Blog
Volcano Wines
(as well as an important marketing tool)
Interview a Jane Nisbet Huseby, an international consultant with a solid background in the wine sector. Founder of the Chilean company Brandabout – which has been managing B2005B meetings in over 2 wineries between Chile and Argentina since 60, Jane works in Europe alongside wineries and importers in the development of products and strategies. She is currently a Master of Wine student and recently won the competition organized by the Consorzio del Soave entitled “Vini da suolo vulcanico, una nuova notion di terroir: spiega come il marketing e comunicazione trans-territorial può essere utilizza un’opportunità per Soave e italiani vini da suolo vulcanico”.
Volcanic wines as a new notion of terroir capable of generating a new way of interpreting white wines, especially in Italy but also abroad.
“I love the concept of terroir in volcanic wines and John Szabo’s presentation and tasting at Preview was masterful. The wines tasted had finesse and clarity. It’s really interesting to see how many wine regions around the world are making great products on volcanic soil. Volcanic soil is easy for consumers to remember and easy to communicate visually. With Soave, volcanic wines are becoming part of a larger group and becoming internationally communicative, which allows for significant communication possibilities for each of these individual regions, much more than if they were to go it alone. The fact that these regions are globally distributed allows for joint marketing solutions.”
Volcanic wines as a marketing slogan. What does the “brand” volcanic wines guarantee to the consumer?
“I don’t think we can talk about guarantees, as this concept is too broad and would lead to misunderstandings; but we can say that volcanic wines reveal a cleanliness, a concentration and very often a vibrant acidity that is truly unique. Personally, I think that volcanic symbolizes energy. The soils were created by this deep energy within the earth and it is incredible how these soils give their energy and purity to the wines, but not to all the varieties of Vitis Vinifera but rather to varieties that seem to express themselves in a particular way on volcanic soils such as Garganega, Aglianico, Assyrtiko but also Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. I think that the volcano as a marketing symbol or as an image is something concrete and of great impact on an imaginative level. There are endless opportunities to capture the image of the energy of a volcano by identifying it with the power of the wine, and this would be a way to change the image of Soave, especially with younger and more active consumers. The location and viticulture techniques employed are very different, for example in the Canary Islands the vines are planted in holes on the slopes of volcanoes or in Santorini, Greece, where the vines are rolled up like baskets to protect the grapes. I believe that these types of details and the thoroughness of these practices can be a successful component of a marketing strategy aimed at communicating with both the wine trade and the end consumer.”
White Wines in a Warming Climate: A Challenge. What Initiatives Should Be Taken to Avoid Wines with an Ever-Higher Alcohol Content?
“Good question. I am not a winemaker or oenologist, however, from many trips to wine regions and conversations with winemakers, the main strategies to combat high final alcohol content consist of careful selection of the vineyard site and canopy management. To obtain high quality grapes with balanced alcohol, especially for white varieties, a long-term strategy is needed in selecting the right site and the right varieties considering the expected rising temperatures and water availability. In the short term, however, the strategies envisaged involve maintaining the vineyard in balance with nutritional resources and water reserves, pruning in such a way as to delay ripening until the colder months, canopy management to protect the grapes from too much sun and early harvests to avoid increasing the sugar level. Climate change is a reality. On the other end of the scale, I was at the Cool Climate Wine Summit 2016 in Brighton where I saw a presentation from Canada where they are doing research with a 20-year perspective on over 100 genotypes (both cultivars and selections) to understand which varieties can survive in Nebraska. I had dinner with a woman who just finished planting vineyards on the west coast of Norway! Climate change forces us to work in an ever-changing environment and the only thing that is certain is that the world of wine will continue to be an exciting place to work.”
How has Soave contributed to changing the image of Italian white wines?
Especially in reference to their aging capacity?
“I think that Soave has actually just begun its journey of changing the image of Italian white wines. Changing the opinion of the consumer is in fact a long-term investment. We usually think that the change in the image of a brand lasts about 5 years – even if today with social media this process can happen in much less time. However, the real challenge is to be able to definitively fix the new concept and this is the reason why clear and long-term communication is necessary. I remember that my professor at university told us that to change the image of a brand you need to repeat the same message over and over again to the recipient and it will only be when you are tired of repeating it that the final consumer will finally get it. I think that's exactly how it works and I also think that sometimes we forget it: we are so absorbed in our world where this is already established that we think that everyone else has understood it. The Soave Preview is very interesting because it literally opens your eyes regarding the aging potential of Soave. Changing people's minds about Soave will require much more than that, however: it needs to be understood not only by the press but also by restaurants and sommeliers. Soave wines have a truly exciting future and potential. The Soaves presented at the Preview that have some age (the vertical went back to 2005, ed.) should be part of a traveling tour that travels regularly internationally: it is only when wine professionals and journalists actually taste these wines that they are able to fully appreciate their potential."
What would you suggest to the producers of Soave or in general to the producers of wine from volcanic soils to open a dialogue with the consumer?
“My advice is to not be shy and start speaking in English. Communicating in Italian is fine if you only want to sell to Italians, but if you really want to grow your international audience you need to use English. This doesn’t mean speaking perfect English, it means communicating your passion for your wines and showing a willingness to build interpersonal relationships without the assistance of an interpreter who, no matter how good, will never be able to tell the whole story the way you do. I have seen this first hand with my marketing in Chile. One of my favorite companies is Cono Sur and that’s because everyone loves Matias, one of their winemakers. Matias speaks terrible English (although he has gotten a lot better over the last 5 years) but I have never met anyone so engaging and uses his passion for wine and organic viticulture so vividly that, despite his terrible English mistakes, journalists love him and consequently talk about Cono Sur. Another great tip is to take every opportunity to sit down and have dinner with visiting journalists and trade people. Be brave and lead a table of journalists. Spend time during dinner talking to them and discussing, exchanging ideas and opinions about the potential of the market instead of sitting at a separate table with your colleagues who you already know. Don’t forget that every possible interaction with journalists and marketers can be your next ticket to success and your next sale.”
Contact: jhuseby@winesource.no
Interview for ALEA Evolution, Irene Graziotto .