wine
Franco’s Franco’s restaurant and bar in St James’s, London has launched its 2013 rosé wine list, describing it as the largest of any restaurant in London. There are 35 rosés from Italy, including eight exclusive to Franco’s, and 10 from France, including Caves d’Esclans’ 2010 Garrus from Domaine Sacha Lichine in Provence, priced £175 a bottle. General manager Jason Phillips says: “We are known for our extensive and quality wine list and having so many rosés to choose from, which adds an element of interest and a talking point for our customers.”
find champagne, cava and other styles of sparkling wine too aggressive. Furthermore the price of prosecco is competitive against champagne which may also go some way to explain its popularity among consumers continuing to feel the bite of the economic downturn.”
Champagne
Cava and prosecco are driving growth in the sparkling wine category while volumes of champagne were down 6.1 per cent in the last year, according to the latest figures from the Champagne Bureau. However, “grand marque” champagnes remain essential to wine lists alongside sparkling wine and the smaller champagne growers, says Max Helm, London bars account manager for Moët Hennessy. “If someone is spending £50 plus, they want to have confidence in what they’re drinking, and lesser-known grower champagnes can sometimes mean reduced sales.” He stresses that service is essential for driving sales of champagne, from staff training to presenting it in glasses and ice buckets with matching branding. “Not only do you educate the staff about a particular style of wine, but also about your brand. A confident bartender recommending
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premium champagnes, by the glass or bottle, with a little anecdote, personal experience or historical fact about the house can hugely influence the customer’s purchase.” The figures from the Champagne Bureau indicate that, while volumes have fallen, actual value has edged up by 0.5 per cent. This is good news, says the bureau’s UK director Françoise Peretti, as champagne has always been about increasing value rather than volume. “The UK is a solid and mature market where consumers are drinking better but drinking less. The on-trade is important as bartenders and sommeliers can take time to educate people about the product so that it is more than just selling bottles.” She says further opportunities could come from consumers learning more about vintage champagne and styles such as the lighter and fresher Blanc de Blancs “which is not fully understood” in the UK. Daniel I’Anson, business development manager for Champagne Jacquart in the UK, says that, for them, Blanc de Blancs is a growth category. “It’s about giving people information about what Blanc de Blancs is, that it’s 100 per cent Chardonnay and why it’s different,” he says. “More and more, when you go to a bar or restaurant, you have not just Brut and vintage but inevitably Blanc de Blancs but it takes a while for knowledge to cross over to consumers.” Jacquart is the flagship of the Alliance Champagne Group and has been growing distribution in the UK on-trade since forming a partnership with UK agency Enotria two years ago. The Brut and Rosé have dominated listings in bars such as Kettner’s where it is the house pour although in June, it will be launching a new prestige cuvée to replace the Brut de Nominée NV. Prestige cuvée is the focus in the on-trade for champagne house Bruno Paillard alongside its Premier Cuvée Brut and Rosé. Called NPU – “Nec Plus Ultra”, meaning “there is nothing beyond” – it is “the ultimate expression of champagne”, says export manager Alice Paillard, daughter of Bruno Paillard who founded the company in 1981. “This is a wine that needs to be hand-sold to customers, hence its placement in the very top-end bars,” she says. “The 1999 vintage is a Grand Cru Champagne – a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – aged for more than 12 years pre-disgorgement.” Alice says that smaller brands such as Bruno Paillard succeed despite not having the budget of the big international brands. “The curiosity, enthusiasm and
thirst of sommeliers and bartenders for pioneering producers, who always push the boundaries in the search for quality, is spread through word of mouth alone, without the need for big marketing budgets. Because of the demanding decisions we take to create high-quality champagnes, we cannot be at everyday price points, but the champagne can still represent value for the consumer because the expense is all about what’s in the bottle, not a marketing campaign around it.”
Growers
There are about 140 champagne houses, 145 growers and 19 co-operatives represented in the UK market, boosted by consumers’ increased knowledge of champagne. For smaller growers, interest is particularly coming from the 10 per cent of drinkers classed as “adventurous consumers”, says Sandra Cizeron of Les Champagnes de Vignerons, the trade body that represents champagne producers and co-operatives of growers. “The numerous champagne bars and restaurants in the UK have, therefore, a fantastic opportunity to differentiate themselves from the offtrade with new and original products that can only be found by dealing with these small producers. Further added value in working with smaller producers includes quality advice directly from the growers, as well as services, such as champagne tasting sessions and tasting menus that match food and champagne.” She adds that there is still great potential for discovery among British consumers thanks to the huge diversity of terroirs. However, familiar brands are key to maximising champagne sales in the UK on-trade, according to Vicky Wood, head of marketing for champagne at Pernod Ricard UK. “Consumers are more comfortable ordering known and well-respected marques. Houses like GH Mumm and Perrier-Jouët offer unparalleled consistency and a highly recognisable ‘house style’, whether the consumer prefers the lightness of Chardonnay-driven Perrier-Jouët or the structure of Pinot Noir-driven GH Mumm.” Citing Alcovision research,Vicky adds: “Consumers see champagne and other sparkling wines as separate entities and the occasions for consumption are similarly clear-cut. Sparkling wines are regarded as an ‘everyday pleasure’ whilst champagne is still reserved for celebrations, special meals or occasions. Particularly in the context of fine dining, champagne is renowned as a great ‘food wine’ and few consumers would consider trading-down to a sparkling wine.” n For a preview of this year’s London International Wine Fair, visit page 26.