| |
By Patrick Skinner, Odyssey
The USA has been the professional graveyard of many a European wine marketing executive, A huge market in every sense, the variations from region-to-region and state-to-state and vast distribution distances have frequently defeated their plans and their products. Wine is not like a car or a package of biscuits and the American wine market is an unusual one: wine drinking is a minority interest but total consumption is considerable and there are many high spending-wine drinkers.
The lure of the US market is like a candle to a moth and winemakers are a self-confident lot, who believe that their wines we fit for kings and consumers the world over. Whether they make a few hundred cases or tens of thousands, they want to find a way into the most lucrative and prestigious market n the world.
Greek wine has been establishing itself in the USA through several channels: government-supported information; private organisations using websites and PR; and marketing and advertising campaigns conducted by the largest producers.
One interesting project is the adventurous and entrepreneurial consortium created by Sofia Perpera, an oenologist who trained in Bordeaux and former director of the Greek Wine Federation. She has gathered together 16 Greek wineries to present the modem face of Greek wine in the USA in a promotional and educational campaign operating under the banner All About Greek Wine.
The consortium includes the wineries: Biblia Chora; Gerovassiliou Estate; Kir Yianni; Katogi & Strofilia; Evharis Estate; Kokotou Estate; Mercouri Estate; Domaine Skouras; Domaine Tselepos; Domaine Spiropoulos; Oenoforos; Sigalas Wines; Papantonis Wines; Emery Wines; Gentilini and Palyvos Estate. This is an impressive group.
As part of an intensive program, the group's wines were recently presented in a walk-around testing at the Tribeca Grill in New York City. Many members of the trade attended, including journalists whose articles have appeared in the New York Times, Newsday, Food & Wine, Food Arts, Wines & Spirits and Wine News. Some of New York's best sommeliers were also there, including Roger Dagom from Chanterelle, Hervé Pennequin of Mylos, Fred Price of Rocco's and Union Pacific, André Compeyre from Alain Ducasse, Beth von Benz from Judson Grill, Scott Mayger from WD 50, Chuck Simeone, Beverage Director of Jean Georges, as well as numerous distributors, wine importers and restaurateurs.
International wine consultant and Greek wine enthusiast Steven Olson, who is working with 'All About Greek Wine' throughout this year, presented the wines, stressing the significance of the alliance of this important group of Greek winemakers. He discussed the current renaissance taking place in the Greek wine industry, and of "the unique characteristics of native Greek grapes and the wines they produce, as well as the excellent ratio between high quality and value". Olson will be deeply involved with the very active program of presentations, tastings and promotions, which form the basis of All About Greek Wine, which has an informative Website: www.allaboutgreekwine.com By the time this issue of Odyssey reaches you, there will have been a tasting in San Francisco. American wine writers will be visiting Oenorama in Greece in March and there are functions planned in Aspen and New York.
The larger producers can - and usually do - go their own way and Greece's major firm is doing just this. Boutari, established in 1879 and now in its fifth family generation, is diversified in more ways than one. Its seven wineries are to be found across mainland Greece and the islands, with grapes and styles in keeping with the location. The company is not only a large producer, but an importer and distributor of many famous wine and spirit brands. In its winemaking and marketing, it behaves with youth and panache and a smart eye on International taste and marketing styles.
With quality in quantity to offer, Boutari sought a major US distnbutor and fled up with one of the largest specialist firms, Paterno Wines International, which sells a third of all imported wines over $14.00 sold in restaurants and wine stores, and has a clutch of fine wine labels like Ruinart, Gaja, Chapoutier and LaRoche, to name but a few. It has a number of very good Californians, too. So Boutari is in good company.
Attention to Greek wine was paid recently by the influential Robert Parker and Wine Spectator Magrazine. While its listing and markings were disappointing, other editorial coverage in the magazine helped the cause. Boutari sees advertising in this type of media as important, and has chosen the light, summer-fruit white Moschofilero as the object of an eye-catching campaign, which catches the mood of the wine.
So, in different ways and at different market levels, Greek wine is gradually finding a niche in the US market, outside its ethnic sector. I shall report further as the programs unfold.
|