Bordeaux wines bucks off-trade sales trend with 8% rise

Published: 31 August, 2012

Bordeaux wines are bucking the trend with an 8% off-trade sales increase of 100,000 cases over the past 12 months.

The latest report from Nielsen (MAT 21/7/12) shows the increase has replicated the growth achieved during the previous year and compares with the overall wine market declining by 3% and France by 6%.

This increase is further confirmed by export figures from Bordeaux, which registered growth of 10% in the year to May 2012.

With the average price of a bottle of Bordeaux wine is also now £6.45 compared with £4.90 and £5.58 of other regional French wines, Douglas Morton, UK consultant to the CIVB, said the sales figures are "extremely encouraging, in a depressed market", and are further evidence of consumers being prepared to pay a little more for quality.

Morton added that Bordeaux sales seem to be accelerating as figures for the 12 weeks to July 21 registered an increase of 17% over the same period last year, and with significant promotion and advertising investment planned for the rest of the year he is optimistic the trend should continue.

"We are reaching out to wine consumers with activities like Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House, where Bordeaux Wines were the official wine sponsor this month, we sampled over 15,000 people. This autumn over 120 dinners are planned across the country where diners will have the opportunity to have at least four Bordeaux wines with their meal, reinforcing the proposition that Good Food Would Choose Bordeaux.

"And we are also launching social media initiatives plus a UK-focused website in order to engage with Bordeaux drinkers and gently educate wine consumers, not just about the tremendous wines available in the UK but about the region itself - Bordeaux is such a great holiday destination."

In the next few weeks the CIVB will announce a major advertising investment in the run-up to Christmas.

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