of Georgia

Wines of Austria. Each major wine producing country had a hall

Zooming in to the booths

The most interesting hall was “Same But Different” Hall 7 which was dedicated to handcrafted beer and spirits. Here we saw craft gin, “wine beer”, craft whisky, craft cider, aperitifs among other beverages. I tasted so many wines.

Craft Gin

Craft Beer

Wine Tourism With Wines of Germany

After that, I got to be on a press trip with 19 other wine writers and journalists from all over the world. I left the hotel and hauled my suitcase again up that snowy staircase to the road and headed to the fair for the last day. At noon, we all had lunch and put our luggage on a bus and prepared for the next adventure. Wines of Germany took us to the Nahe and Ahr Region where we met winemakers, toured vineyards and tasted more wines for the next few days. When it comes to grape varieties, Riesling is Germany’s white star while Pinot Noir is the red star. We got to taste different Riesling and Pinot Noir wines.

During a Pinot Noir tasting

The food: Mashed potatoes, steak and vegetables

Out in the vineyards

Here I was attempting to take an Instagram-worthy picture

383 Wines Tasted.

By the time Prowein and my press trip was over, I had tasted a total of 383 wines in a week. I had taken notes and I had some favourites should I encounter them again in life. And if you are wondering if we ever get drunk, we often spit our wines into containers called spittoons during these tastings. These containers are on every table. I always hated spitting out my wine (or watching someone do it) but I am used to now. This ensures that you are not swallowing any wine and getting drunk as this affects your senses. However, I got myself a bottle and enjoyed some great Pinot Noir on the last dinner.

The glassware was also amazing

Wines I tasted at Prowein

More wine

During & After Press Trips

As journalists and content creators, during press trips, we get to multitask. I was tasting wine, writing, filming, taking photos and posting on social media. All this, and I still wanted to immerse myself in the experience while remaining present. After some time, you learn to find a balance. Rather than spreading yourself too thin, you get to know how to focus on the things that matter. I filmed,took photos,tasted wines and I compiled my content at night and on the bus. I had a 10-hour layover when flying back and I wrote some of my stories then. Now to edit the numerous videos I took.

On the last day was a nice sunset

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Are you a content creator? Have you been on a reporting trip? Any tips you can add on how you balance all of it?

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Authored by @jeanwandimi

Photography by @jeanwandimi

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