French wine should be more ambitious in UK

By Gemma McKenna

Published: 07 November, 2014

French wine needs to be a "bit more ambitious" in the UK, according to a host of leading figures at last month's France Summit.

With on-trade trends trickling in to the off-trade - such as the Picpoul phenomenon - and new styles and blends emerging, France is doing well, but can still do more.

That's according to a host of suppliers, producers and commentators who gave their opinions on how French wines are performing and where the opportunities lie in the UK market.

Charles Elms of Free Run Wines said "clear messages" from producers are key, adding that there is "enormous inherent goodwill for traditional appellations".

"There's lots we can do," Elms said, adding that while the "base is secure, we need to be a bit more ambitious", in reaching out to younger consumers via social media and other platforms.

Richard Siddle hosted one of the main debates at the France Summit 2014 Is France adapting to the UK Trade?Richard Siddle hosted one of the main debates at the France Summit 2014, asking whether French wines were adapting to the UK trade and consumers. Charles Elms is pictured.

Tim North of Les Grands Chais de France, said: "We mustn't throw out what makes France unique and special. We need to bring that to the UK consumer. We have a treasure trove of interesting wines and stories to tell. We need to find a way of connecting [with consumers] to explain and tell people who are interested."

Simon Jerrome of Matthew Clark said firms like Brasserie Blanc were doing a fantastic job, although owner Mark Derry was "hacked off" that the firm's best-selling wine was a Prosecco. With that in mind, Matthew Clark challenged one of its French producers to come up with a sparkling equivalent and now it is outselling Prosecco.

Alex Canetti of Berkmann Wine Cellars said the on-trade is doing really well with France, having had a "dramatic turnaround" in the past year. "Consumers are looking for lighter, fresher, lower-alcohol wines and the French are very good at those." He added that Picpoul is very fashionable and coming up dramatically. "A little bit of terroir [is good], but not too much. Provenance is the key word."

Angela Mount, former supermarket buyer, said French wine in the off-trade was now "very much driven" by what's going on in the on-trade. She agreed that Picpoul offered a "brilliant story. It's successful not because of its soils or terroir, but because it's fresh, light and interesting, and pairs well with certain foods". It has become one of the biggest selling white wines in supermarkets, with one wn-label even being made in bag-in-box, she added.

Marie Knight of PLB (now Bibendum PLB) said: "A lot of on-trade wines are trickling into the off-trade," she said, and consumers are looking for something "fun" on the labels, she explained, such as QR codes with links to recipes and food and wine matching.

To read more about our France Summit, see our extensive coverage in this month's magazine, or online.

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