General Industry News And Stats

Question 1

What are the top five countries exporting wine to the UK?

Answer 1

1. France
2. Italy
3. Spain
4. Chile
5. Australia

Question 2

What two words best describe the 2018 wines presented at this year’s En Primeur

Answer 2

Heartbreak and happiness

Heartbreaking as for many top estates the 2018 vintage produced two thirds or less than the 2017 vintage.

Throughout Bordeaux, the crop was 30% below average. Mildew and drought. Rain and humidity plagued the region from spring through July which brought Mildew.

From mid-July until harvest the rain turned to constant sunshine and drought

Question 3

Why is the domestic Australian wine market decreasing?

Answer 3

Like most mature markets, Australia has declining per capita consumption and low population growth leading to overall decline in market volume.

Trends driven by younger drinkers embracing a broader repertoire of drinks and being more likely to switch into a non alcoholic option.

Premium price segments are growing at expense of lower price segments opportunities in $15-20 and $20-30 per bottle categories.

Question 4

Is the domestic Australian wine market premiumising?

Answer 4

Yes although overall volumes are decreasing, premium price segments are growing at expense of lower price segments, providing opportunities particularly in the $15-20 and $20-30 per bottle categories

Question 5

Is the trend for organic wine increasing or decreasing?

Answer 5

Organic wine is increasing and it forecasted to reach 87.5m cases globally by 2022.

Question 6

Where is the growth in organic wine coming from?

Answer 6

Europe.

Europe will account for 78% of global organic wine market by 2022. The Americas will represent about 12% of total organic wine consumption

Question 7

What is the difference between EU and US definitions of organic wine?

Answer 7

The EU defines wine as organic if it is produced from organic grapes or from oenological techniques and substances authorised for organic wine.

In the US the United States Department of Agriculture mandates that before wine can be sold as organic both the growing of the grapes and their conversion to wine must be certified.

Question 8

Is organic area under vine increasing or decreasing?

Answer 8

Total organic area under vine has increased by 234% since 2017 and in 2017 surpassed 400,000 hectares

Question 9

How much extra do UK consumers pay for organic wine?

Answer 9

UK consumers pay an average of 38% more for a bottle of organic wine vis non organising and are buying more red than white/rose 60% vs 40%

Question 10

What percentage of organic wine in the UK is old world?

Answer 10

72% with France, Italy and Spain at the forefront

Question 11

Who is the organic wine consumer in the UK?

Answer 11

Primarily caters for wealthier wine lovers or regular buyers of organic produce and those who reside in metropolitan areas particularly London

Question 12

What is the expected growth of organic wine sales in the UK?

Answer 12

While overall total wine consumption in the UK is in declined organic wine is expected to post a growth of 9.4% between 2017-2022

Question 13

Where is 70% of the organic wine sold in the US from?

Answer 13

The US

Question 14

Who is the organic wine buyer in the US?

Answer 14

Organic wine buyers in the US skew female, Milliennials and high income especially those consumers in major markets who focus on healthier lifestyles and have a preference for natural food and beverage products

Question 15

What is the growth rate of organic wine in the US?

Answer 15

Total still wine consumption is increasing in the US although still a niche category, organic wine is slowly taking share from non organic.

Total wine volume is forecasted to increase about 1% 2017-2022 with organic wines expected to post 14.3% growth.

Question 16

What percentage of organic wine consumption in France is from French producers?

Answer 16

99% and accounts for just under 4% of the overall still wine category

Question 17

What is the growth rate expected of French organic wine in France?

Answer 17

Total wine in France is expected to decline by 2.1% but organic wine is expected to increase 13.3% to 17m cases.

Question 18

Where is organic wine distributed in France?

Answer 18

Mostly medium and large scale supermarkets and increasingly the on trade via by the glass pourings

Question 19

Which city is driving organic wine sales in France?

Answer 19

Paris is the key driver of France’s organic wine market, the trend is beginning to spread to other large French metropoles and the French countryside

Question 20

What country has the largest market for organic still wine?

Answer 20

Germany.

Germany is the world’s largest market for organic still wine and has grown strongly since 2012 +17.9%

Question 21

What percentage does organic wine account for in Germany?

Answer 21

6% of still wine consumption in 2017

Question 22

What percentage of organic wine in Germany is made in Germany?

Answer 22

52%

Question 23

Who is the German organic wine consumer?

Answer 23

Women particularly those over 50 and higher earners

Question 24

Is the organic wine market in Japan well-developed?

Answer 24

Yes the organic wine market in Japan is relatively well developed and already represents around 10% of total still wine sales thanks to an average growth of 8.2% over the past five years

Question 25

Where is the majority of organic wine from in Japan?

Answer 25

France

And is dominated by red wine (84.8% of the category)

Question 26

Which Spanish DO is targeting the UK market after it saw exports rise by 41.7% in 2017?

Answer 26

The Regulatory body for the Spanish DO Rueda

Question 27

Why has The Australian Ministry of Agriculture announced the development of a ‘Wine Label Intellectual Property Directory’?

Answer 27

To prevent dodgy copies of wines being exported especially to its most lucrative market China.

Fraudsters are facing wines from Yellow Tail to Penfolds particularly to China which is Australia’s biggest export market by value

The new directory will have an in-depth and extensive database and display a trademarked image of labels the exporters ABN and date the label was produced

Question 28

Why is canned wine increasing by 6% yoy in Western Europe?

Answer 28

Convenience
Environmentally conscious millennials

In May 2018 Waitrose started selling the first premium rose packaged in a 250ml can Pret a Porter, Rose to go

Greencroft Bottling in the UK is finishing construction of a large canning line for wine shipped in bulk to the UK, from Sauvignon Blanc to White Zinfandel

Question 29

Who is rolling out a ‘premium wine in tap programme for restaurants and hotels in Hong Kong and why?

Answer 29

Treasury Wine Estates

To boost wine sales in the on trade

Increase serving speed, reduce wastage and avoiding the haste of opening and discarding bottles

Consumers receive a fresh perfect pour every time

Question 30

Who is arguing hybrid grapes are the only long term solution to battling climate change in the vineyard and why?

Answer 30

Leading viticulturalist Dr Richard Smart

Appealing to European vineyards to abandon their sentimental attachment to traditional grape varieties in favour of a more pragmatic approach

He argues climate change is bringing a multitude of new threats and vine diseases to European vineyards

Esca, for example, is devasting vineyards and the only cure is sodium arsenite which is banned. Hybrids are the only solution he argues.

Hybrids are increasing essential if winegrowers wish to limit their synthetic chemical usage in the vineyards

France has recently developed four new hybrids designed to be resistant to downy and powdery Mildew.

Under current AOC laws hybrids are forbidden. Although Vin de France category allows growers to experiment with hybrids if they wish

Smart argues everything takes too much time in France

Question 31

Who recently sold 30 wine brands to Gallo for $1.7bn and why?

Answer 31

Constellation Brands sold around 30 of its lower priced wine brands and related facilities to E&J Gallowin a deal with $1.7bn as part of a strategy to streamline and premiumise its portfolio

Brands included Paul Masson Wines, Ravenswood and Wild Horse

Question 32

What vineyard pest is back with avengence in Victoria, Australia?

Answer 32

Phylloxera - there were two reported outbreaks in a month in March this year in Victoria.

There are currently 83 endemic strains in Australia that are confined to parts of Victoria and New South Wales and represent a major threat to the vast majority of Australia’s vineyards that are planted on their own roots.

Strict farm gate hygiene practices are being followed to help prevent the spread

Question 33

Where is Domaines Baron de Rothschild launching its first vintage in September 2019?

Answer 33

China from its Chinese estate in Shandong.

The first vintage will be a blend of Cab Sav and; Marselon

Question 34

How many commercial vineyards are there in Great Britain?

Answer 34

More than 500

Question 35

How much has area under vine in England and Wales increased by over the past 10 years?

Answer 35

160% to reach 2,888 hectares

Question 36

How much has English and Wine grown by in the past year?

Answer 36

6% increase in sales to reach a record of 4 million bottles in 2018

Question 37

What must all new vineyards be planted on by EU law?

Answer 37

Phylloxera resistant rootstock from circa 2006 all new vineyards must be planted on resistant rootstock even in areas like Mosel without problems of Phylloxera

Question 38

What animal are Bordeaux wineries trying to encourage to settle in vineyards and why?

Answer 38

Bats

Bats devour 2,000 insects a night including grape tortrix the moth which promotes the development of grey rot (botrytis) in grape berries

It is part of its sustainability practices in 2017, 60% of Bordeaux vineyards were committed to sustainable practices

Question 39

What grape varieties will feature in Waitrose’s new own label range ‘W’?

Answer 39

Marselan IGO Méditerané
País from Chile
Cannonau di Sardegna 
Mencía from Bierzo, Spain
Elbling from Germany
Arinto from Lisbon
Petit Manseng from Juraçon 
A rose Zweigelt from Niederösterreich, Austria
Sparking Pecorino

78% of consumers had now heard of the new wines

Question 40

What is the fastest growing market for cork stoppers in the past 12 months and why?

Answer 40

Australia

Its no1 market is China, and China is a country where the majority of drinkers want a wine sealed with a cork.

Question 41

How many vines are due to be planted in England & Wales in 2019?

Answer 41

3 million

Which will result in a 24% rise in land under vine in Britain in just one year