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V I T I S P H E R E ' S E U R O P E A N W I N E M A G A Z I N E
Suisse :
portraits de consommateurs
On the evolution of the Bordeaux futures market and the rle of the press.
De lvolution du march des primeurs de Bordeaux et du rle de la presse
N45
M AY
JUNE
J U LY
2011
Editorial
Michel REMONDAT
Editorial
The European wine sector has not had its final say
particular have saved the growth of the international wine trade. Finding themselves in this good position, merchants and distributors are optimistically envisaging the end of the crisis. For them, the greatest risk is the probable lack of wine. Global warming and its associated disruptions, the pulling up of vines in Europe, regulatory uncertainty, the taking into account of environmental constraints, financiers' mistrust of the wine market, and a whole generation of European wine producers finally giving up their activity: all these factors have led to a decrease in world production, a trend which is set to continue for several years to come. Prices however are on the rise after a long period of stagnation, and wine producers the group most weakened by the crisis - will surely appreciate this readjustment. In this new context, export statistics show that Europe is bearing up well. Italy is by far the largest exporter of wines in volume. Spain is in second place, and first for wines sold in bulk. The Spanish producers have doubled their exports to all Asian countries. Germany is equally export-focused, with an honourable 4th position in the rankings. France ranks only 3rd in volume, but takes 1st place in terms of value, thanks to its Champagne and Grand Cru wines. These figures demonstrate that European wine has not yet had its last say, although the shift in Frances share of international trade is rather worrying. The editorial team of Vitisphere and Eurowine do not want to be messengers of doom and gloom, however: we prefer to believe that the future of wine lies in evolution, and is not set in stone.
he consequences of the financial crisis of September 2009 have severely shaken up the wine market. The market is often viewed as a quartet, containing producers, advisers, distributers and consumers. Of these four players, I am not sure which has been most severely affected, however it seems to me that the worse hit were the two at either end of the spectrum. Let's look first at consumers: their buying power has declined, particularly in Europe, which alone represents more than half the market. Fortunately, the new Asian consumers have quickly regained their taste for growth, and a desire for drinking wine. Good news is also be found in north and south American, where wine consumption amongst the Millennium and postMillennium generations. The new Asian markets and China in
Michel REMONDAT
es consquences de la crise financire de septembre 2009 ont secou rudement le march du vin. Un march cest souvent un quatuor : producteurs, prescripteurs, distributeurs, consommateurs. De ces quatre acteurs, je ne sais pas qui a t trait le plus rudement. Les plus touchs taient, me semble-t-il, aux deux bouts de la chaine ! Les consommateurs, parce que leur pouvoir dachat a baiss, notamment en Europe qui absorbe elle seule plus de la moiti du march. Heureusement, les nouveaux pays consommateurs de lAsie ont vite retrouv le got de la croissance et lenvie de goter au vin. Bonne nouvelle aussi du ct des Amriques o la consommation de vin progresse dans les gnrations Millnium et post-Millnium. Les nouveaux marchs de lAsie et en particulier la Chine ont sauv la croissance des changes internationaux
EDITORIAL MANAGEMENT / DIRECTION RDACTION Publication Director / Directeur de la Publication : Michel Rmondat Chief Editor / Rdactrice en chef : Anne Serres Scientific Coordinator / Coordinateur scientifique : Jean Dubos Journalists and contributors / Journalistes et Contributeurs : Alexandre Abellan, Catherine Bernard, David Cobbold, Nadine Franjus-Adenis, Herv Lalau, Kristen Le Clainche, Marie Martin, Vincent Pousson. Maquette / Layout : Pauline Argaud, Fabienne Abrial Translation / Traduction : English Communication Services, Marika Seletti (ecs.seletti@gmail.com - +1 (507) 301 5098) ADVERTISING / PubLICIT Bertrand Jolivel, Muriel Bottati, Anais Da Costa commercial@vitisphere.com / Tl. : +33(0)4 67 02 48 20 With the support and collaboration of /Avec le soutien et la collaboration de : Vincent Bohren, Laurent Causin, Olivier Lebaron, Olivier Maurus, Anna Piorkowski, Caroline Rouquette
PRINTING / IMPRESSION Groupe / Group: RiccoBono Offset Presse Printed on recycled paper / Imprimer sur papiers recycls SubSCRIPTIONS / AbONNEMENT See page 33 / Voir page 33 Photo couverture : Suisse, portraits de consommateur
Any representation, adaptation, or reproduction, even partial, by any means, in every country, made without authorization is illegal and would expose the violator to legal prosecution. Toute reprsentation, adaptation ou reproduction, mme partielle, par tous procds, en tous pays, faite sans autorisation, est illicite et exposerait le contrevenant des poursuites judiciaires.
PubLIShED by / MAISON D'DITION : Vitisphere SA - 1500 Avenue de la Pompignane 34000 Montpellier - FRANCE contact@vitisphere.com - www.vitisphere.com
Contents
Sommaire
Markets & Consumption p p
10
6 16 50 74
and the rle of the press. / De lvolution du march des primeurs de Bordeaux et du rle de la presse
www.systembolaget.se
16
p p
20 24
The wine trade : missing the boat on concentration? Robert Beynat: Vinexpo 2011 confirms that the wine sector will
Ngoce : Le rendez-vous manqu de la concentration be working on a just-in-time basis / Robert Beynat Vinexpo 2011 confirmera que la filire travaille en flux tendus
30
Hybrid grape varieties: economic and environmental profits Chemins other homeland / Le chenin de lAnjou au Cap Toscan itineraries.../ Itinraires Toscans...
34 p 38 44 50
54 p 58 p 60
p p p p
Market developments in 2010 / Evolution du march en 2010 Key figures / Chiffres cls Press Review / Revue de presse
66 70 74
Vineyard tours: an economic or socioligical phenomenon? Whats in a Wine: value, price or image?
Du luxe au discount : o vont les vins ? Barcelona: in Monvinic, wine with a future Barcelone : Monvnic, le vin a de lavenir
80
EuroWine
Retrouvez cet article parmi les dossiers de www.vitisphere.com Mots-cls : chenin, cpage, appellation
Certain French grape varieties which have a very low profile in France, have gotten a new lease on life overseas including Malbec in Argentina, Carmnre in Chili, and Tannat in Uruguay. In fact, today some French appellations have partnered up with the new host countries. This is true of Cahors and Argentina, which together are celebrating black wines. Chenin, another French grape, has long put down roots far from home in South Africa.
French Huguenots were the first to introduce the Chenin grape to the Cape Colony in 1688. Many of the Huguenots came from the Saumur region and brought their stocks with them. In the early colonization era, the Dutch East India Company encouraged the cultivation of grape vines and in particular they entrusted French immigrants who had the most winegrowing experience with this task. The latter settled mostly in the Paarl region in Franschhoek, the French quarter, but their growing and winemaking methods quickly spread throughout the colony. Thanks to the favorable climate, Chenin flourished accounting for half of the countrys vineyard plantings. Today, this figure has dropped to 18%, which nevertheless makes it the most widespread white grape variety in South Africa. While it has been considerably grubbed up, it can be found in nearly all of the countrys wine regions. In all, half of the area under vine planted in Chenin in the world can be found in South Africa, with the remaining 50% grown in France and other countries. Hence, it is hard to believe but there is twice as much Chenin in South Africa than in France or 19,400 ha compared to 9,500 ha.
While it is very common on the Cape, Chenin does not always have a good reputation. This is mainly due to yields (one can easily obtain 250 hl in the most fertile areas) and a lack of focus, as people say in South Africa. The French would call it a lack of definition. Under the name, Chenin, or Steen (the stone), to use a still common name in South Africa, one can find just about anything under the sun. In 2001, an organization was created, the Chenin Blanc Association of South Africa, which is committed to rehabilitating the Chenin grape and is working to help winemakers define this focus. With over seventy members, the groups first victory has been to convince many wine producers to stop grubbing up old plots, which has too often been the case over the last twenty years. The organization has also tried to tidy up production. According to Ken Forrester, President of the organization, "We have a thoroughbred on our hands and we are treating it like a workhorse or some basic low alcohol content wine fit for brandy or fortified wine. While Chenin lends itself to all types of vinification, it is a superb grape variety and we must respect it and help it to find its style. With the Pinot phenomenon, in red, Chenin is also a Unique Selling Proposition as people from the Loire valley who produce it do not sell it under the Chenin name but under their appellation names. There is no shortage of style or definition in the wines produced by wine makers within the organization. The range of Chenin from South Africa is as varied as the soils (from sandstone to limestone as well as shale and granite) which makes sense given that this grape variety strongly reflects the terroir. The types of cultivation (old bush vines or high trellising) and vinification techniques naturally influence results which range from dry and on the fruit, lively or rich, wooded, sweet, botrytized or not. Everything can be found in South Africa, not necessarily more than in the Loire of course-after all Vouvray to Montlouis and Savennieres to Rochefort are sometimes just a stones throw away, however there are many different styles of wines. Yet, as has already been pointed out, in the Loire, Chenin is a tool rather than a name.
Herv Lalau
Le Malbec en Argentine, la Carmnre au Chili, le Tannat en Uruguay certains cpages franais, mme trs discrets en France, ont connu une seconde vie par del les mers. Au point que certaines appellations hexagonales sassocient aujourdhui ces nouveaux pays daccueil. On pense Cahors et lArgentine, clbrant ensemble les vins noirs. Mais il est une autre varit ayant essaim bien loin de ses terres, et depuis fort longtemps : le chenin. Et le pays en question, cest lAfrique du Sud.
De Saumur au Cap
Ce sont les Huguenots franais qui ont introduit ce cpage dans la colonie du Cap, partit de 1688. Bon nombre dentre eux venaient du Saumurois, et ont apport leurs plants avec eux. Ds les dbuts de la colonisation, la Compagnie des Indes Nerlandaises a encourag la culture de la vigne, et la confie aux immigrants qui en avaient une bonne matrise: les Franais. Ceux-ci se sont surtout installs dans la rgion de Paarl (et plus prcisment, Franschhoek, le coin des Franais ), mais leurs mthodes de culture et vinification ont rapidement essaim dans toute la colonie. Le chenin trouvant ici un climat favorable, il y a connu un dveloppement trs important, jusqu reprsenter la moiti de lencpagement total du pays ! Aujourdhui, ce chiffre a t ramen 18% ce qui en fait tout de mme le plus rpandu des cpages blancs. Sil a t beaucoup arrach, on le trouve encore peu prs dans toutes les rgions viticoles du pays. Au total, la moiti de la surface plante en chenin au monde se trouve en Afrique du Sud, les 50% restants se rpartissant pour moiti entre la France et les autres pays du monde. Vous avez bien lu ; on compte donc deux fois plus de chenin chez les Springboks que dans lHexagone : 19 400 ha contre 9 500.
EuroWine
An international future?
Whatever the case, in the Cape, probably because wine producers are more marketing- aware, questions are being raised about whether the name and the content are a good fit. For the sake of more effective communication, the organization today is recommending that its members limit themselves to four different descriptions: Fresh and fruity, Rich and Ripe Wooded, Rich and Ripe unwooded and Sweet. Does this new battle-preparedness presage a Chenin offensive on the international scene and will Chenin be a rival for Sauvignon and Chardonnay? It is too soon to tell. Other grape varieties are in the running such as Albarino or Gruner Veltliner, which have the advantage of always having been promoted in their native countries. But South Africa could find several allies to promote the image of Chenin including Australia (where Chenin goes back to 1870), Argentina, Chile and New Zealand. And who knows, perhaps France, the actual birthplace of Chenin, on the condition of course that the Loire decides to develop alternatives to the all-encompassing Sauvignon on which the Touraine appellation seems to be betting. This could happen via the IGPs. Or will the Ligeriens as people from the Loire are called, leave the playing field wide open to overseas Chenin spokesmen? Finally, it should be noted that South African Chenin, vinified to highlight the fruit, has the capacity to please extremely diverse taste preferences. In its adopted country it has developed astonishing, intense citrus and tropical fruit aromas. When yields are controlled, it has body and good acidity, and long lasting flavor finish. In short, it is very, very attractive. And to make a good thing better, in this style of wine (short aging, neither barrels nor chips), it is very attractively priced.
le brandy en passant par le vin doux juste bon produire du sucre. C'est vrai qu'il se prte beaucoup de types de vinifications, mais le chenin est un superbe cpage, on doit le respecter, trouver son style. Avec le pinotage, en rouge, le chenin est aussi pour nous une sorte dUnique Selling Proposition ; car les gens de la Loire qui en produisent ne le vendent pas sous le nom de chenin, mais sous celui de leurs appellations . Du style, de la dfinition, on en retrouve dans les vins des vignerons de l'association. La palette du chenin dAfrique du Sud est aussi large que celle des sols (du grs au calcaire en passant par le schistes ou le granite) car le cpage est un excellent rvlateur de terroir. Les modes de culture (vieux bush-vines (gobelet) ou vignes hautes palisses) vinification influencent videmment le rsultat ; sec et sur le fruit, plutt vif ou plutt riche, barriqu, doux, botrytis ou non, on trouve de tout aux Galeries Springbok. Pas tellement plus quen Loire, bien sr : de Vouvray Montlouis, de Savennires Rochefort, il ny a parfois quun gros jet de pierre, mais bon nombre de styles de vins. Oui, mais en Loire, on la vu, le chenin est un outil, pas un nom.
Ren-Louis David, secrtaire gnral d'Interloire : le cpage n'est pas une identit
En Val de Loire, nous avons fait le choix de parler de vin d'appellations base de chenin et non de vins de chenin dans des appellations. Le cpage est une bonne porte d'entre pour expliquer le vin mais ce n'est pas une identit. C'est particulirement le cas pour le chenin, qui a tant d'utilisations possibles : des bulles, en Vouvray ou en Crmant, des vins secs, tendres ou liquoreux... En IGP et en vins sans IG, le chenin de Loire ne rencontre pas autant d'intrt des oprateurs que le sauvignon. Sans doute parce que celui-ci est utilis pour un type de produit trs dfini : blanc sec fruit, alors que le chenin est utilis avec bonheur sur un plus grand type de produits.
Propos recueillis par Anne Serres
Herv Lalau
Ken Forrester, Prsident de la Chemin Blanc Association of South Africa Herv Lalau
Ren-Louis David, General Secretary of the Interloire organization: The grape variety is not an identity
"In the Loire Valley, we have deliberately chosen to promote appellation wines made from Chenin rather than Chenin wines made in appellations. The grape variety is a good start to explain a wine but it is not an identity. This is especially true of Chenin, which can be used so diversely including for sparkling wines, Vouvray, Crmant, dry wines, and very sweet wines, among others. In IGP and in wines without an IG (geographic indication or name), Chenin from the Loire is not as interesting to operators as Sauvignon. This is probably because the latter is used for a highly defined product: fruity dry whites, while Chenin is very successfully used for a wider variety of products.
Interviewed by Anne Serres
Un futur international ?
Toujours est-il quau Cap, sans doute parce quon a lesprit plus marketing, on se pose la question de ladquation du nom et du contenu. Pour renforcer lefficacit de la communication, lassociation recommande aujourdhui ses membres de sen tenir quatre descripteurs : Fresh & Fruity , Rich & Ripe wooded , Rich & Ripe unwooded et Sweet . Cette mise en ordre de bataille prfigure-t-elle une offensive du chenin sur la scne internationale. Sera-t-il demain le concurrent du sauvignon ou du chardonnay ? Il est trop tt pour le dire. Dautres cpages sont en lice, comme lalbario ou le grner veltliner, qui ont pour eux lavantage davoir toujours t mis en vidence dans leur pays dorigine. Mais lAfrique du Sud pourrait trouver
Herv Lalau
plusieurs allis pour dvelopper limage du chenin : lAustralie (o sa prsence est atteste depuis 1870), lArgentine, le Chili et la Nouvelle Zlande. Et qui sait, la France ? A condition bien sr que la Loire dcide de dvelopper des alternatives au tout sauvignon sur lequel semble miser une appellation comme la Touraine, par exemple Peut-tre via les IGP. Ou les Ligriens prfreront-ils laisser le terrain libre aux chenins doutre mer, laisser dautres sexprimer au nom du chenin dont ils sont le berceau? Par ailleurs, notons que le chenin sudafricain, vinifi sur le fruit, a de quoi sduire les palais les plus divers : il dveloppe l bas dtonnants nez dagrumes et de fruits tropicaux, trs intenses ; quand ses rendements sont bien matriss, il prsente du corps et une bonne acidit, une belle longueur, en un mot, il est trs flatteur. Et dans ce style de vin (levage court, ni barrique ni copeaux), il bnficie dun tarif trs avantageux.