Crémant de Bourgogne: The sparkler with endless potential

Harpers Wine & Spirit joined forces with BIVB (the Bourgogne wine board) to organise a round table event focusing on Crémant de Bourgogne. A panel of experts met with winemakers from the region to discuss the unique selling points of these sparkling wines and how best to position them in the UK market. The panel also talked about consumer perceptions of sparkling wines in general and where the opportunities for growth might be.

PANEL

» Edouard Cassanet, managing director, Cave de Lugny (one of the region’s largest wine producers), and president of the Union of Crémant de Bourgogne Producers (UPECB)

» Paul Espitalié, director, Maison Simonnet-Febvre (one of the oldest established traditional wine producers, based in Chablis, Bourgogne)

» Debbie Rosenberg, sparkling wine buyer, Majestic Wine

» Marc Venverloo, founder, Wine Affairs (French wine distributor)

» Riaz Syed, director, Stonewines (wine merchant, London)

» Hannah Milnes, founder, and content creator at Bouchon Media (social media and PR)

Edouard Cassanet of Cave de Lugny kicked off the discussion by explaining that producers across the region believe there is potential to grow sales and awareness in the UK. He said: “Volumes are relatively low, which is unusual given that the UK market is historically Bourgogne’s largest market for still wines, and interest in sparkling wines is high. Our target is not to be mass market, but if people understand this wine is from Bourgogne, and that the term 'Crémant' reflects its high-qualityt vininification method, we believe it could be of interest because UK consumers already love wines from this region.”

HOW CAN CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE ATTRACT UK CONSUMERS?

Crémant de Bourgogne wines are made in the method traditionelle with the second fermentation taking place in the bottle. Like Champagne, these wines are also predominantly made using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, but Crémant de Bourgogne wines have their own unique character and structure, and this can vary across the appellation.

Riaz Syed from Stonewines questioned whether a selling point for Crémant de Bourgogne could be that these wines offer a consistent quality from year to year.

Paul Espitalié of Maison Simonnet-Febvre agreed this could work. He said: “One of the things that characterises Crémant de Bourgogne is the 'signature' of producers, where unique flavours are found across the region and with consistent quality every year. They are also able to produce more complex vintage Crémant de Bourgogne.”

Marc Venverloo of Wine Affairs suggested a key selling point could be to show these wines are low in sugar. He said: “Prosecco can contain 15g of sugar, but most crémant would be immediately half of that and it makes the wine a bit more special.” Espitalié confirmed Crémant de Bourgogne winemakers produce wines with low dosage, which would therefore work well with any consumer trends for lower sugar sparkling wines.

But, according to Debbie Rosenberg, low sugar may not be high up in consumers’ purchasing decisions. She said: “I think people say they want low sugar or extra dry or extra brut, but that’s not refected in Majestics sales at all. For me low sugar would be driving a message people think is important but really isn’t.”

“The qualityto-price ratio for Crémant de Bourgogne wines is exceptional”
Edouard Cassanet, Cave de Lugny and UPECB

Rosenberg highlighted price as a driving factor for Prosecco in the UK and asked where Crémant de Bourgogne should sit in terms of pricing. Cassanet said: “Today the price point in the off-trade is around £15 or close to £20 a bottle. The price of wines from Bourgogne has increased a lot in recent months and this hasn’t yet affected Crémant prices, because we work with aged wines, but it will. I think that even with a price increase we can have a good price positioning at £20c or £25 a bottle, which is still good value for money between Prosecco and Champagne. ´The quality-to-price ratio for Crémant de Bourgogne wines is exceptional.”

WHAT ELSE SHOULD PRODUCERS CONSIDER IN TERMS OF PRICING FOR THE UK MARKET?

Hannah Milnes at Bouchon Media pointed to English sparkling wines, which command prices of around £30-£35 per bottle.

She said: "I think it's definitely worth being below them in terms of pricing because that will make your wines more attractive for the UK market.”

Rosenberg agreed: “I think that’s a really interesting point because when you get above £25 on the shelf people really start looking for English sparkling wines.

“You will never compete with Prosecco as you are obviously a completely different wine and far more complicated, and I think consumers know that. But once you get near £20 or £25 you will be competing with English wine. As a category English sparkling has grown and – certainly in Majestic –awareness is high and it has got a good image.

“But it is also pulling up the category because you only need one hero. Initially it was Prosecco and now it is English sparkling that is popular. So, you just need one hero to bring everybody else along.”

Espitalié said: “We think there is a great opportunity for Crémant de Bourgogne here and there is a gap in the market at this price point, which would work well for our producers. Our wines are different and unique and can therefore offer a real alternative in a price segment where there are currently only a few products.”

ARE SALES OF SPARKLING WINE – AND CRÉMANT IN PARTICULAR – DOING WELL IN THE UK?

Venverloo said the Crémant style his business sells the most of is Crémant d’Alsace, because it has a low price point.

He said: "I don't think I can find a Crémant de Bourgogne to match the price and it also drinks really well. However, I do think there is a growing awareness of the word ‘Crémant’, which could help Bourgogne.”

Rosenberg said in terms of Crémant sales, Majestic sells a lot of Crémant de Loire. She added: “In terms of growth in the category, English sparkling is growing the most and then Crémant. Prosecco is growing but only about 7-10% annually.

“We only have one Crémant de Bourgogne so perhaps there is an opportunity for some laddering" From a personal point of View, it would be my go-to type of sparkling wine and, would choose it over Champagne. It’s a different flavour profile, but how do you get that message across to consumers?”

COULD THE ON-TRADE BE A GOOD ROUTE TO MARKET?

Crémant de Bourgogne wines should work well in gastro or bistro venues, according to Venverloo. He said: “People go to those places to eat and they are often quite knowledgeable about wine. The other benefit is you can handsell wines at these places.

“If you are the bottomless Prosecco brunch-type venue then this wine won't work. You need to aim for a higher category.” Syed said marketing is important, and it might take time for UK consumers to understand the term ‘Crémant de Bourgogne’, so labelling and hand-selling are important factors to consider.

He says: “I would like to see a marketing strategy that is different for the UK, compared with the rest of the world. I think you could really drive the region if you look at what’s on the label and what the message is.”

Rosenberg said: “I don’t know much about the on-trade, but , can't recall ever having seen Crémant de Bourgogne on the wine list. I would like to see these wines sold by the glass. Whenever I go out for a meal, I see Prosecco or Champagne and I want neither. I would choose a Crémant de Bourgogne or even a Cava if it was sold by the glass.”

Cassanet confirmed Crémant by the glass is a target for producers. He said: “We produce Crémant de Bourgogne wines which are fresh and crisp, but our producers can also offer something with more complexity.

“By the glass could be the best way to demonstrate this and it is definitely a good route to encourage consumers to try our wines. Crémant de Bourgogne wines offer fantastic value when served by the glass and they are also very food-friendly.

“Our wines sit at the premium end of the sparkling category and by the glass is therefore a good route for us to take via the on-trade. A hand-sell approach via wine merchants and key hospitality venues is also important to help explain the added value of the word ‘Bourgogne’.”

“Sparkling is doing well generally in the UK — and globally — so it’s a good time to grow awareness”
Hannah Milnes, Bouchon Media

WHAT ELSE CAN HELP THESE WINES IN THE UK?

Milnes said: “Sparkling is doing well generally in the UK, and globally in fact, and so it’s a good time to try to grow awareness.”

Rosenberg agreed. “We have given more space to sparkling wines over the last few years in Majestic stores. It’s no longer seen as a drink just for a celebratory occasion. It’s not just party fizz, sparkling wine is now seen as a serious drinking alternative to still wines or other alcoholic drinks.”

Milnes added: “I think Crémant de Bourgogne could benefit from building an association with an occasion. Prosecco is associated with being a good-time drink and Champagne is at the other end, being the sophisticated celebratory drink. Crémant needs to find its occasion."

“It’s not just party fizz, sparkling wine is now seen as a serious drinking alternative to still wines or other alcoholic drinks”
Debbie Rosenberg, Majestic Wine

Syed noted: “Another route is via tastings. Tasting events are now a much bigger part of our business than they were pre-pandemic and it's a great way to really engage with the consumer."

“I always start with a Crémant, and I’d like wines from different Crémant de Bourgogne regions because there are great stories to tell. You can say ‘this is from Chablis’ and people will have heard of Chablis, so they immediately know what I am talking about.”

To conclude, Cassanet reiterated the fact that Crémant de Bourgogne wines offer excellent value for money. He also noted the wines are “perfect for UK consumers” because they come from a well-known and well-loved region of France.

He said: “The UK is an important market for the appellation, and we are keen to work with key venues to help grow awareness across the country.

“Bourgogne has a very strong history with the UK, and we think there is a fantastic opportunity for UK consumers to discover our Crémant wines. We are already seeing real recognition and demand for Crémant de Bourgogne wines on an international level, and the UK is one of the key markets for us.

He added: “We feel that Crémant de Bourgogne can fill a gap in the market in the UK in the mid-market price range, sitting neatly between premium and entry-level sparkling wines. We believe we can offer an excellent product for consumers and a good opportunity for distributors.”

THE FACTS

» Last year the region sold 23 million bottles, 1.7 million bottles more than in 2020.
» Exports comprise 45% of the total volume, but this is increasing.
» The US is the biggest export market, while the UK sits in eighth position.
» The AOC was officially born in 1975 but the production of the traditionalmethod Crémant in Bourgogne dates back more than 200 years.
» Production spans from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south.
» Styles vary across the AOC with Pinot Noir influencing wines in the north and Chardonnay dominating those in the south.
» The traditional Bourgogne varietals Gamay and Aligoté are also used in the blend. They each have their own personality and contribute to the unique identity of Crémant de Bourgogne.

Photography by David Rowland www.davidrowland.photo