November 2, 2005
stormhoek francais
Stormhoek's French Blogger's Wine Freebie should be going out at the end of next week. Please watch your mailboxes.
[BACKGROUND READING: "Wine Blogging As Marketing Disruption".]
Like I've said before, Stormhoek doesn't really export to France. As far as I know France isn't a big destination for S.A. wine in general. Not surprising, they already have plenty vino of their own. Some of it is actually quite good.
French wine in general is going places. The industry has come a long way in the last decade or so. Seriously, a few years down the road and I could well see some French wines start giving the South Africans a serious run for their money.
Watch your back, South Africa, France is on your tail.
[Bonus Link:] "Oh yeah - Stormhoek Syrah doesn't suck. Can wine be long tail?"
Posted by hugh macleod at November 2, 2005 10:03 AM | TrackBackPerhaps you are being facetious? France imports a phenomenal amount of wine. My recollection is that France is the largest single export market for Australian wines.
Perhaps South African winemakers should look a little closer?
Posted by: Roland Turner at November 2, 2005 12:42 PMYou know, I practically live next to a vinyard, but when were you planning to market to Germany?
If you don't do it soon I won't take my Gapingshirt to Jerusalem next week, and what a nice picture you'd miss...;-)
About 3% of off premise wine sales in France are from the New World. Non French wines are growing, but are still a small portion of the market. The market stats are skewed because there are some very large bottlers in France that import bulk wine and bottle it there. However almost all of it is then exported to places like Germany and the UK and is not consumed in France.
Posted by: Jason Korman at November 4, 2005 2:08 AMsee this - great article
http://www.slowfood.com/eng/sf_vino/sf_arch_botte.lasso?-database=sf_vinotesti&-layout=tutti&-response=sf_vino_dettaglio_botte.lasso&-recordID=33593&-search
and i think it points to a problem with freshness matters. freshness matters is a Big Marketing concept. i think stormhoek needs to double down on the South African angle and terrior-style issues. what is unique about stormhoek wines-surely not that they got to you in under a year. its selling it short. what is stormhoek doing for the local economy? what south african foods i have never heard of go with stormhoek wines? why is the syrah a balance between new and old world styles - should it be called syraz? or shrah? instead.
the problem with freshness matters is thats it feels like an instant gratification statement, as opposed to something measured and appreciated.
Posted by: james governor at November 4, 2005 1:11 PM