StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
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" —Jan Barnes, degree of intricacy and complexity, at the more attainable price point it's a lip-smacking and appetizing wine. The broader acceptance of Riesling's range of styles has encouraged Jean K. Reilly, MW, wine buyer and director of purchasing at NYC's Morell & Co. "Riesling used to have a reputation as a 'sweet' wine. Now, more consumers understand that there is a broad range of styles. Off-dry Riesling has always done well at the Morrell store and the Morrell Wine Bar. Just a few days ago, I had a customer complain that we didn't have enough on our by-the-glass list and we have three," she says. Promotional Activity n the last few years, the International Riesling Foundation, a consortium of producers and regions promoting consumption in the U.S., has seen positive results from such promotions as "Summer of Riesling," which will expand its budget to attract participation of more off-premise outlets this summer – the promotion has primarily been on-premise in the past two years. The IRF has also established a taste profile wine label that allows producers to describes each bottle on a range from dry to sweet, and it's garnered greater acceptance, according to IRF president Jim Tresize. I German producers have also been active with their annual "31 Days of Riesling" promotion, which has attracted dozens of participants on- and of-premise in major markets. These efforts, and generally cleaner, clearer labeling has helped demystify and make more user friendly the German, Austrian and Alsatian brands, 40 vice president of marketing, Chateau Ste. Michelle " and the spread of screw caps, even among high end pro- ducers, has made casual consumption much easier. Recently, the drive in Germany to more production of dry Riesling has put yet another twist in the tale; in fact, Thiese says some of the producers he imports would cease making Rieslings with any residual sugar if it weren't for their popularity in the U.S. "I'm definitely selling way more dry to slightly off dry, what the Germans call feinherb," says Keller. Meanwhile, the very small and pricey 2010 and 2011 German vintages have forced many producers to release older vintages from their cellars at attractive prices to maintain their market presence. While retail champions are harder to find than som- meliers, most major markets have a handful of retailers who are willing to make the investment in Riesling and the effort needed to sell it. But Thiese bemoans the fact that few retailers make the point of sale argument for Riesling, and he pushes for mimicking supermarket formats, where staples eggs, milk and bread are shelved at the back of the store. "Someone who comes in for [a mass market Chardonnay] and sees the case stack at the front of the store, sees the wine they came in looking for, pick it up and leave and they've only seen 15 percent of the inven- tory – what sense does that make?" "How many more chardonnays can you put on your shelf, Mr. Retailer?" posits Barnes of Chateau Ste. Michelle. "Riesling has been around forever, it's great with food, it's easy to drink, consumers want it and they're willing to pay for it – what more is there?" SW StateWays s www.stateways.com s March/April 2012 PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GERMAN WINE INSTITUTE