Vinexpo Daily - Day 4

TRADE TALK
Kobrand’s Perspective
PRESS CORNER
How Vinexpo fairs have been important
landmarks in Constance Savage’s career
© Vinexpo - JB Nadeau
With 20 years in the alcohol beverage industry, Constance Savage
has a passion for wine and spirits, and her work spans the spheres of
supply dynamics, sales-planning and marketing strategy-setting and
execution. We asked her what the key reasons are for her attending
Vinexpo…
There is a noticeable tone and energy
specific to each bi-annual Vinexpo
event, a sense of what is happening
“now” in the industry and a feeling,
which is true in any case, of being,
at that moment, at the centre of the
industry. Walking up and down the
aisles, you see faces that run from
familiar to friendly – you feel that you
have grown up with, and continue to
YOU ARE
INCREASINGLY
PULLED BY
ACQUAINTANCES
AND CONTACTS
SCATTERED ACROSS
THE FAIR
grow with these people, your associates
in the happy business of wine and
spirits. As your seniority in the industry
grows, your pace changes. You
approach Vinexpo in a more “efficient”
way, while, at the same time, you are
increasingly pulled by acquaintances
and contacts scattered across the
fair – friendships and acquaintances
built over the course of years in the
business. It is exciting, invigorating and
exhausting, all at the same time.
How do you evaluate the current state
of the wine and spirits market in your
country?
The U.S. wine market continues to
grow, from both overall and per-capita
consumption standpoints. The great
recession of 2008 – 2009 opened a
lot of attitudes towards cheaper pricepoints
and off-premise shopping habits,
which have created a “new balance”
in the industry. Certain price points are
unachievable for all but the truly iconic
labels. However, our consumer finally
feels on solid ground from a personal
financial perspective. We are fortunate
that certain segments of our population
are growing in affluence and in their
curiosity and knowledge of fine wine.
We have a huge “millennial” population
who are expressing interest in wine and
spirits earlier and more meaningfully
than did any other generation. The
future is bright in the U.S. market.
What is your “secret” to a successful
Vinexpo visit?
Four practical tips:
1. Although I admit I cannot always
achieve it – start planning your itinerary
early, and try to get local cell phone
Constance
Savage
VP Director of Supplier Relations,
Kobrand Corporation
numbers for your contacts to be able to
use text in case you are running late.
2. Find a way to drink water as much
as possible, at least 1-1 with wine.
3. Pay attention to stand locations,
and to book appointments that are
physically close together within the
same period of time.
4.Try to keep one evening and one
morning free of appointments. This is
key for being able to make time for an
important opportunity that might arise.
Sarah Kemp
Publishing Director, Decanter
“MINERALITY IS
TODAY’S NEW
BUZZWORD”
Thanks to a new partnership between
Vinexpo and Decanter, a series of
tastings and conferences are being
organised by the publication at the
show this year, not to mention the
famed Decanter World Wine Awards.
We asked publishing director Sarah
Kemp to tell us what she is most looking
forward to at Vinexpo this year…
The opportunity to catch-up with so many top
wineries without having to travel thousands
of miles. Vinexpo is a great opportunity to
discover wines from regions that you cannot
personally visit as well as trying new vintages
from established names.
Which regions / varieties/ wine styles do
you feel are gaining most in popularity in
the UK and why?
Wines with less oak and less alcohol are
certainly finding favour. Consumers are very
aware of alcohol levels. Minerality is today’s
new buzzword.
8 VINEXPO DAILY / DAY 4 / WEDNESDAY 17 TH JUNE 2015