The International Associated Women in Wine conducted a study on the consumption of wine by European women. The results were announced in June 2008 during the general Assembly of the organization and the official analysis was just released.

Some intriguing points were raised by the answers to the questionnaire, depending on the country where it was issued. Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Spain and Hungary were covered by the study.

First topic covered was women as wine buyers: in all countries, they buy local wines, shop in supermarkets (65% for Italy and 40% for Greece), in wineries (Switzerland, 68%) and in wine stores (Spain, 40,7%). Italian women buy wine for their home (35%) and to drink with their friends (22%); 54% of Greek women buy for their home; 88% of the Swiss for meals for friends; Spaniards for home (55%) and Hungarian mostly for home.

As wine consumers, women are full of surprise and have very different behavioral patterns from one country to an other one:

Where do women drink wine?

-Italy : 33% in restaurants
- Switzerland: 93% at home with friends

Spain: 70.6 % at home with the family

Hungary: mainly (without percentage) at home with friends

Which wines do they usually drink?

Italy: 48% red

53% light-fruity

54 % still

Greece: 61 % red

56 % white

37% dry

24% still

Switzerland: 89,8 % red

52.2% full bodied with intense flavor

53,8 % white

34.9% still

42.5% dry

Spain: 100% red

and 46.9% white

31.2% light-fruity

21.9% sparkling

Women also have a good wine knowledge: they attended wine seminars and tastings as well as they visited wineries to expand and diversify their knowledge. They know the main grape varietals of their country as well as in what order wines should be served at a meal.

In spite of its limits, this study shows general patterns in consuming and buying wines among European women. The International Associated Women in Wine is now working on a more complete and scientific study conducted in every European country.

Santa Barbara Winery was established in 1962 by French Canadian Pierre Lafond. It was the first winery opened in santa Barbara since the Prohibition. It was a bold move when wine was still not very trendy in the US and more specifically in California. The winery developed nicely over the decades: acres were acquired, mono varietal and blended wines were added on the list and the winery thrived. It is true that the Estate vineyards are located in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley. It is now a well known and respected name in the Santa Barbara area – thanks to the effort and work of wine maker Bruce McGuire. Pierre Lafond is also an entrepreneur and opened a few years ago a bakery in Downtown Santa Barbara. It is now a wine bistro with many events.

Why are the winery and the wine bistro relevant to this blog? Their marketing director, Annamarie Kostura, took the company on Facebook and Twitter. It is not such an unusual move in the wine business nowadays but it is unusual considering the image the winery and the wine bistro are carrying: the Santa Barbara lifestyle, so relaxed and laid back with elegance and refinement. With their presence on Facebook and Twitter, the company acknowledges the new technologies and its understanding of the quicker pace of life in the 21st century.

Bottom line? If you want to enjoy the Santa Barbara lifestyle, sit at the Wine Bistro and taste their delicious pastries. If you want to stay connected with real life, follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Cheers!

As a French wine professional, I’m always amazed by the creativity of American wine producers. While in France, you identify the wine regions by the type of grapes (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Burgundy and Champagne, Cabernet and Merlot in Bordeaux, Mourvèdre, Grenache or Malbec in the South West…), California is paradise for a lot of varieties, not at all indigeneous to the place but successfully adapted to the local terroir and thus opens the doors to very creative blends.

Dave Corey is the perfect example of this strategy. He grows Mourvèdre, Grenache, Tempranillo, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah for red wines and Roussane, Marsanne and Sauvignon blanc for the whites among others in his Alta Mesa Vineyard. His blends are very unusual for a French wine consumer: his 2006 Hard Core is a blend of 29% Mourvedre, 24% Grenache, 27% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon – impossible in France! And let’s not even think about blending 39% Grenache, 36% Tempranillo and 25% Syrah as Dave did in his 2006 Ground Around. Their quality is outstanding because Dave knows his terroirs, pays attention to the sources of the grapes and doesn’t hesitate to blend varieties for the way they’ll complement each other.

The originality of the wines is also reflected on the label. All the labels were designed by Dave’s wife and testified of a work of love and quality.

Dave Corey’s wines are the exact opposite of the image American wines carry around on the international scene: mono varietal, marketed and branded for a certain category of wine consumer, easy to drink and to forget. Dave’s wines are the proof Americans can make great signature wines – creative and innovative – for the wine lover. And those wines can rivalled with the best European wines at a much better price.

A few days ago I was pondering about the problem faced by Alsatian vintners following the new EU regulations on the origin of wine. The question became a controversy in Alsace where labeling relies a lot on the grape since most wines are mono-varietal. The same wine maker can produce gewürtztraminer, Pinot Gris and Rieasling from the same plot or terroir. The only differentiating information on the label will be the variety indication. Mark Wessels of MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC told Decanter journalist Panos Kakaviatos, “How would customers know the difference between Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl Zind Humbrecht and Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl Zind Humbrecht?”

Jean-Michel Deiss, head of the famous Marcel Deiss Domain, does not mention the variety on the front label. The mention figures only on the back label. On the front label customers read the “Grand cru” mention, the vintage and the “terroir”, Mambourg. One could assume that only a very erudite consumer would know that on the Mambourg terroir grow mostly Riesling and Pinot blanc.

Not mentioning the variety would indeed be confusing for the consumer – especially in that day an age when a lot of wine consumers from the New World buy mostly by the variety.

It would be counter productive for the producers to add to the complexity (or the mystery) of French labels. Let’s try to help the consumers understand, buy and appreciate our wines.

Today I met Jean-Claude Rieflé, owner and wine maker of the Domaine Rieflé in Pfaffenheim, near Colmar. The Rieflé family goes back to 1850 in the history of Alsace wine. Jean-Claude is also an expert in international commerce. As many of his peers, Domaine Rieflé produces Riesling, Late Harvest and all the varietal wines of Alsace.

Jean-Claude is very aware of a coming European regulation that will be operating in 2013. By then, producers will be able to create varietal brand, such as Riesling, from any place and apply on their label “Riesling”, “Wine of France” or “Riesling “Wine of Germany”, whether the grape was harvested in Languedoc, Mosel or Alsace. Those wines could be sold as low as 1,50 euros when a good Riesling on the right terroir can sell for up to 7,00 euros.

To counteract this problem, some Alsace wine producers, led by people like Jean-Claude Rieflé who have a vision, decided to stage the terroir more than the grape, as their Burgundy or Chateauneuf-du-Pape counterparts have always be doing.

In fact, as jean-Claude explained to me, this strategy is such part of the real Alsace tradition. Until the end of the 19th entury, Alsace wines were known by their terroir more than their grape. This change gives the Alsace producers the possibility to go back to their traditional roots and to make them express their terroir more than the variety.

A few years ago, I was in a wine store in Charlotte, N.C. when a young woman walked in, looked around and grabbed with obvious delight a bottle of a red wine adorned with a stylish J on the bottle: no mention of the varietal or the vintage on the front part of the bottle. I never heard of the winery and was intrigued by this mystery wine. It happened to be a bottle of Pinot Noir from the J vineyards in Russian Valley. While I was looking at the bottle and trying to figure out what it was, the young woman bought a case of it as well as a case of their sparkling wine. Waoooo! This wine must be good! I asked the woman why she was buying so much from one single producer. Her answer almost knocked me down: “My name is Johnson and since it’s our anniversary tonight, I thought it would be so cute to serve a wine with our initial on the label.” “But do you know the wine? is it good?”, did I ask her. “Oh no”, said she, “I never heard of it and it doesn’t matter anyway: I just want the “J” on the bottle!”.

Why am I telling you this story? Because J vineyards just announced they’re changing their label for their new vintage releases. Since then I did my homework and now know that J vineyards produce nice wines, deserving better than being bought for a “cute” label! Does this story tell you something?

In Wine Brands, I devoted a long section on the marketing strategy of the Cahors Vintners association and their black wine. Over a year has passed since this writing and it’s time to update the information. Let’s see what happened when my interest in Cahors wines started in 2006. Though well-perceived as a high quality wine, Cahors was losing ground on the international markets. It needed a new marketing strategy. In 2006, the professional association of Cahors winegrowers (Union Interprofessionnelle des vins de Cahors – UIVC) launched a new marketing campaign around two major concepts:

- Cahors is Malbec.
- Cahors is black.

The goal: to be different in order to be more effective in international markets, and to counter the competition of the red wines. “Cahors is black” refers to the history of the wine. The Malbec grape growing on the Cahors terroir produces a very dark wine: Cahors is not red, it is dark. That is why, since the Middle Ages, it has been known as the “black wine”.

But is black a trend in the wine business? To answer this question, on the initiative of their new Marketing Director, Jeremy Arnaud, the UIVC organized a convention there in February 2007 on the theme of the “Black Paradox”, and invited a college Professor, Michel Maffesoli, some wine professionals and a writer whose work studies colors and their meanings. Black also connotes the night, dreams, and mystery. When associated with wine it generates an emotional link with the product, which is often linked to younger consumers.

The second strong point of the Cahors wine is its grape, the Malbec. For many centuries in France it was called “Auxerrois”, but the Cahors grape is, in fact, the trendy Malbec. Malbec is one of the most sought-after grapes in Argentina and in many countries. It is popular in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Cahors has the privilege of being one of the most ancient and one of the best terroirs for Malbec. Marketing the wine as a varietal wine with a special twist has great promise in the international market. Especially since, historically, the Argentinian winemakers cannot describe their wines as black.

Creating attention through a convention, and generating studies in French, does not carry any weight in the international market. That is why the UIVC created two blogs, frenchblackwine.com and frenchmalbec.com, open to contributions from wine consumers, winegrowers and anybody else wishing to comment. Thus far the result of the campaign has been fairly successful. The February 2007 convention drew the attention of many journalists and professionals and also resulted in an agreement among the winegrowers on the two major axes of the marketing strategy.

In April 2008, Jeremy Arnaud organized the First International Malbec Days in Cahors. Argentina was the guest of honor. The manifestation drew a lot of attention to Cahors as the birth place of Malbec. After this international success, Cahors launched a three-year campaign to market its Malbec wines on the US market. The tagline of the campaign is: Cahors, the original Malbec!

Why such a campaign when the US are in one of their worst financial crisis? Americans are familiar and fond of the Argentinian Malbec, fruity and easy to drink. They are becoming aware of an other Malbec region, Cahors where Malbec originated centuries ago and were reborn in the second half of the 20th Century. Many journalists recognized the qualities and the originality of French Malbec: The Wine Spectator and The Wine Enthusiast selected two Cahors Malbecs in their 2008 Top Wines of the Year. The Boston Examiner wine critic Julia Timakhovich resumed brightly what makes the specific quality of French Malbec: she liked the wine for “its unusual coarse texture, leathery feel on the mouth, and very subtle red fruit reminiscent of blackberries—very unlike the fruitier, juicier Malbecs from Argentina” as well as its good pairing with red meat.

Considering the growing success of the Cahors French Malbec and its potential on the US market, the professional Vintners Association of Cahors is launching a 3-year plan to reach the US market and increase their market shares. The Cahors wines are the only French wines that increased their exports in 2008, which is a great accomplishment in those difficult financial times: their exports grew by 3,7% in volume and 6,4% in value, according to the latest Ubifrance figures.

A lot of actions are going to take place in the US from 2009 to 2011: tastings, events, on line events. Many surprises are in store for French Malbec lovers and drinkers. Let’s Julia have the last word on that subject: “They fly under the radar of wine connoisseurs, don’t occupy a lot of shelf space, and don’t adorn the front pages of wine journals. Hence they are usually not expensive. But they provide a good return on investment.That is, after all, Malbec’s native land. It’s like drinking history…”

Today, the world is looking to Washington DC and the inauguration of the new American President. As a wine marketer and writer, I was curious about the menu and the wines served to the new President. First fact: no Kenyan dish on the menu, as it was decided upon a few months ago and should have fitted Senator Mc Cain, if elected. Second fact: Wines and menu are 100% American.

What will Mr. Obama and his 230 guests find in their plates? The luncheon will open with a stew of sea scallops, shrimp, lobster and black cod in a cream sauce, baked in a terrine covered with a puff pastry. It will be followed by a medley of asparagus, carrots, brussels sprouts and wax beans, to accompany duck and pheasant. For dessert, the guests will enjoy this American culinary archetype, a cinnamon apple sponge cake.

And what for drinks? All wines are from California: 2007 Sauvignon Blanc from Duckhorn Vineyards, 2005 Pinot Noir from Goldeneye Winery in Anderson Valley and a sparkling white wine from Korbel vineyards. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are very classic varietals faring relatively well on the selected dishes. It is interesting to note that Duckhorn and Goldeneye are the same company!

To a lot of wine drinkers around the world, there is the Old World of wine – mainly Europe – and the New World of wines – mainly the US, Australia or South America. Andy Beckstaffer, one of the most prominent grape growers in Napa Valley, initiated a research to map the old vineyards of Napa Valley, in the hope of proving wrong the idea of California as part of the new world of wine. Theproject spearheaded when he saw some maps dated 1890.

When the Europe of wine is moving away from its roots and trying to match the New World wine industry in creating brands and refering to grape varietals instead of terroirs, the new world of wine is tracing back its roots. More and more Californian wines are refering to local places or specific plots of land. Very soon some Californian producers will even be able to date their vineyards and write the complete history of their land. Which is the proof that both strategies are valid: it is possible to link a place to a varietal as well as find your roots in history and geography.

The International Associated Women in Wine conducted a study on the consumption of wine by European women. The results were announced in June 2008 during the general Assembly of the organization and the official analysis was just released.

Some intriguing points were raised by the answers to the questionnaire, depending on the country where it was issued. Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Spain and Hungary were covered by the study.

First topic covered was women as wine buyers: in all countries, they buy local wines, shop in supermarkets (65% for Italy and 40% for Greece), in wineries (Switzerland, 68%) and in wine stores (Spain, 40,7%). Italian women buy wine for their home (35%) and to drink with their friends (22%); 54% of Greek women buy for their home; 88% of the Swiss for meals for friends; Spaniards for home (55%) and Hungarian mostly for home.

As wine consumers, women are full of surprise and have very different behavioral patterns from one country to an other one:

Where do women drink wine?

- Italy : 33% in restaurants
- Switzerland: 93% at home with friends
- Spain: 70.6 % at home with the family
- Hungary: mainly (without percentage) at home with friends

Which wines do they usually drink?

- Italy: 48% red; 53% light-fruity; 54 % still
- Greece: 61 % red; 56 % white; 37% dry; 24% still
- Switzerland: 89,8 % red; 52.2% full bodied with intense flavor; 53,8 % white; 34.9% still; 42.5% dry
- Spain: 100% red and 46.9% white; 31.2% light-fruity; 21.9% sparkling

Women also have a good wine knowledge: they attended wine seminars and tastings as well as they visited wineries to expand and diversify their knowledge. They know the main grape varietals of their country as well as in what order wines should be served at a meal.

In spite of its limits, this study shows general patterns in consuming and buying wines among European women. The International Associated Women in Wine is now working on a more complete and scientific study conducted in every European country.