Skalli Group's Corsican Wines Are Centre-Stage In Wine Story
Thibault Lavergne, a wine and spirit merchant, runs Wine Story. The company, which is based in London, was founded in 2005 and specialises in wine from small, family-run vineyards. Wine Story offers a range of around 200 wines from over 40 vineyards, including five Corsican wines from two vineyards - Clos Poggiale and Terra Vecchia (both part of the Skalli Group).
- (1888PressRelease) July 08, 2010 - "Corsican wines are different and offer a curiosity value for the British consumer. The wines are made from native grapes (Vermentino, Nielluccio, and Sciaccarellu), which represent Corsican style and offer different flavours to the British palate," explains Thibault Lavergne.
Clos Poggiale wines are aimed at high-end and Michelin-starred restaurants, whereas Terra Vecchia sells more to mid-range restaurants, to brasseries, and to shops. Wine Story prides itself on the fact that it places a strong emphasis on wines made using the principles of agriculture raisonnée and organic farming - i.e. a sustainable and reasoned approach to winegrowing.
There is a perception that Corsican wines are expensive, and Mr Lavergne agrees that they can seem pricey to some consumers. This is because the export market is relatively new for a lot of the winegrowers, he explains. Traditionally, Corsican winegrowers have mostly been used to selling within Corsica and to the tourists that visit the island over the summer.
Wine Story is aware of the issue of pricing, and of its importance, and aims to offer value for money with its wines. Indeed, points out Mr Lavergne, the Corsican wines it offers compare well to others sold in the same price range. A bottle of Clos Poggiale, for example, sells at a retail price of about £16, and for about £35 in a restaurant. Given the quality and originality of the Clos Poggiale wines, this is actually a very good price, says Mr Lavergne.
There is undeniable potential for Corsican wines in the UK. Wine Story sells mainly to trade buyers. Corsican wines represent a quality, niche product. Their pricing is such that they could not be on offer in restaurants such as Café Rouge or Chez Gérard.
Mr Lavergne believes, however, that the potential for Corsican wines is good when targeting mid-range restaurants such as La Trouvaille, in Soho (in central London). As a result, there is still plenty of room for growth in this market segment. On the other hand, the market for top-of-the-range restaurants is fairly saturated and marked by intense competition, hence has little potential, explains the owner of Wine Story.
The retail market is another issue altogether. For the moment, Corsican wines are not well known by British consumers, so that off-licences and wine shops are reluctant to take a risk with Corsican wines. British consumers, comments Mr Lavergne, seem to respond to marketing and like to buy wines that they know - more particularly the big brands. The obvious challenge, therefore, is to increase awareness of Corsican wines.
In this respect, Wine Story is confident that there is a lot of scope for growth in the UK for quality and authentic wines such as the Corsican wines the company distributes. Corsican wines are not intended for the mass market (and indeed output volumes would not permit that), so that Wine Story, together with its Corsican partners, is mainly targeting the educated consumer, i.e. the kind of person who reads Decanter and knows a little - and sometimes quite a lot - about wine.
The appeal of Corsican wines, when British consumers get the opportunity to taste and discover them, is tangible. Thibault Lavergne says that he has had very good feedback for the Corsican wines that he sells. The white wines (Vermentinu) are particularly suited to the British palate. More particularly, they go very well with grilled fish. (This is the way that they are drunk in Corsica, in fact.) The red wines are food wines, and they go very well with charcuterie products and cheese.
"Corsican wines reflect the island of Corsica itself: they have plenty of charm and sunshine, together with a rather special French touch. The wines are authentic and reflect the characteristics of the Island of Beauty [as Corsica is rightly known] - the influence of the mountains and that of the sea, with a Mediterranean feel," points out Mr Lavergne.
About Wine Story
Wine Story, which is based in London, was founded in 2005 and specialises in wine from small, family-run vineyards. Roughly 90% of the wine marketed by Wine Story comes from France, with a few wines originating in the Napa Valley, in California (USA), in Spain, and in Italy.
For further information, please go to: www.winestory.co.uk
About CIVC
CIVC represents and promotes the activities of its member-companies, and the 17 May 2010 event (see below), organised in conjunction with the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in London, was part of the Corsican trade organisation's export drive.
CIVC, i.e. CIV-Corse (where CIV stands for Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins), the Inter-Professional Wine Board for the region of Corsica, is headquartered in Bastia and was set up in 1996. CIVC represents a range of wines produced across Corsica. More particularly, the AOC wines of Corsica, which are part of CIVC, are unique and have no equivalent in mainland France.
The Corsican Wine Tasting that recently took place in London was held on 17 May at La Trouvaille Restaurant in Soho, in the heart of the British capital (12a Newburgh Street, London, W1F 7RR).
Wines produced by Skalli Group of Corsica and distributed in the UK by Wine Story were featured at the wine tasting.
For further information, please go to: www.vinsdecorse.com
For further information, please contact :
Ms Kate AMBLER - Press Officer
UBIFRANCE Press Office in London
SW1Y 4SP
Tel: +44 (0) 207 024 3640
kate.ambler ( @ ) ubifrance dot fr
View other press releases at :
www.ubifrance.com/uk
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