Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/599364
Sparkling Wine www.beveragedynamics.com refers to a geographic area, the wines can come from a number of diverse areas of Spain (Most, however, are produced in Catalonia). The main grape is xarello, with macabeo and parellada as supporting players, al- though international grapes like char- donnay and pinot noir are permitted, and still other red grapes can be added to make rosé. Like other sparkling wines, Cava can be made in a range of sweetness levels. More than 1.5 million cases were exported to the U.S. in 2014, up about 2 percent, according to the Cava Reg- ulatory Board. The market is domi- nated by two companies, Freixenet and Cordoniu, and Freixenet is the largest producer of traditional-method sparkling wine in the world. Much of the wine produced by both compa- nies is inexpensive – think Freixenet's Cordon Negro, in its distinctive black bottle. But even Freixenet has recently introduced a pricier cuvée called Casa Sala Gran Reserva, priced at $60. It's an example of the Cava Regulatory Board's new push toward quality, which also includes a new designation for single-vineyard wines, Cava de Paraje, expected to be fi nalized by year-end. Still, most Cava is the less-expensive stuff, like Cordon Negro. And for that brand, Freixenet plans an "Everyone's Invited" holiday promotion, with in-store displays and shelf talkers depicting a Cordon Negro-toting snowman, according to Danielle Fritz, brand man- ager for Freixenet USA. Like Prosecco, says Total Wine's Devore, Cava can over-deliver for the price. "We haven't added a Cava yet that hasn't sold," she says. K&L's Westby sees Cava and Prosecco as great entrées into the sparkling wine category. "The people who are drinking the high-quality Cava and the high-quality Prosecco more often are always going to aspire to Champagne," he says. BD refers to a geographic area, the wines can come from a number of diverse areas of Spain (Most, however, are produced in Catalonia). The main grape is xarello, with macabeo and parellada as supporting players, al- though international grapes like char- donnay and pinot noir are permitted, and still other red grapes can be added to make rosé. Like other sparkling wines, Cava can be made in a range of More than 1.5 million cases were exported to the U.S. in 2014, up about 2 percent, according to the Cava Reg- ulatory Board. The market is domi- nated by two companies, Freixenet and Cordoniu, and Freixenet is the largest producer of traditional-method sparkling wine in the world. Much of the wine produced by both compa- nies is inexpensive – think Freixenet's Cordon Negro, in its distinctive black A Northern California resident, LAURIE DANIEL has written about wine for more than 20 years. Her wine column appears in several California newspapers, and her articles have appeared in magazines such as Wines & Vines, Food & Wine, Wine Country Living, Drinks and the Wine Enthusiast. LEADING BRANDS OF CHAMPAGNE (9-LITER CASES) '13/'14 BRAND SUPPLIER 2013 2014 % CHANGE Veuve Clicquot Moet Hennessy USA 370 405 9.5% Moet & Chandon Moet Hennessy USA 350 370 5.7% Perrier-Jouet Pernod Ricard USA 71 71 0.0% Dom Perignon Moet Hennessy USA 57 59 3.5% Piper Heidsieck Remy Cointreau 51 45 -11.8% Total Leading Champagne Brands 899 950 5.7% Source: Wine Handbook 2015. For more information, visit www.bevinfostore.com. TASTING, TASTING, TASTING No matter the sparkling category, retailers say that in-store tastings – both for the staff and consumers – are key to selling the wines. While K&L's in-store sparkling tastings focus on Champagne, tastings at Total Wine and Binny's are more varied. "What works is pouring the wine for people, whether the staff or the customers," Binny's Breslin says. "The real way to sell it is to have (staff) in the store taste it and at least some like it," because more customers are asking for recommendations. "I think tastings are the best way," Devore says. Customers "get to smell, touch and feel it." The stores might then offer a $1-off cou- pon for a wine in the tasting. Total Wine, she says, focuses its sparkling promotion on the holidays, including the chain's Top 10 list. "We get a lot of volume off of that," she says. November/December 2015• Beverage Dynamics 57