We are coming a long way! The union of organic wine professionals of Languedoc Roussillon (”Association Interprofessionnelle des Vins Biologiques du Languedoc-Roussillon”, AIVB- LR) was founded in 1991 and today 100 individual wineries, 4 cooperative wineries and 7 wine merchants are part of it. Its role is to promote organic wines, to be of technical advice to its members and to represent them to the public.

In 1993, the AIVB- LR created the Millésime Bio exhibition. In the beginning it was ultra-private, we got half a dozen producers of the Languedoc-Roussillon region together: organic wine was not that popular back then. In the beginning we did this fair for our German friends and clients, who showed interest in organic wines. The trader Jacques Frelin and the former Director of the AIVB LR, Jacques Rousseau, wished to bring the offer of the region together. 15 years ago, organic wine producers were rare and this also gave them the chance to meet and share experience.
Over the years, Belgian, English, Swiss and American buyers joined the ranks of visitors. Over the last few years we’ve also witnessed a growing interest from Asian buyers. French buyers are a bit rare, especially those from mass distribution, who come to the exhibition out of curiosity, rather then to make business, which is a pity.

Thierry Julien

As a fair, Millésime Bio is an ambition: to gather the widest range of organic wine offer and introduce it at its best to wine and food professionals. By so doing, we trust professionals as well as consumers, eventually, will agree that organic means quality, before anything else.
Millésime Bio was very fortunate as the exhibition was launched just at the right time by the right people! One has to render homage to Jacques Rousseau and Jacques Frelin! They chose to present the fair every year in January: the wine shows season is over, buyers have more time and want to see the new wines, while, on the production side, the wines are ready to be tasted under the best conditions.
In 2008, Millésime Bio was held in Perpignan: 300 French companies and 150 foreign companies were represented (source: Dossier de Presse AIVB LR & Milésime Bio). In 2009, we will be in Montpellier, from the 26 to 28 of January and we expect 300 exhibitors (producers/merchants) with a third of foreign attendance.
We alternate between Perpignan and Montpellier as locations, from one year to the other, because this allows us to respect the regional roots of the fair, that are both in Languedoc and in Roussillon. Also, we enjoy the hospitality of Catalan friends every other year: they’re tremendous hosts!

Thanks to the support of the Languedoc Roussillon region, we want to make Millésime Bio a leading global event: presenting a worldwide organic offer (those of the Southern hemisphere as well) and attracting buyers from all countries over the world. Millésime Bio is a showcase, a lever and is indispensable in the organic wine business. One has to mention the political support too: the region Languedoc-Roussilon supports the valorisation of organic products, they support the export of organic wines under the heading ‘South of France’.
Since 2008, we are relying on an extra media to convey our communication on the quality of organic products, the best you can imagine. These are the awarded wines that were marked by the jury of the Challenge Millésime Bio, created in 2008. Our best wines are better ambassadors of the quality of organic products than I ever could be. This challenge has also become international, like the exhibition itself, with wines from numerous countries competing against each other, for the best.