What role do Languedoc-Roussillon wines from Saint-Chinian have to play in the premium on-trade?
To find out The Buyer teamed up with leading Languedoc-Roussillon producer, Cave de Vignerons de Saint-Chinian, to look at how it can develop its export strategy and build distribution in the UK premium on-trade by getting direct, independent feedback and analysis from key on-trade buyers.
Together we were able to recruit a panel of leading buyers willing to take part in our latest The Buyer’s Case project – click here to read the full downloadable report.
The report sets out to:
• Allow drinks producers and suppliers to target their products at key buyers in the channels they want to work with.
• The Buyer works with producers, or suppliers, to identify the outlets where they would like to see their beers, wines or spirits listed.
• We then recruit buyers in different operators and send them a case each of the products in question to be tasted and assessed.
• Providing direct feedback from the buyers about whether their product would, or would not be suitable for that outlet and why.
Opportunity for Cave de Vignerons de Saint-Chinian
The Cave de Vignerons de Saint-Chinian was keen to work with The Buyer so that it could get a better understanding of the needs of the UK on-trade for whilst it has built up a strong reputation for producing quality wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon, with good sales both domestically in France and in many key exports markets, it has been unable to gain as much traction in the UK as it would like. Particularly in the premium on-trade.
The producer was first founded in 1937, long before the AOC of Saint Chinian was created. In the 1960s the cellar produced over 100,000 hectolitres, but its production has been scaled back over the years due to local AOC laws that only allow for 45 hectolitres per hectare. It, therefore, today produces 35,000hl, with a total of 179 growers and 800 hectares of vines spread over five villages.
To help achieve its goal, two years ago it brought in a young winemaker, Benoit Macia, who has done 17 harvests in three different countries. Including one in California, for the Laird family Estate, also in Argentina, where he worked for Tapiz, and Freixenet, with whom he won best Malbec in Argentina in 2013 and 2014. In France he has worked in Margaux, Tavel, Costieres de Nimes, Lirac, Bandol, and now the Languedoc, where he was born.
His approach to creating what he calls “sexy”, or “disco” wines has brought a new dimension to the winery’s winemaking and blending. Its strategy has worked well in the French market, where it believes it has got the quality to value balance right, selling over 500,000 bottles per year to the French restaurant trade. It still, however, has to make inroads in to the UK on-trade, which is why it has linked up to do The Buyer’s Case.
The Buyers
The buyers that took part in The Buyer’s Case were:
James Davy is very much focused on bringing new ideas to his family business
* James Davy, Davy’s Wine Merchants
* Guillaume Mahaut, ETM Group
* Rebecca Palmer, Corney & Barrow
* Ted Sandbach, The Oxford Wine Company
Buyers’ questions
Each were asked to taste the wines and then feedback their thoughts based on the following questions:
• What do you think of the wine and the style?
• Is this the kind of wine of you would consider listing (note there was no obligation to do so if they said yes)?
• If yes please explain why.
• What do you think of the price point?
• What do you think of the packaging?
• Any suggested improvements?
• If you did list a wine would you put it on by the glass or the bottle or both? Explain why.
• Which channel of the on-trade do you think this wine is best suited for?
Our thanks for their support and time in taking part in this study.
Find out what they thought of the wines in this comprehensive tasting report. Click here to read the full downloadable report.
- If you would like to take part in The Buyer’s Case or find out more details about how it works then contact Richard Siddle at editorial@the-buyer.net
