MEET THE WORLD’S ONLY
MEET THE WORLD’S ONLY PALINDROMIC GRAPE Tannat is the only grape WORLD in the OF world ORGANIC modernising WINESit. Certified organic wine that reads the same in both directions (a producer since 2011, they consider these palindrome). But that’s not all! With its practices as a promise for the future. red wines, Domaine Damiens reveals 3 Always looking for development in the vine different expressions of the Tannat. 3 wine as in the cellar, today their goal is to better profiles which preserve the meridional and organise their work, and to make these Atlantic singularity of this Southwestern wines known globally France grape. After 50 years, 3 generations and 1000 questions, the Domaine Damiens has kept the family tradition of vine growing, Hall 1 / Stand W227 CHÂTEAU DES BACHELARDS: PIONEERING A DIFFERENT STYLE OF WINES AND PHILOSOPHY IN FLEURIE Château des Bachelards’ wines are doubly certified organic and biodynamic - Demeter, which changes dramatically the profile of the wines. They are the only winery of Fleurie, Saint-Amour and Moulin-à-Vent to do so. Château des Bachelards’ vineyard was established by the monks of Cluny around the year 1100 and has only had three owners since. The vineyard stretches over 12 hectares, six of which are in Fleurie in a single “clos” around the Château, cultivated like a garden and plots in Moulin-à- Vent and in Saint-Amour. Their wines are characterised by a combination of Burgundy’s elegance and Rhône Valley’s gourmandise. The Château’s soils have been clean for more than 12 years: “They are our treasure and we care”, explain Château staff, adding, “Similarly, we do not use any of the so-called ‘Beaujolais winemaking methods’ i.e. carbonic maceration, thermovinification etc. and we don’t use any chemicals. Our wines are alive.” Countess Alexandra de Vazielles, with an MBA from the Kellogg School of Northwestern University in Chicago, is a viticulture and oenology graduate. She lived and worked fifteen years in the US as a strategy consultant within the tech industry. Before acquiring her own estate, which allowed her to fully express herself and make her dream come true, she trained with the very best at Château Latour in Pauillac, Domaine de Montille in Volnay and Domaine Roulot in Meursault. “You don’t like Beaujolais wines too much? Neither do I, that is why I created mine,” explains Alexandra de Vazeilles. Alexandra de Vazeilles has no Beaujolais family roots and chose Bachelards for its terroir uniqueness and quality since she considers Fleurie’s granitic soils to be among France’s greatest terroirs. Indeed, up until the end of the 1970s, the price of wines from Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent, Saint- Amour was higher than those from Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits- Saint-Georges, Châteauneuf-du- Pape and Margaux Hall 1 / Stand W185 NEW ADOBE LABEL STRENGTHENS ORGANIC MESSAGE Emiliana Organic Vineyards, which claims to be the world’s largest organic winery, has chosen the image of a crowing rooster announcing the dawn of a new day, surrounded by vineyards and nature for the new label of its Adobe line that is set to reach the market with a new air. Available in more than 35 countries, Adobe, one of the most widely sold organic wines, has renewed its image with icons that strengthen its attributes of organics and quality that stand above those of its peers. Emiliana brand manager Paula Millán stresses that he wants the new label to distinguish the characteristics of the wine even more: “We believe that the illustration of the rooster as the primary element, surrounded by the natural world, represents light and awakening. We continue to hear his crowing as the first rays of sunlight appear when we are in the countryside. It also makes an almost-perfect analogy with Emiliana’s own awakening when it decided to transform its vineyards to sustainable agriculture more than 20 years ago.” Camila Bravo, the brand’s strategic designer, says the label includes a range of 11 colours, one for each variety in the Adobe line. “Every variety is a different colour. This natural range of colours comes the colours of a rooster’s feathers, which ties in very nicely with this project.” “Adobe is the foundation of Emiliana’s portfolio, and with its wines we want to invite everyone to discover this organic world. It is the first step toward nature,” concludes Paula Millán Hall 1 / Stand W227 10 VINEXPO DAILY / PREVIEW / THURSDAY 9 TH MAY 2019
TRADE TALK Drinks for every moment PRESS CORNER Nordic-based Solera Beverage Group is at Vinexpo Bordeaux on the look-out for new strategic partners Thomas Matthews Executive editor, Wine Spectator Stefan Norberg Vice Chairman, Solera Beverage Group Solera Beverage Group consists of many importers in Sweden, Finland and Norway. We asked Stefan Norberg - Vice Chairman - Solera Beverage Group Holding AS to tell us more about the group and its activities. Solera Beverage Group is the leading importer of beverages in the Nordics, specialising in imports of wine, spirits, beer and other beverages. Over the past 10 years Solera has had a growth rate that has outperformed any other Beverage Group in the business, and we continue to grow at the same strong pace. Solera thus has a deep understanding of the Nordic market and work intensely on developing new and innovative ways to drive profitable growth for producers/brand owners and customers. Solera has 150 highly competent and passionate employees. Our turnover is €178m. My role is, apart from the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, the overall responsibility to develop the portfolio of Solera Beverage Group. What do you see as being the most important sales trends in your territory? In general, consumers are becoming more and more educated when it comes to wine. Sales trends are different depending on the geographic markets. White wine grew as well as sparkling wine last year due to the nice weather we had. Since we are serving the Monopolies and their tenders, we are constantly in dialogue with them in order to present the best possible products. Organic wine is growing especially in Sweden due to the ORGANIC WINE IS GROWING ESPECIALLY IN SWEDEN DUE TO THE TENDERS AND THE WISH FROM THE MONOPOLY TO GROW THIS SEGMENT. tenders and the wish from the monopoly to grow this segment. Allowing products with higher alcohol content in the retail (grocery) market in Finland, has been a game changer as well. What are you primarily looking for at Vinexpo Bordeaux? To meet existing partners and potential new strategic partners for Solera. What are your secrets for getting the best out of a busy Vinexpo? The most important thing is advance planning, and keeping your schedule VINEXPO 2019: THE SPECTATOR’S VIEWPOINT Wine Spectator was founded in California in 1976 and is today the world’s leading authority on wine, reaching about 3 million readers worldwide. We asked executive editor Thomas Matthews to tell us more about what he is primarily looking for at Vinexpo this year. As I am Wine Spectator’s lead taster for the wines of Spain, I make a point to taste widely among the Spanish producers at Vinexpo. I am also on the lookout for interesting new wines from around the world. And I look forward to catching up with many old friends at the fair. Which wines or spirits do you feel are gaining most in popularity in the US? The two strongest categories in the US at the moment are dry roses and sparkling wines. Interestingly, neither is tethered to a specific place, style or prices point (though Provence rose and Prosecco sparklers continue to lead their categories). As a result, adventurous consumers can turn to distinctive wines from many regions and in many styles. Spanish Cava, Lambrusco and French crémants are benefiting from the sparkling boom, while Rioja in Spain, Puglia in Italy and Oregon in the US offer interesting versions on rose. From your tasting experience over the past 12 months what have been the stand out highlights in terms of countries/ regions and styles? For Wine Spectator, I focus on the wines of Spain. I continue to be impressed by their diversity, character and increasing quality. I am currently impressed by the fresh whites of Galicia, the elegant reds of Priorat and the extraordinary range of offerings from Rioja. As Executive editor, I am privileged to travel and taste quite widely. I’m excited about the 2015 and 2016 vintages from Bordeaux. I think Bolgheri and Sicily are two of Italy’s most interesting regions. Australia is successfully re-inventing itself. Chile is exploring a growing range of terroirs. Oregon, in the US, has staked a serious claim to Pinot Noir. The wine world continues to grow in every way vinexpodaily.com VINEXPO DAILY / PREVIEW / THURSDAY 9 TH MAY 2019 11
