30 minute interview

‘Terroir is our strength, not a limitation’

Dominique Chardon President, Sopexa, (the Food and Beverage Marketing and Promotion Board of France)

Dominique Chardon was in India to reaffirm France's commitment to promoting its wine in India and to gauge the market's response so far. In an exclusive, he tells Bhisham Mansukhani that while it is only the beginning, it has been a good one

How has the Indian market for French wines shaped up so far?

India is Sopexa's latest target market and though we have been conducting wine tasting and training in this market for the last three years, we officially launched our Indian chapter in 2005. India is our 34th market but appears to be very promising because wine consumption is increasing and the social acceptance of wine is on the rise.

How do you plan to approach the Indian market?

We don't associate the promotion of French wine with marketing, rather it is an attempt to link French and Indian cultures. That is true of the approach for all the French produce that we will market in India including cheese and meat. At the outset, we want to thaw the mist that shrouds French wine in India. We want to make it appear simple and approachable.

Will Sopexa be concentrating only on certain cities in India?

No, our footprint will be considerable. Although Delhi and Mumbai constitute more than 70 per cent of the market, we have also be active in all major cities like Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai.

Don't you believe that the presence of new world wines in India compels you to revise your approach?

As I said earlier, for France, it is not about marketing a brand, rather it is promoting a culture. This whole talk about comparing the new and the old world is not fair because our philosophy of making and selling wines differs prodigiously. Selling to us is not as important as the fact that other countries embrace our wines for the sheer experience of drinking it. Wine consumption trends in France have changed as well; it is being consumed increasingly as an aperitif.

Globally, commentators have observed that Terroir limits the ability to market French wines as effectively as new world wines?

Terroir is our strength, not a limitation. The soil, climate and the process of making the wine are symbolic of France and are therefore conspicuous in the packaging. Diversity of tastes and different vintages are a distinct attribute that France is proud of. There never was an intention to compare our wines with those of the new world so there isn't a need to change that strategy. If you notice, new world wine countries are also putting the name of the wine region on the label and are proud of it. That itself is a remnant of the Terroir.

What is your take on the usage of screw caps for wine bottling?

The majority of French wine is still bottled using wooden corks. While a screw cap is being used for bottling certain wines, we believe that the issue of spoilage of wines resulting from cork taint has to do with some of the cork rather than the general usage of cork for bottling in general.

How do you see Sopexa's future, evolving in India?

We have arrived in India with a very low profile and therefore need to have a keen ear to the importers, hotels, chefs, experts and the consumer. We have to promote all wines and use training and bilateral visits by chefs and sommeliers to grow the market. We are looking to work with hotel management schools because students will be our key drivers in the future. Influencing them with knowledge of French wines will eventually result in a larger, general awareness of them.