Full steam ahead for Harpers Loire Valley competition

By James Lawrence

Published: 04 April, 2022

Merchants across the UK continue to sign up to the Loire Valley Wines competition, organised in collaboration with Harpers and the region’s promotional body.

Indies are invited to promote the incredible diversity of the Loire’s viticultural landscape, supported by POS, maps, aprons, waiters, corkscrews and other materials supplied by Loire Valley Wines.

Activities are currently being planned to run from May to July, focusing on key Loire appellations such as Muscadet, Vouvray, Cremant de Loire and St Nicholas de Bourgueil.

However, there is still time to sign up to the promotion, via a straightforward application form.

After the competition has ended, a panel of judges will select the best performing merchant, rewarding them with a trip for two to the Loire Valley, and a full write up in Harpers Wine & Spirit magazine.

In 2021, The Oxford Wine Company was lauded for its brilliant use of social media marketing, promoting a 10% discount on all Loire Valley wines that saw volume and value rise throughout the summer.

“We’re big fans of the wines of the Loire Valley here at OWC towers, and this promotion was a brilliant opportunity to share that enthusiasm with our customers,” said owner Ted Sandbach.

“Our in-store activation and social media campaign attracted many new customers to the region. We were particularly pleased to see an uplift in average bottle spend of 17% across the Loire Valley even after the promotion finished – meaning that once customers tried the Loire Valley’s wines, they loved them and were willing to treat themselves to more expensive bottles.”

Loire Valley Wines is the third largest inter-professional association for AOC wines in France. It brings together the Nantais, Anjou, Saumur and Touraine areas, comprising around 50 appellations and designated areas across 38,000 hectares.

This year, the body will host a series of consumer-led events in London, running from 23 May to 12 June.

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