24/11/2018
The Rhone valley wines are looking to the future.
If the title of the press conference is: “Rhone valley wines looking into the future “, than there must be a history. How old is this history?
More than 2000 years old for its viticulture aspect and I do not even speak about geological timing, for as here in Ampuis and its surroundings, the best soils are formed about 25 million years ago.
Tectonically movement, earthquakes, the last ice-time, there is not a more diverse region to be found for more than 250 km long and being the second largest wine region producing this amount of A.O.C wines in France and overall quality wines in the world.
This I wish to be said for just letting you realise in what kind of region you are and how grateful we are to give you some key figures and factors for the FUTURE of the Rhone valley wines.
It is not always funny to hear these figures but we must satisfy also the people that love them, and therefore can compare with other wine regions in the world
With this we pay also a huge respect to our headquarters in Avignon and specially the marketing department who does all the research.
In 2016: 2.5 billion bottles of wine and spirits were made in France.
Representing a sum of 11.2 billion euros and 7.6 billion euro in value for wine. Which puts itself on second place of importance in the overall bookkeeping of France, and first in place of consumed goods out of agriculture.
Export of French wines in the last 10 years have lost a share of 10 percent, but What we sell has gone up in value with 30%.
Wine consumption in the world is rising overall, but where we have serious consumers, they drink maybe less, but better. Especially if we look in the prise segment of 10 dollars and more.
Well this lies in the overall context of the Rhone wines.
We have made a progression of 5% in volume and gone up with 9% in value for the whole market and of all the wines produced a bit more than 30% is export.
The quality of the wines overall in the Rhone valley are getting better and better. As I always say: “There are no bad vintages, only bad winemakers”. If you make bad wine today, than it is your own fault, because Inter Rhone stands also for technical help at any moment for the winemaker.
With this measurable signal of increase, it has been proven that the quality versus price is yet recognised, and it even compensates the lower volume produce of 2.9 million hl in the Rhone valley.
The total effort of wine merchants and individual producers, believing in the A.O.C system puts them in a upfront positioning of general presence and high end consumer market.
We also feel we are on a new reorientation about the colour of the wines and therefore finding the right customer and consumer.
Accompanied by a constant flow of communication and education we have seen an increase for France. 3 euro up for any box of wine for an order in France. (43% up in sales for the US between 2009 and 2011) and 125% for Asia between 2009 and 2011.
For as quality is getting better and better, jugged being priced very reasonably and a very good year of 2012 coming up, the wines of the Rhone valley construct themselves with a lot of confidence and optimism.
In short I want to say: the French winemaking will only survive as long as its works on quality. People will always be tempted if you show them something new, good price quality range.
The market of wine consumption is globalising, therefore to my conviction loosing identity.
The new consumer buys wines by the grape variety . And here the Rhone valley is so rich in many varietals , we can learn them always something new, so they stay curious. But you must be prepared in the region also to do this with constant education.
The everlasting wine competition is always there and France is competing in volume with is neighbour Italy.
Well, even when France is lower in volume , it indicates a few things: We work very much on quality and if the quality is not there we declassify wines through the strict rules of the A.O.C.
The consumption of Rhone wines interior of France is still good and therefore it slows down our export market.
France is the third country in place for export measured in volume . Since 2005 close to 14 million hl and France is first in export in value, with a average price of 4 euro per liter.
As we said before, the French wine industry, can only survive if we work on quality, and the A.O.C. of the Rhone valley has adopted this policy , for going against the huge competition of Italy, Spain, Chilli and Australia in the low segment of bulk wines. In such a way that has diminished by 2.3 % since 2011, but on the other hand we have gone up in value for our bulk wines. The sales of bottles with a price superior of 3 euros went up with 3% in one year.
This line has started already a few years ago, and the result is that it counts for a better evaluation of Cote du Rhone wines and that is followed up by more attention also for the Cote du Rhone Villages.
So in general export is rising, slowly but steady and point of view price level and quality I would say: “ I rather have 5 small clients a week, than one big client a month”
We have seen movements of interest in Rhone wines. Germany is in great progress with almost 8% and sales to Chine went up by 55%.
For the wines with low price policy we have seen classical country like Switzerland and Holland going down, but the better sales of higher value wine is compensated by countries like US, Canada, China and Asia in general.
A Wine Region is adapting and prepares its future
Positioning and new market structure.
With the last vintage of 2012 we have to overcome a few problems in commerce and marketing and agronomics.
We can look at the figures for the different regions.
The low results of the harvest have a few reasons:
We were struck by frost damage, in the last 2 weeks of February. Temperatures of minus 10 minus 14, this we have never seen before since the disaster year of 1956. A lot of old vines have suffered from this. And what brings in general quality within wines, of course “old vines”. On the other hand old vines need to be replaced and we are now landed in such a time period that it is structural necessary to plant fields with new vines and driving through the countryside you will see this. At the same time it gives us the chance to plant quality grapes for the future better adapted for agronomic conditions.
Hé, Rhone valley goes rosé!
We have always taught the people that the Rhone valley is a production of 80% red wine.
But we have made also a move to higher production of rosé wines. Factors are;
1) Simply that there is market for that, the consumer is asking for it. There are unknown factors in the market that all of a sudden something becomes fashionable
2) Quality factor that we got recognised for making good rosé
3) And we have today in our region the most modern and best equipment to give the consumer a constant quality
4) The discovery and change of the people to also live by the Mediterranean Diet, healthy olive oil, fresh vegetables and what goes better than local cuisine with local wines.
So we have a great interest as A.O.C Rhone wines to impose ourselves against classical regions like Provence and Loire valley
My slogan for the summer would be: Summer barbeque? Rhone rosé is waiting for you!
Rhone is Bio and ready to go
Also important is the progression of the surface that is certified or transforming into Organic, Biological farming. For the vintage 2012 we have an increase of 10% in volume, and with that, the Rhone is one of the most important regions in such a progress in France.
A future that is adapting itself on any market
30% of the volume of the Rhone wines is export.
Main market are US, Western Europe and Asia.
Our main market has been always Great Britain, and Belgium and Luxemburg together were mostly second . But in 2012 we see that the US has past by the Belgium market.
What is also to see is that the white wines are in progress and make 7% of the export volume.
Progress by long term strategy
Part of the success story for the Rhone is that the strategy is based on an open and long term communication .
The Rhone wines are accessible by price and taste. As I always say: “ There is a wine for every palate and every wallet”. Also the general spirit of the different companies is more personal and more customer minded. Inter Rhone is largely participating and supporting the winemakers in this.
Major factor for Rhone wines :
Important is to see that the wines of the Rhone are present at any level of the French gastronomy. It is the second region represented in gastronomy. In general there 6.3 references mentioned on a wine list , and there is maybe more because we must include also the sales by the glass.
91% of the restaurants in Rhone Alpes, Burgundy France Comte present Rhone wines, 78% of all the restaurants in Paris. If we put this 78% as 100% , than 91% is high-end gastronomy restaurants.
Fundamental factor is the revival of the public to enjoy wine as a part of eating and consuming wine together. To get away from daily stress, have fun with a good glass of wine.
Long time the wines were only seen as good quality for the price, but with the diverse range of appellations, these wines can contribute to any kitchen in the world and publicity campaigns by Inter Rhone have brought this to a much larger public and audience.
Increase in sales by selling the Rhone wines by the glass.
Since 2011 we see progress in sales by the glass and in general gastronomy the offer the references.
66% of all the wine-bars propose Rhone wines , which makes it the first wine region proposed in France.
Inter Rhone is in full progress to be able to adapt a glass of wine to any gastronomic formula the restaurateur is proposing.
Rhone: Bistronomically Yours
The latest development called here in France is : Bistronomy
It combines: low key entrance, authentic local kitchen with local products combined with good but simple service.
The Rhone wines fit exactly in this picture. The customer is able to discover a large range A.O.C s with its local products.
With well studied matches of food and wine , the customer doesn’t need always an expert to ask for information and is therefore more freely to pick and choose.
Confidence gives courage to discover and the client is getting closer and closer to the terroir feeling and local habits.
More and more restaurateurs of bistro are watching over quality and quantity and clients have learned from “false hopes” from overdone luxury.
Now we can spend a lot words over the fact that: Rhone wines have that character of bistronomy, etc, etc,….
But the basic line in all this is simply the fact that Wine IS designated to Food.
For the simple philosophy that we need to eat and drink.
If you are thirsty, you look for the last drop on earth.
If you are hungry you eat the last crumble from the table,
For the simple fact: We need to satisfy our body.
Now there will be things in your live that you were emotional very sad or very happy
But there have been a few moments in your live, that you took a spoonful of something, you had a sip of wine and all of a sudden, in an instant, you had a sensation in your mouth, unforgettable. All pieces of the puzzle fell together; Is that not fantastic? You still remember where you were eating, with whom, what you drunk and what you had on your plate.
Still we are talking about the most basic things in life: eating and drinking.
Food is one thing but wine can fortify this sensation by four times or more. That is the ultimate goal.
This having said to you we give you a few examples that Inter Rhone has developed in different countries.
Bistronomy is hugely popular also as a formula in Belgium and over more than 10 years in the fall, almost 450 bistros are decorated in the colours of the Rhone valley, and Inter Rhone is head sponsor of the movement in Belgium called Bistronomie. Expressing it self with friendliness, pleasure, slow dining and drinking. Every chef tries to make a favourite dish to combine with a Rhone wine.
In the American market in 2012 we did sommelier competition ( Somm Slam), and the winner was offered a trip to the Rhone, with special focus on Côte Rôti.
In 2013 we did in more than 10 cities a gastronomic festivals around the theme Grand Cochon.
Inter Rhone is present with the event of Bottle Notes - Taste Arround event. Two weeks of presenting wines. Participating are Chigago, Washington and Austin and restaurants make special Food and Wine menus.
Also in China and Korea is Inter Rhone present with a strict program of finding the right combination with the local food and Rhone wines.
The very fruity and mouth friendly wines of the Rhone do certainly do have in this light a high acceptance profile.
Our greatest achievement would be that the men or woman in the streets of Asia , see a immediate logic of combining food WITH WINE. Because that is not always the case.
I am convinced that their kitchen is going with the wines of the Rhone , because our Provencal kitchen has a lot in common.
It is a kitchen that uses a lot of oil, herbs but above all the freshness of the products. If you are in the streets of Indonesia or China , they cook the meal almost in front of you, fresher it cannot be. Here on a Provencal market you buy also super fresh products, the tomatoes and the salad were picked just an hour ago fresh from the fields. Plus the fact that they use in their food a lot of what we can call oxidised flavours: Soya Sauce, Pasta of Shrimps, Nuoc Nuam sauce to fortify the neutral flavours of rice or pasta. Now the overall Grenache grape has certainly elements of this and that is why I think Rhone wines go well with Asian food in general.
Finally for the market of France Inter Rhone got to the idea to invent Le Verre Gourmand instead what most people know Café Gourmand. Trying to sell by the glass and to have an instant pleasure with your food. 5000 restaurants participate in this project.
Modern Times and staying Dynamic in all layers of communication.
For more than 4 years Inter Rhone is supporting the formation of sommeliers and the knowledge of the Rhone wines in general on hotel schools.
There is a team of oenologists that visit in France and within Europe for bringing constant practical information about our region. In such away we keep contact with future customers in the branch of gastronomy.
New in this light is the E learning program, in the form of a serious computer game. We hope to conclude this in the next coming months .
New Website :
http://xn--vinsrhone-33a.com/
Very new, open , interactive web site. Classical is the information about grapes , the different A.O.C .
New is the fact that you as a consumer or producer can write to us and your reaction and or articles will be placed on the website so there is a direct exchange of information among all users.” Did you had a good tasting, do you have a favourite wine and food combination, please write to us “ and we place it on the website.
