I EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW I I LIKE TO MEET PEOPLE, SHAKE HANDS, EXPLAIN WHAT WE DO AND TAKE IT FROM THERE. Ole Frantzen Partner at Calwine AB 14 THE DAILY • TUES<strong>DAY</strong> 13 FEBRUARY <strong>2024</strong> wineparis-vinexpo.com
I EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW I “Many of my current partners are here, so it's very easy to meet a lot of them over the three days” <strong>The</strong> <strong>Daily</strong> caught up with Ole Frantzen, Partner at Calwine AB, in the Lounge at <strong>Wine</strong> <strong>Paris</strong> & <strong>Vinexpo</strong> <strong>Paris</strong> Ole Frantzen shared his thoughts on the importance of <strong>Wine</strong> <strong>Paris</strong> & <strong>Vinexpo</strong> <strong>Paris</strong> for his business as well as for the industry at large. He outlined the role of Systembolaget, the Swedish retail monopoly, in the landscape of the wine and spirits market in Sweden. Can you tell us about the importance of the <strong>Wine</strong> <strong>Paris</strong> & <strong>Vinexpo</strong> <strong>Paris</strong> for your business and the industry overall? This is my fourth year coming to the show. I think that <strong>Wine</strong> <strong>Paris</strong> & <strong>Vinexpo</strong> <strong>Paris</strong> is growing, it is becoming more and more important in the industry, which means that this year many of my current partners are here, so it's very easy to meet a lot of them over the three days. You don't have to go to Germany to do that anymore, you can do it right here in <strong>Paris</strong>. <strong>The</strong>re are some other big fairs out there, but I do enjoy coming to <strong>Wine</strong> <strong>Paris</strong> & <strong>Vinexpo</strong> <strong>Paris</strong> more. I think it's well-structured, it's easy to orient yourself and preparation is quite easy. I really enjoy it and I think it's very important for the industry. Could you share some of your main goals for the show this year? I'm meeting with all of my current contacts and I have set Wednesday aside with no meetings. Wednesday will be going to be my day of exploration, and I look forward to that. What are you looking to explore? I am from Sweden which means that we have a retail monopoly so there are a lot of tenders out there and you try to find someone that could be a part of that. That said, I do not want to just send out lots of emails asking for wine. I like to meet people, shake hands, explain what we do and take it from there. How do you approach discovering and choosing new wines and spirits to add to your portfolio? <strong>The</strong> company that I'm working for is very focused on the off-trade, which means that we basically use the retail monopolies' tenders to look for wine. It's difficult in Sweden to find someone and help them to grow. Since the Horeca part of the market is very small, it is the off-trade that is the main focus. If you find a wine you are really impressed with, is there a way for you to encourage its inclusion in the Swedish retail monopoly? Of course. We have a retail monopoly called Systembolaget and they are great in the sense that they are very open to input. So if you find a really good wine that could fit the gap in their assortment, one that they don't already have, then it's always a possibility, you can offer it to Systembolaget, and if you're lucky, they might just ask for it. What wine and spirits trends are you currently most excited about? And are you seeing these trends reflected at the show? I have a feeling that the wines are going back to the roots in the sense that the origin is becoming increasingly important. <strong>The</strong>re has also been a high sugar trend in wines that I think that we are going to see decreasing. Within rosé wines I do believe that the consumers are now getting a little bit tired of the pink with a dash of orange colour style. I wouldn't be surprised that if in a couple of years we see more traditional rosé wines, claret style or things like that. After attending <strong>Wine</strong> <strong>Paris</strong> & <strong>Vinexpo</strong> <strong>Paris</strong>, how do you follow up with your connections and discoveries that you've made at the event? I do believe in karma, which means that if I meet someone I always respond to them, I always send them my recap of the meeting, I also try to explain why I can't work with them or if I want to work with them, I try to explain why. I treat everyone with respect and that is a lot of work because after a show like this you probably have 30, 40, sometimes 50 business cards in your pocket. But it's important. You need to manage your own brand as well WINE PARIS & VINEXPO PARIS CLUB PROGRAMME <strong>Vinexpo</strong>sium offers an exclusive Club programme to the most prestigious wine and spirits buyers worldwide. Key players benefit from a range of privileges and services, all year round, at all of <strong>Vinexpo</strong>sium in-person events and as well as on the digital portal. Club Members must be one of the top buyers in their market with a purchase volume exceeding a minimum number of bottles per year. 6 EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS FOR CLUB MEMBERS: •Free Admission to <strong>Vinexpo</strong>sium events worldwide •Access to the lounge, the perfect place for networking •Priority services including concierge services, cloakroom, meeting rooms etc. •Invitations to dedicated in-person and online events as well as the grand openings of trade events •Free access to <strong>Vinexpo</strong>sium 365, the portal that allows buyers to look for new products and contact producers 365 days a year •<strong>The</strong> chance to be selected for <strong>Vinexpo</strong>sium's Hosted Buyers Programme and enjoy the advantages of an international city to maximise business and networking opportunities THE DAILY • TUES<strong>DAY</strong> 13 FEBRUARY <strong>2024</strong> 15
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