French wine producers beaten at point of sale in US
June 21, 2004
Chicago - French wine producers need to urgently review the way they label and market their products if they hope to arrest a long-running slump in US sales, a leading US wine commentator warned Sunday.
Speaking at an international trade fair here, Robert Parker, publisher of The Wine Advocate and author of The Wine Buyer's Guide, was sharply critical of the way in which French wines are packaged and promoted.
Porter said that while demand for high-end wines had held up, sales of mid-range French wines had suffered in the last few years because most American consumers found it difficult to navigate their way around them.
The sheer number of brands, and the arcane Apellation d'Origine Controllee grading system which distinguishes a wine by the location of the vineyard, rather than the grape type, was a turn-off for many consumers, he said.
"At the supermarket level, American consumers buy by grape varietals," Parker told an audience of several hundred industry professionals on the first day of Vinexpo Americas 2004 at Chicago's McCormick Place convention centre.
"For the average consumer, the Appellation d'Origine Controllee doesn't mean a thing."
Parker suggested that French producers should get in line with the rest of the industry by listing the grape varietal on the label.
He also underscored the importance of having an easily recognisable brand, pointing to the success of the Australian Yellowtail brand and Italy's Santa Margherita pinot grigio - brands that have become major players in the highly competitive middle market segment in just a few short years.
"The labels are a short-term solution," he acknowledged, adding "the best solution is putting the best wine possible in the bottle for that price point."
"But French wine producers are being beaten at the point of sale because wines from other regions are more accessible," he said. - AFP
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