french president Emmanuel Macron He’s not just swirling, sniffing and sipping at the Paris Wine Show – he’s bringing a dash of Davos swagger with him.This is the first time a head of state has visited the Paris Wine Fair since Macron’s Socialist predecessor François Hollande made an appearance in 2015.Macron received gifts during a visit to one of the industry’s biggest gatherings, including a bottle labeled “For Sure” and wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses – a reference to his viral speech in Davos earlier this month, AFP reported.“That’s great,” he said with a smile.After inspecting a bottle of fine Chinese wine, he stressed that the country “knows how to produce” – another concern for French producers.French and European wines are also affected by US President Donald Trump’s 10% and 15% tariffs on European alcoholic beverages in 2025.Beverage exports to the United States, France’s biggest destination for wine, fell 20% last year to 3.2 billion euros, according to French customs data.“One of the key points is to export effectively in Europe, defend (French wine) internationally when attacked by aggressive behavior and then go out and win new markets,” Macron said.He pointed to high potential in India, Canada and Brazil, all three countries included in the recently negotiated EU free trade agreement.For the first time, the Paris Wine Show has also opened a dedicated area for no- or low-alcohol wines and spirits, underscoring the importance of the growing demand from teetotalers.The wine and spirits industry supports 600,000 jobs in France and generates approximately 32 billion euros in revenue annually, half of which comes from exports.
