Vinitech-Sifel unveils a 2026 program with more than 70 conferences on vineyards under pressure

With 20 days left before the opening of Vinitech-Sifel 2026, organizers on November 12 released the main scientific, economic and technical program for the trade fair, which will run from December 1 to December 3 at the Parc des Expositions de Bordeaux.

The 25th edition will center on the pressures reshaping vineyards and farm businesses, especially economic strain, climate adaptation, agroecology and the search for new sources of revenue. Organizers said the program will bring together the full sector through more than 70 conferences, forums and technical workshops, along with 500 exhibitors and several live demonstration formats.

The opening morning on December 1 will begin with a 45-minute roundtable on wine tourism, presented as a discussion on how the activity can create value and support diversification in France. Scheduled speakers include Nathalie Delattre, senator for Gironde; Michel Chapoutier of the national Vignobles & Découvertes federation; Solène Jaboulet of the Cité du Vin; and Olivier Sautel of Deloitte.

Later that day, the fair will host the Grand Direct of the CNAOC, designed as an open forum for the sector at a time of economic difficulty. Organizers said the event will be split into two sessions. The first, titled Recreating Desire, will examine how wine and appellations can reconnect with younger consumers and adapt their messaging to changing patterns of consumption. Participants announced for that debate include Martin Cubertafond, Krystel Lepresle and Jérôme Bauer.

The second CNAOC session will focus on whether France’s appellation system acts more as protection or as a burden. According to the program, speakers will discuss how to turn the framework for protected origin wines into an economic tool instead of a restriction. The debate is expected to cover simpler production rules, diversification, wine tourism and exports, with contributions from Thiébault Huber, Raphaël Fattier and representatives of appellations and winegrowers’ groups.

On December 2, the fair will hold the fourth Agroecology Summit. Organizers said the event will bring together scientists and technical experts working on soil regeneration and climate adaptation. The list of speakers includes biologist Marc-André Selosse, agroclimatologist Serge Zaka, INRAE research directors Céline Pélosi and Lionel Ranjard, plant geneticist Christian Huyghe and agroforestry specialist Hervé Coves. The program will also include case studies from companies, including Maison Martell.

A session with a Spanish focus is also planned for December 2, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Hall 1, Forum 3. The roundtable, titled Sustainable Innovation in Vineyards and Wineries, will cover international research, development and innovation projects and other sustainability initiatives. The announced speakers are Sergi Lamo of PTV, Eloi Montcada of INNOVI and Mireia Torres of the Regenerative Viticulture Association.

The final day, December 3, will include a morning devoted to diversification. Organizers said the discussions will focus on how to make better economic use of agricultural land, with presentations on the technical and financial viability of complementary crops such as kiwi, olives, hemp, citrus fruits and berries.

Beyond the conference program, Vinitech-Sifel is expanding its practical and skills-based formats. Organizers announced four competitions under the name Vinitech Games. These include a virtual vine-pruning contest developed by AgroCampus Bordeaux Gironde with immersive technology from Studio Nyx, a tractor-driving competition backed by the NAVI project, a cocktail competition led with support from the CIVB and UMIH 33, and a barrel-rolling contest for exhibiting cooperages including Taransaud, Demptos and Sylvain, with a separate category for students in training.

The barrel-rolling event will also feature trophies made from local grape pomace through 3D printing. Organizers said the prizes will be produced by exhibitor Metay 3D, which has received recognition in the fair’s innovation awards.

Another feature, Wine & Spirit Profiling, will offer comparative tasting workshops led by the French Institute of Vine and Wine, the Union of French Oenologists and Enosens, with support from international specialists. According to the organizers, the sessions will address changing consumer habits, climate-related challenges and the value of international terroirs. The program is expected to include a presentation by Mireia Torres on the Torres family’s work recovering ancestral grape varieties as a response to global warming, and a master class by Hungary’s Domaine Gál on the potential of Carpathian varieties for new market demands.

The fair will also set aside a 3,000-square-meter outdoor area for its Techno Show, where professionals will be able to watch and test farm machinery, autonomous robots and other agrotechnical equipment under real operating conditions.

Organizers said the 2026 program was developed with more than 20 institutional and scientific partners, including IFV, INRAE, ISVV, Chambers of Agriculture and Inno’Vin. Vinitech-Sifel is organized by Beam, while Bordeaux Events and More, known as BEAM, said it has operated in the Bordeaux events and business tourism market for more than a century.