Fans of prestige wines such as Chateau Lafleur and Ducru Beaucaillou have been informed that this year's London International Wine Fair (LIWF) will remain at ExCeL, in spite of rumours that the organisers were considering moving the event to central London.

The site, which will be redeveloped after the 2012 Olympics come to an end, has been confirmed as the venue for next year's LIWF due to its air-conditioned halls, modern design and proximity to the City Airport, which helps the fair to attract international visitors, Harper's Wine and Spirit reports.

James Murray, LIWF event director, said the choice of venue is an important part of the event's overall appeal.

"Bearing in mind the revelations about the future of Earl's Court and Olympia though, it's difficult to imagine how the show could develop at either location," he told the publication.

"The next best option would be Birmingham's NEC which we don't believe fits the profile of the show."

After attracting nearly 14,000 attendees in May, the next LIWF has been scheduled to take place between May 22nd and 2012.

Highlights of this year's show included the chance for visitors to take a closer look at one of the 200-year-old bottles of champagne that were recovered from a shipwreck under the Baltic Sea.

"Whilst we're pleased that we have seen a slight increase in the visitor numbers this year, it is the quality of those visiting that is key to our exhibitors, and many have reported their most successful show for many years," said Mr Murray after the event.

Wine aficionados are also preparing to visit Winefuture Hong Kong in November, which will attract some of the industry's biggest names, including Robert Parker, Angelo Gaja and James Suckling.

Robert Parker's masterclass and tasting of 20 Bordeaux wines from 2009 is expected to be one of the highlights of the event.