Düsseldorf, 15.03.2025 – The UENFW Board Meeting took place at the Tulip Inn with a view of the Düsseldorf stadium. ProWein 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for wine and spirits, serves as a key platform for international industry exchange. Within this framework, the Union of European National Football Teams of Winemakers (UENFW) held its board meeting. A highlight of the event was the meeting with Trade Fair Director Peter Schmitz, where current challenges and future prospects of linking winemaking and sports were discussed. The French national football team of winemakers was officially inducted into the UENFW. Additionally, the UENFW VINOEURO 2026 was presented, which will take place from May 27 to 30, 2026, in Tuscany.
The board meeting brought together representatives of European winemaker football teams to discuss the promotion of wine tourism, cultural exchange, and professional European exchange beyond sports. "ProWein 2025 once again highlights its importance as a leading industry meeting point. It enables us to engage with industry experts and political decision-makers and create synergies," said Robert Lönarz, President of UENFW.
UENFW unites national football teams of winemakers from various European countries and uses the sport to foster community, sustainability, and intercultural dialogue within the wine industry. The founder and organizer of the French team is Denis Abraham, Senior Trade Advisor and Coordinator for DACH - BeNeLux in the Wine & Spirits / WineTech sector at the French Embassy - Business France. The new team’s first international match will take place on August 30 in Geisenheim. The organizer of VINOEURO 2026 is Luigi Brunetti, who, together with Dr. Franz Josef Jung, former Federal Minister and descendant of a winemaking family in the Rheingau, initiated the European winemaker football movement in 2008.
About UENFW: The Union of European National Football Teams of Winemakers (UENFW) is a unique organization that combines football and wine. Its goal is to strengthen the European wine industry through sporting competition, cultural exchange, and sustainable initiatives. UENFW is committed to fostering close networking among European winemakers and uses its events to promote wine tourism, as well as enjoyment and culture.
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