TRADE TALK Lei Zhao
TRADE TALK Lei Zhao General Manager, Tmall Food PRESS CORNER Tracking Shifting Mind Sets in China Tmall helps in match-making with the right wines for different local regions Lei Zhao is General Manager for the Chinese retail giant Tmall Food. We asked him what the most important trends are in wine sales in his territory. Michel Bettane & Thierry Desseauve BETTANE+ DESSEAUVE ARE BACK @ VINEXPO! Let’s start by saying that French wines still occupy the biggest share of imported bottled wines in China. Also, China is the fourth biggest destination for French wines and spirits exports by value, and figures provided by Chinese customs suggest that China’s wine imports continue to grow in both volume and value during the first three months of 2016. China is a country enchanted by wine: a growing share of the population, including younger generations, are refining their taste for wine and becoming more sophisticated when they choose what to drink. It’s also a mind set shift, as consumers understand that wine is great to pair with food. Like French people, Chinese consumers choose their wine by brand, region, vintage, grape variety and flavour. Therefore, it’s important for manufacturers to be aware that people from different regions have different tastes. For example, consumers from certain parts of China, such as the southern Jiangsu Province, tend to appreciate fruitier wine because their cuisine is founded on sweeter flavours. Ultimately, we still observe the dominance of red wine – which is the colour traditionally associated with good luck and happiness in Chinese culture. This year’s partner country is Spain. What are your thoughts on Spanish wines, and what other regions are you finding the most interesting? Spain is among the top wine producing countries exporting its wine to China. Over the past few years, regions like Rioja, Priorat and Ribera del Duero have become more and more popular among wine lovers. However, France remains the most important wine country in the world and the most famous in China. Apart from France, Italy, Australia and the United States are also our important partners. These countries have already their own country wine federation flagship stores on Tmall. com, our B2C platform. Latin American wineproducing countries are also quite famous, such as Argentina a country which Jack Ma (Alibaba’s founder) recently visited. What are secrets for getting the best out of a busy show like Vinexpo? We think we can offer French wineries and businesses our unique point of view and unrivalled knowledge of the Chinese market. Thanks to the insights we can provide, we are able to guide French brands in their internationalization journey, helping them to unlock their potential and grow their presence and export to China. bettane+desseauve provides information to the trade and helps consumers better understand and choose wines whenever and wherever they want to. That’s not surprising when one knows that Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve have been working together on the project for over 30 years. We asked Thierry Desseauve what he is primarily looking for at Vinexpo. We are here to witness the energy, dynamics and innovation of the wine industry. As for the marketing side; the digital revolution is leading to major changes in the buying process providing the end consumer with more information than ever. Which regions / varieties / wine styles do you feel are gaining most in popularity in the region served by your publications? The whole world is a wine playground and we’re unveiling, every year, talented winemakers from Lebanon, Ukraine, Japan to mention a few alongside the famous regions from Italy and France. What are you most looking forward to at the show? We’ll be focusing on our “Vinexpo featuring bettane+desseauve” event that is a fresh “talks and tastings” concept, where the focus is on highlighting talented growers and unveiling exceptional, rare and surprising worldwide wines from young producers through 14 exciting master classes. 6 VINEXPO DAILY / DAY 2 EDITION / MONDAY 19 TH JUNE 2017
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW The Sommelier: A Profession in its own Right Becoming a sommelier just became much more serious… thanks largely to the work of Philip Faure-Brac Philippe Faure-Brac – Best Sommelier in the World 1992 (and now of the “Bistrot du Sommelier” – Paris) is back at Vinexpo this year animating master classes as well as an importance conference. We asked him how the role of the sommelier is evolving today… The interest in becoming a sommelier as a career has been continuing to progress over a number of years, and more and more young people are orienting themselves towards this kind of work. As an example, I preside over the “Meilleur Ouvrier de France” competition, which is in its eighth edition. And each time there are more nominees. This year, there are already over a hundred entries for the next competition. As the new President of the Union de la Sommellerie Française (UDSF), how do you feel about being placed in this position, and what will your role entail? My aim is to give a true orientation to this trade. I am working on several fronts. The first is that of training; stirring motivation among young people, and at the same time, trying to follow, as best as I can, the different types of training available in France, and around the world. France is a kind of “reference” for the rest of the world in this respect. The second theme is that of communication. Creating an interest comes through getting people to talk about the topic, so I am trying to put in place a number of forms of communication. These include competitions, radio and TV programmes, conferences and so on, as well as social media, raising our profile. The third point is a project I initiated already some time ago with the International Sommeliers’ Association, along with the OIV (International Organisation of Vine & Wine), for an official recognition of the profession of sommelier in its own right. People have been hesitant as to whether it’s a veritable trade or if it’s just a role or a special function. We have been working with the members of the International Sommeliers’ Association – these past years, I have been piloting the project – to obtain a definition, or official recognition of the profession of sommelier around the world. Two steps have been taken so far: an official decree by the OIV in November 2014. Then, as recently as at the beginning of this month, we came to the end of our work in creating a precise charter covering the minimum training required in order to obtain certification as a sommelier. Now, there’s a training programme, fully validated on an international level by the OIV, which defines exactly what a sommelier is, and what he or she has to do to obtain certification. At Vinexpo 2017, you will be animating a conference, along with Gabriel Lepousez, on Neuroenologie, when neurosciences come into play with tasting. Please tell us a little more about this and where the idea came from… Wine tasting is on the one hand a “technical” exercise, but at the same time it engages one’s emotions, and these emotions are translated by a certain number of reactions. The wine itself is not entirely responsible for this. There are many other environmental factors that can play a major role. These include the shape of the bottle, the label, the cork, the shape of the glass, the temperature, the light, and so on. All these factors bring negative WINE TASTING IS ON THE ONE HAND A “TECHNICAL” EXERCISE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT ENGAGES ONE’S EMOTIONS and positive influences to the tasting before it’s even started… both conscious and sub-conscious – often the latter. There’s also a cultural element. For the Swiss, a screw cap bottle is quite normal, whereas in France, it’s not. It’s the meeting of neuro-science and oenology. Another novelty at Vinexpo this year is the International Sommeliers’ Association stand (1-202). What can we find there? There will be a number of conferences, and I will be running a master class on tasting wines from the Loire Valley, among a number of other master classes that will be held at the stand. Philippe Faure-Brac Best Sommelier in the World 1992 President of the Union de la Sommellerie Française (UDSF) VINEXPO DAILY / DAY 2 EDITION / MONDAY 19 TH JUNE 2017 7
