BORDEAUX, France (dpa) – The vintners of Bordeaux have read the writing on the wall – and it says “youth”.
The previous image of a typical Bordeaux drinker was that of a well-heeled man in comfortable middle age decanting a top-vintage “grand cru classé” with the self-conscious air of a high priest.No longer. This year’s ads will feature attractive young men and women having the time of their lives, as well as young Bordeaux vintners, male and female, advising their peers on the simple joys of their wines.And instead of the old conservative values of tradition and maturity, the campaign will highlight fun and spontaneity.“What’s your pleasure?” asks a trial ad featuring a smiling young woman wearing stereo headphones. “Soft and subtle? Rich and complex? Ultimately, it depends on your mood.”For venerable Bordeaux, whose wines improve with age, embracing fickle youth culture is something of a revolution – and increasingly a matter of financial survival.Figures for the year 2000 revealed that Bordeaux exports were flat, rising a mere 1 per cent over 1999 in volume. Turnover from foreign sales also stagnated, at 8.06 billion francs (1.14 billion dollars).Ominously, exports to European Union countries, Bordeaux’s biggest market, dropped by 1 per cent, with a 6 per cent loss of revenue, to 4.46 billion francs.Projections generated by the Interprofessional Wine Council of Bordeaux (CIVB), the umbrella organisation representing Bordeaux’s 12,000 wine growers, predict that by the year 2007 more than 75 per cent of the world’s wine will be produced outside Europe, in countries whose markets can absorb only a small portion.“The rest will have to be exported,” said CIVB President Eric Dulong at a recent press conference.The wines produced in these so-called New World countries – Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia and the United States – have already made strong inroads into Bordeaux’s stronghold, Europe.In Germany, for example, the world’s number-one wine-importing country, wine imports from New World countries increased by a factor of 22 over the past 10 years, and four-fold since 1996.By comparison, Bordeaux imports rose by a mere 76 per cent over the decade, and 40 per cent in the past four years.As a result, the CIVB has increased its advertising budget for Germany by nearly a third, to 21 million francs – 1 million francs more than its budget for France!In addition to the changing face of the Bordeaux drinker, the image of its wines will also be re-aligned.Dulong said that the “grands crus”, or top shelf, chateaux will no longer be at the forefront of Bordeaux marketing, since they are beyond the means of most young consumers.In addition, many people feel that some arcane knowledge is required to enjoy them.“We have to make our wines more accessible,” Dulong noted.Therefore, wines of modest quality and price, which represent 90 per cent of Bordeaux’s production, will drive the new campaign.Another aspect of the new accessibility is a down-to-earth, youth- oriented web site which informs Internet surfers on how Bordeaux wines are made and how to enjoy them.“It’s easy and fun to host a Bordeaux wine party,” the site cheerfully counsels. “All you need is a group of friends, some Bordeaux wines, a few provisions and a little creativity.”For the wine makers of Bordeaux, the emphasis on fun is more than just putting old wine in new bottles.
