Vinexpo is opening in Bordeaux in 2 days. The wine industry is as usual in that period under the scrutiny of international media since it is one of the strong events of the business. Weirdly enough two European governments chose this moment to announce new laws or reinforcement of existing laws in two countries, well known for producing great wines, France and Turkey. In Turkey, law number 6487 would put a lot of restrictions on the promotion and sale of alcohol. In France, the (in)famous Evin law would be reinforced: bloggers, whether they are producers, marketers or journalists would not be able to write about wine anymore or use social media to express themselves.

What is behind those projects? Taner Öğütoğlu, Director of Wines of Turkey, told Andrew Jefford: “We don’t know how to react. If there was a big threat of alcoholism, we would understand the need for legislation. But there isn’t; the level is very low here in Turkey – much less than 1% of the population. What the government is doing is bringing in religiously orientated restrictions.” Jefford also talked to the President of the Turkish Wine Producers’ Association, Ali Başman of Kavaklidere on the same topic: “[...] the law would make it hard for new products to be launched and discussed, for new restaurants wishing to serve alcohol to open, for wineries to sell on the internet and for ordinary Turks and overseas visitors to visit vineyards.”
For French health officials, Internet is the favorite media of young people. By forbidding wine professionals to write about alcohol, including wine, on blogs and social media, health official hope to decrease binge drinking.  In “real life”, young people don’t go on the Web to learn about alcohol, they go to the supermarket to buy spirits.

Is edicting a law the right way to prevent alcoholism or binge drinking? Prohibition in the US showed the inefficiency of such tactics. Alcohol became even more seductive because it was forbidden. Education on the other hand is a good way to promote moderation and to teach how wine is linked to the history and the culture of a country.

I wish a lot of people will attend the tasting organized by the Wines of Turkey during Vinexpo and will then testify of the long and beautiful history of those wines. I also wish that our politicians will come to Vinexpo, talk to producers and professionals passionate about their craft and business, taste some great wines from all over the world and come to realize that wine like music is one of the most powerful links between civilizations.

China and European wines were having a wonderful honeymoon until a few days ago when China threatened to fine European wines in retaliation of European taxes on Chinese solar tachnology imported to Europe. (I am NOT joking!) European wine producers exported more than a billion euros to China in 2012. France is the first exporter with 140 millions liters of wine sold in 2012, Bordeaux being  the main region while Burgundy does not rely as musch on China that bringts only 50 millions€.

Chinese wine drinkers are more and more educated and can make the difference between bad, mediocre and great wines. This is thanks to the education brought by Chinese sommeliers and wine professionals trained in Europe as well as iniatives by major European brands and estates.

Michel Gonet, famous Champagne House also owner of several properties in Bordeaux, opened a private club in Shanghaï, pronounced Gaonai. First famous for its high quality Champagnes, Michel Gonet expanded to Bordeaux where he acquired Château Lesparre and château Haut-Bacalan managed by Charles-Henri Gonet where the famous Chinese TV series, Cherish Our Love Forever, was filmed in 2010. Because of his priviledged links with the Chinese young consultant Hao Zeng and the success of the series in China, Frederic Gonet reinforced the family presence in Shanghai through the Gaonai Center.  The Club is dedicated to the French lifestyle with upscale wine tastings, master classes on Bordeaux wines and of course a gourmet restaurant.

On an even more commercial scale, some major auctions are now organized by the most prestigious brands in Shanhai, Beijing or Hong Kong.  Domaine Clarence Dillon, owners of Château Haut-Brion, Château La Mission Haut-Brion and Château Quintus, just announced its first ex-cellars auction in Asia, according to Jane Anson. Chinese conglomerates are buying wine estates in Bordeaux and Burgundy. The famous wine consultant Michel Rolland just sold his three chateaux to Sutong Pan, chairman of Hong Kong-based investment holding company Goldin Financial Holdings and Chateau Loudenne was purchasesd by the Beiju Group.

What would be the potential consequences of the Chinese retaliation? Wine professionals and European press were outraged by the Chinese threat and its consequences on sales in China. More likely, any retaliation would also be a risk for  Chinese wine lovers. They would have to pay a lot of money to get their favorite wines. A moderate consumption of wine (instead of the current heavy consumption of beer) is recommended by the Chinese governement as  a good influence on one’s health. Wine is also becoming a cultural product (more than just a commodity or a status product) in China. And what about all those properties bought by Chinese groups or individuals? What will become of them?

The delicate balance  between the French and the Chinese wine industry could be challenged by a move of the Chinese governement.  Wine is not only about money: it is also about culture, sharing and taste. Europe built over the last 20 years deep links and gained much knowledge about the Chinese consumers’ tastes. Chinese wine lovers learnt to appreciate and know our wines. What a pity it would be to destroy this nascent cultural exchange over some solar panels issue. Let us hope it is only a storm in a teacup, at least in a very samell wine glass.

This question seems ludicrous to a lot of American wine professionals if I believe what I read in the last few days about the new TTB guidelines. In Europe and mainly in France this question was answered years ago by the Evin Law: yes, talking and writing on social media and/or on the Net about a wine or a beer brand is advertising. It also falls under the restricting law related to health and to young people. That is why in 2008 the French site of the Heineken beer was closed as it was supposedly targeting young people. Some critics on Champagne (just before the holidays) were considered advertising and as such the magazine was fined. Some videos on Champagne (yes, Champagne) could not been shown in France but were available on YouTube in their “American” version for everybody to watch them.

Will the new guidelines of the TTB impact the American wine industry as heavily as French laws did for the French industry? Maybe not.  According to Cathy Bussewitz in her article in The Press Democrat, wineries will have to list their name and address on their Twitter account. On videos, even on YouTube, they would have to include mandatory mentions.  What will be the impact on YouTube Channels such as the ones of some preminent wineries – richly paid for to YouTube?  What will be the consequences for digital tastings on Twitter and all the various #ChardonnayDay or #CabernetDay twittering?

Those questions are still open to discussion. Wine and digital media professionals do not have the same answers. According to Bussewitz, Foley Family Wines and Jackson Family Wines aim to follow regulations, citing Andrea Smalling, chief marketing officer of Foley Family Wines. Digital media professionals are more skeptical: is it really necessary to have more rules? If one considers how negative an impact rules had on the French wine industry, one might just hope that the American wine industry will band against an other freedom-destroying regulation.

With weather improving everyday, pink wine is more and more visible on restaurant tables and in people’s homes. Is it the new wine color? For many years, in Europe, pink wines were considered as “non wines”, i.e. wines for people who didn’t know anything about wine. Then,  it was considered as the “wine for women”, i.e. wine being a man’s business, women could not understand what was good for them.  And then, surprise, in 2008, a study run by the International Associated Women in Wine Organization showed that women liked their wine red and tannic. The American market did not show much interest in the color, except for white zinfandel while young female Japanese professionals fell for pink Champagne, such as the gorgeous Brut Nature Zero Dosage Rosé by Drappier.

What is the situation now? The ambiguity of the color itself contributes to a lot of misapprehensions and misunderstandings. In the French tradition, for example, pink wine is traditionally a blend of several grapes, such as grenache, cinsault or mourvedre. In the US, the few pink wines I drank lately were very often blended from one single grape, mostly syrah or grenache. It happened that this year I received several French pink wines (we call them “rosés”) made from one single grape – one from syrah and the other one from grenache. I enjoyed the Syrah Rosé by Camas, also available in Bag-in-the-Box container. Ogier, the famous Rhone Valley wine producer, also made a traditional rosé blend, with 60% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 15% syrah, 10% mourvedre sold in supermarkets, like the Camas brand.

The fact that blended rosés, very gastronomic and fine, are able to find room on the shelves of supermarkets along with a BIB Syrah rosé, means that the consumers’ tastes are evolving. More open to novelty,  French consumers are now ready and willing to explore a different road besides the famous “rosé de provence.”

In 2011, The Wine Management Institute of Dijon, in Burgundy, France launched a 5-year study on international wine blogs under my direction with the help of our 40 to 50 students coming from all over the world. The first year (2011) was devoted to American and Chinese blogs. We are on our way for the second year (2012) studying South European wine blogs, British, Canadian and Chinese (again) wine blogs. The purpose of the research is to draw a portrait of bloggers all around the world, a typology of blogs and a first approach of digital writing all over the world. The research aimed at helping the wine professionals to get to know this new strategy of communications and academics to have a better understanding of the practical aspect of marketing in the wine industry.

To read the full study in English.

March 8 is officially our day, Women’s Day.  We should pay more often a tribute to those women, wine producers or professionals, who are often the source of interesting initiatives. This article aims at mentioning just a few of those ideas or different approaches on various wine related topics. This is my way to tell them “Thank you” not only for some of the best wines I tasted but also for being great human beings and friends.

A few days ago, I received an email from Laetitia Mauriac, who owns and manages with her brother Arthur Château La Levrette in Blaye near Bordeaux, to join a group of women wine professionals.  I knew Laetitia’s wines and strategy from various tastings and events.  Her name is famous in France as she is the great-niece of the writer François Mauriac, who owned Château Malagar and placed many of his novels in the Bordeaux region. But Laetitia is more than the heir of a prestigious name. She is a nice, bright, creative and imaginative wine producer and woman. The label of her wines is a delight in the conservative Bordeaux world: on a white background the design of the letters and the little greyhound, elegant and delicate like Laetitia’s wines, makes the bottle stand out immediately on a shelf.  Laetitia and her brother Louis are also responsible for one of the funniest video I ever saw going viral on the Web: how to seduce a woman with Château La Levrette. And the wines themselves are so good: I especially enjoy her white wine at various tastings.

During this meeting with several wine women, I was also surprised by the design of an other label, Château Saint-Barbe. According to the marketing director, Claire Lescanne, the design was the result of a study on what kind of labels women like. The idea behind it was that women are mostly buying wines and they love elegant and original labels that enhance the quality of the experience. It does not mean they are not able to make the difference between a bad wine in a nicely designed packaging and a good wine in a so-so packaging. They just enjoy a nice looking bottle: it is part of the wine experience.

During the same lunch I also met a woman who is going to open a wine store in Paris dedicated mostly to wines produced by women. The world of wine is so rich in great people I always enjoy spending a few hours talking to wine professionals.

And there are so many great women with whom I spent many delightful hours talking about and tasting wines – theirs and others’. In that very special day I would like to raise my glass to Joan Dillon, Duchess of Mouchy who opened the doors to great wines, Caroline Lestimé in Chassagne-Montrachet, Joëlle Brouard, founder and director of the Wine Management Institute in Dijon, Burgundy and many others I crossed paths with and am very grateful to. Cheers to you, ladies!

A recent study by Nielsen shows that the 2011 trend of decreasing prices for wine bottles will keep going in 2012. If this is good news for consumers, it is bad news for producers who would like nothing more than reversing the trend.  But it will not be the case in 2012:

Source - Nielsen, 2012

According to Wine Market Council President John Gillespie, “One of the reasons the over-$20 segment was strong, was that there was a great deal of price discounting in that category. When people see a wine that they’ve bought before for $45 or $35, and it’s now $22.99, they buy it.”

But what drives wine sales is mostly the economy and mid price categories. If the industry is looking to increase its prices, consumers do not have the power (or the will) to pay a lot more for their bottle of wine.  This statement is confirmed by Gillespie: “2012 will probably mirror 2011 in terms of consumption frequency and purchase price-points. Within that there may be some shifting, because if there are shortages in California, there are certainly no shortages in Europe, South America or Australia. But I don’t see any real changes on the horizon in terms of overall consumer behavior with wine in the U.S. in the coming 12 months.”

This situation is not the best for domestic wine producers but not good either for imported wines coming from France, South America or Australia. It means that the QPR must be very good in order to stand out and get the consumer’s interest. American wine professionals foresee only a few ways to get the bottles out of the shelves: direct-to-consumers sales through a wine club, a site or in the tasting room as well as on a “flash sale” site.  2012 will be again a good year of opportunities for the wine consumers.

Letting a blog silent for many months after years of writing posts several times a week and sharing thoughts with readers and/or friends was not an easy decision. Of course, I could mention the increasing pressure of work and of two teaching positions, speaking assignments  in the US and Europe or the writing of a new book (in French – don’t get your hopes too high ) but it would not be quite true. In fact for the last few months I was asking myself what I could write about in this blog devoted to new technologies and innovation in the wine business. It seemed that precisely the innovative and creative trek was slowing down in the US and in Europe. I felt frustrated and could not decide what to do. Well… I did not do anything…

Suddenly out of nowhere in the last few weeks  a lot of news (good or bad depending…) and new trends came in my mail boxes and woke me up. Was it me – bored with what I was doing or really the financial crisis letting people drop their projects by lack of money? Whatever the reason life is back and I intent to share again some thoughts and news in this blog. I hope you’ll forgive me for letting you down and that we’ll be able to renew our links.

Let’s go back to work right now. Being a writer (in French and English) as well as a blogger and journalist I always paid attention to what was going on in the press. Today a couple of pieces of bad news came to my doorstep and got me thinking about digital writing: the great Quarterly Review of Wines folded it wings after 35 years of high quality wine writing and publishing. It was one of those perfectly thought out, beautifully written and researched magazines that was the pride of the international wine press. Why did it fold? There is no more romance in wine, says founder Richard L. Elia to decanter.com: “Beyond the usual explanations — upcoming retirements, the magazine world is in perilous shape, advertising is down, the digital age is king, out-of-state wine delivery problems — what initially attracted us to wine was the romance of it. [...] Today, wine is often dominated by marketing and finance people, who measure their interest by numbers.”

Second piece of bad news: the Spanish wine magazine Sibaritas also folds. After 18 years, José Penin, its founder, stopped the publication to go online, as he explained to decanter.com : “The recession and the rise of online wine sites meant reader numbers dropped significantly in 2009. ‘To keep Sibaritas alive we didn’t want to cut the number of issues, or the content or contributions from our acclaimed writers, so we decided to make this painful decision’, said Penin.”

Romance gone, on line competition… Is it good news or bad news for the wine industry? It is always very sad to see great magazines fold whatever the reasons. But saying that the wine industry is dominated by finance and marketing people might be an overview of the situation. There are still millions of small quality oriented vineyards needing attention from the press. If corporations are very powerful in many industries, it is still marginal – as far as I know – in the wine industry – at least in Europe. Why not write about those wineries and wine producers? But I can understand that a life long project can exhaust somebody’s energy. And as Brian St Pierre told decanter.com, The QRW “seems to be going more from battle fatigue than that the crass bad guys are winning, but they leave the field with honour intact (and the fight goes on, I hope).” Thank you to the Quarterly Review of Wines for hours of great reading.

What about the on line competition? It is not so much a competition than a different world: the press does not talk to the same readers. A traditional magazine will reach to older people used to the print while the on line press will reach the younger crowds, widely connected to their cell phone. The rise of the tablets (iPad, Kindle and others) is helping the switch from print to on line. The online world opens tremendous opportunities to the press to re-think its editorial line, its style and its connection to its readers. Millions of tasting notes from consumers are now available on line: do they need (or wish) to have more tasting notes from wine critics? Should a producer pay more attention to wine critics than to consumers’ opinions? How could an on line magazine make use of this huge amount of data generously shared on line by consumers and amateurs? What is the situation of the copyrights of consumers on line?

This is just a few thoughts to flex my fingers and get my neurons back to work after months of “leisure”. Let me tell you how happy I am to be back!

If you love wine, running and New York, come applaud 15 Classed Growths of Bordeaux whose managers decided to run the New York Marathon in November 2011 to raise money for a good cause. Under the name “Bordeaux Grands Crus Runners”, those marathon veterans will run the 26.2 miles to celebrate wine and raise money for the organization Lysistrata, which works to defend women’s rights in the world. The famous artist Titouan Lamazou is one of its supporters and will cover the event.

Taking advantage of the international coverage of the event, the French Runners will contribute by auctioning some of their best wines to help Lysistrata. They will also promote the Bordeaux wines by dinners and prestigious events.

Each of the 15 Runners has different reasons to leave for New York: Marie-Louise Schÿler, Communication Director of Château Pichon Longueville in Pauillac, is there for “the values of conviviality, solidarity and helping others”.  For Henri Lurton, owner of Château Brane-Cantenac, “New York represents the challenge of  overcoming his “deficient aptitude” through team  spirit and, above all, the motivation of being able to proudly sport a coveted medal”.  Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, Director of Château Clerc Milon in Pauillac, “has been  motivated in his training by the group’s  enthusiasm, the charitable dimension to the project and the sporting challenge.”

Whatever the reason driving those men and women to run in New York, the cause, the event and the challenge are worth all the efforts, energy and talent put together to make a great success of the Grands Crus Runners’ initiative. Hat to them all!

Recently listening to a panel on drinking local during a conference, I was a little surprised by what I heard. Two main issues were raised among the panelists:

- Price is the main issue: consumers are reluctant to pay more for local wines. One of the panelists got a few laughs from the audience when he asked why American consumers are ready to pay $10,000 for a mass-market car and $50,000 for a luxury American one?

- Drinking local and eating local should be disconnected as producers do not have the same production costs in wine and food.

Both issues are important but, as a European, I had the feeling that the main issues were bypassed by the panelists. In Europe, “local” wines are really produced locally. When you visit an estate, you see the vineyards around the house. if, on a bottle, there is no mention of an estate, consumers know this is a cooperative wine, like in NV Champagne, for example. In the US, it is not uncommon to be invited in a vatroom or a tasting room at a “local” winery and not see any vineyards around the place. The winemaker or the owner will explain matter-of-factly that grapes or juices are bought from grape growers not too far or much further.

In such a context, what does “drinking local” mean for a consumer? Reading the back label of many wine brands, I see frequent mentions of grapes being bought to growers sharing the same values as the winemaker, such as low yield or healthy grapes. It might be one of those “cultural differences” but I do feel a little perplexed: where do the grapes really come from? When I read “Central Coast” on the front label, are the grapes from Paso Robles, Buellton or Santa Ynez Valley? What kind of quality guarantee do I get as a consumer? Not being able to see the actual vineyards is very frustrating. And speaking of price point, why should a consumer pay $15 for a wine whose grape growing is unknown?

This said, it does not mean that the wines are not good or well made. It just raises the question of what “drinking local” means in the US from an international point of view: how can American wine producers successfully market their wines on European markets where origin is a crucial issue? How can European wine producers successfully market their wines in the US where origin is not an issue? If you have the answer, let me know…