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Using the example of the creation of the Loire wine fair that has taken place in Angers every year since 1985, the author shows that practices and trade spaces contribute to the construction of wine growers’ identity and, therefore, to the social recognition of their quality wines. To this end she goes back to the creation of the fair and reveals converging interests among some wine growers in search of new outlets and politicians who try to boost the trade activities of their town. One of the objectives of the fair’s promoters today is to strengthen its international vocation. The most enterprising wine producers and traders among the exhibitors aim at establishing the fair’s reputation on values of both professionalism and conviviality that are particularly appreciated by foreign importers. As a result, smaller wine growers are progressively excluded from the fair. By getting more refined, the image of the Loire wine produces a segmentation of the offer that stimulates competition and leads to groupings of wine producers.