Bordeaux wines triumph in America

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Rolled by the crisis, the second-class wines seek to reverse their declining sales. Entering the U.S. market is one of the solutions.

For many years, the wines of Bordeaux's most famous locomotive used and fired all the other cars, especially small burgundy. But in the past ten years, the locomotives are tempted by the speed or speeding, cars and wander, helpless, on sidings. A deep slump followed, with a collapse in prices, sometimes below production costs, especially as the small red rose fashion. Wines from Languedoc, France, and New World wines, also cut their Cruppers of.

After a period of despondency, a new team around Bernard Fages decided to take the slump in hands. Became president of the Union of Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur, this dynamic cooperative Mauriac was a courageous team of young owners who have no problem marketing, there are. Usually, these owners are working primarily to run their operations and are careful not to enter the town where they have little to gain. He managed to convince them.

First decision of the new team, make their wines in competition, no complex against the wines of the world. Pertinently, they chose the oldest American competition, the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition, which is not mine, at its 70th annual edition. The results will be made official during a prestigious evening June 20, but input, Bordeaux strike a blow up several wines in the top five in both categories raced very wines under 15 and € 15 to € 30. Several thousands of samples. Not bad for a designation that is said losing ...

Image fashioned and expensive

Second decision, then out into the U.S. market, which is now the biggest market for wine in the world, the more competitive too. As highlighted Paula Wagner, one of the best U.S. wine marketing "the reputation of Bordeaux to young people who form the great mass of consumers is abysmal. The image is fashioned, Victorian, with wines too expensive for the old. It is necessary renovations.

The image is particularly true for large burgundy, which still have their aficionados, but a high average age, which turn away the face of absurd pricing policy. Moreover, the rise in prices of vegetables after the publication notes Parker left a bitter taste. "It is no longer wine, but a financial case," stated several major buyers, apparently recovered against a premier cru classé Pauillac.

And small burgundy? "Small red did not look bad, they have no picture at all," says Wilfred Wong, a large California purchasers "impressed by the beautiful quality of the wines tasted. Faced with the onslaught of Argentina, Australia or New Zealand, small burgundy are virtually absent from the market. We must go in the big East Coast cities like New York to find an effective presence in the stores.

A program

"But when they are present, they work well," says Rubin Kelley O'Connor Sherry-Lehmann in New York, which has mounted a great deal with 28 small burgundy for the 75th anniversary of this great wine shop in the heart of Manhattan. To delight, these are very reasonable prices and above all excellent value for money. "There is no need to spend much money to drink good wine," said Nick Goldschmidt, a globe-trotting winemaker impressed too.

Led by Hervé Grandeau, Lauduc Castle, the French delegation also included Lawrence Mazeau, Castle Costis and Antoine Touton Castle Sainte-Barbe, all three excellent producers of Bordeaux and firmly established in the U.S. market: "Our wines are competitive and they are sold without any problem. A target of 15 million bottles, or 50 million if we are ambitious, is not feasible. We do 57% of Bordeaux wines. But it will have to mobilize our troops. "

Remains a formidable challenge, image dust-fashioned and expensive legacy of the great Bordeaux, as stated Paul Wagner: "It is not enough to have good wines. One solution would be to get young winemakers of the cellars and give a dynamic picture of the designation. For consumers, the wine is a journey by proxy and Bordeaux is in competition with Italy, New Zealand, Australia, destinations that are young dream. "What a program! Which also applies to France.