Taste the terroir: how to sell wine now

For such a popular beverage, wine holds a certain mystique for many – consumers and retailers alike. To help fine food retailers – and in turn their customers – gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the wines on their shelves, we’ve spoken with experts to glean insight into the best wines to stock right now and how to promote them for maximum impact (and sales).

Branching out
“Providing customers with a sense of discovery is a vital part of being a fine food retailer, and there is so much to discover when it comes to wine,” begins Neil McAndrew, advisor to the EU’s ‘More Than Only Food & Drink’ campaign. “While it’s no secret that European classics like Bordeaux, Burgundy, Cava and Port will always sell consistently well – they’re classics that people know and trust – it’s also important to introduce people to new things.” 

Neil suggests looking beyond the well-known wine-producing countries such as France and Italy to trending holiday destinations such as Greece, Croatia and Hungary for on-trend tipples. “These are countries that have made wine for hundreds if not thousands of years, but increasing travel to these regions is boosting interest in the wines they’re producing.” The language barrier between these areas and Britain might have hampered the procession of these wines into the British market, says Neil, but with more shoppers than ever becoming familiar with the likes of Santorini in Greece and Istria – a popular tourist destination and wine-making area – in Northern Croatia the time is ripe to stock wines that were previously unheard of in the UK. 

Edwina Watson, wine buyer at Fortnum & Mason is constantly evolving the iconic retailers’ wine range to suit the new climate. “Customers are becoming increasingly curious and keen to experiment outside of the traditional wine regions and international grape varieties. For example, Patagonia in Chile is very exciting, the most southerly wine producing region in the world. And we have recently introduced a Patagonian Pinot Noir from Otronia to our range.”

“Consumers are increasingly exploring wines from lesser-known regions, driven by curiosity and the search for unique flavours,” agrees Klearhos Kanellakis, head sommelier at Ekstedt at The Yard. “Regions like Portugal, South Africa, and parts of the US are gaining attention, offering diverse varietals and styles that cater to adventurous palates.” It’s not only unfamiliar regions that are offering new, modern tastes to discerning customers, he says. “Spanish Galicia and Valencia are trending regions, and Portuguese regions like Douro and Dao are reinventing themselves with more elegant modern styles.”

Of course, one of European food and drink’s greatest assets is its Geographical Indication scheme, which acts as a tool for everyone in the supply chain – from producer to the end consumer – to trust that the item in question has been certified as a premium product and true to its type. “These indications demonstrate that in making these wines, producers have stayed true to the knowledge passed down from history through the generations, and that the quality of what they’ve made is second to none,” says Neil. “This hierarchy of quality also helps to explain to customers why some wines are more expensive than others, which is a question fine food retailers are asked a lot.”

Closer to home
With food miles and local provenance a strong selling point – and point of difference – at many Speciality Food readers’ stores, British wine is well worth exploring too. “It’s a really exciting time for English wine, says Edwina. “England is well known for its sparkling wines, but superb quality still wines are being made in Sussex, Kent and, in particular, East Anglia.” 

Clive Vickers, owner and head wine maker at Halfpenny Green Wine Estate agrees. “I think the industry is in a great place – it has never felt like a more buoyant or exciting time,” he says. Indeed, WineGB confirms that more than 4,000 hectares of land is being used to grow vines, more than double the figure 10 years ago. There are now 1,030 vineyards, up 9.2% in a year, and they produced 21.6 million bottles of wine, which is a 77% increase on 2022.

“There is tremendous excitement and some really impressive things are happening at vineyards across the UK,” says Clive. “At Halfpenny Green, we’re producing wines for 100 different UK vineyards in addition to our own, across 28 counties, which tells its own story.”

Perfect partners
Sit down at a restaurant or have an indulgent meal at home, and it’s more likely than not that you will be enjoying a glass of wine alongside it – with good reason. “Wine was made to be drunk with food,” says Neil, and the old adage rings true: what grows together goes together, meaning that if a customer is buying cheese or charcuterie it’s well worth upselling a wine from the same region. 

“Many wine and food pairings developed naturally within regions over centuries, creating what’s known as ‘terroir-driven’ pairings,” says Klearhos. “For instance, Italian Chianti pairs wonderfully with pasta in tomato sauce because both originate from the same region, embodying flavours that complement each other.”

The complexity present within every bottle of wine, no matter its origin, is the reason why it pairs so well with food, says Klearhos. “One of the main differences between wine and other beverages is that wine has a big range of flavours other than just fruit”, he says. “Wine can have fruity, earthy, floral, herbaceous aromas that can complement or contrast with the flavours in food. A rich red wine, for example, can complement the deep flavours of a steak, while a crisp white wine enhances the delicate flavours of seafood. New World, riper fruited wines pair well with Asian cuisine.”

This is with good reason, as the acidity in wine refreshes the palate. “Most wines have natural acidity, which can cut through rich, fatty, or creamy dishes,” Klearhos says. “This balance creates a refreshing sensation, preventing flavours from becoming overwhelming. For example, the acidity in a Sauvignon Blanc cleanses the palate when paired with a creamy pasta dish, keeping each bite as enjoyable as the last.”

Selling successfully
The independent fine food retailer’s skill lies in their artfully curated range of quality food and drink, and it’s through focusing on smaller production wines and artisanal brands that they can attract wine enthusiasts seeking premium experiences, says Klearhos. “You have to think like a good restaurant in a way. You can have small allocations of a wine that is very exclusive and can match well with the food offering of your shop.”

Well thought-through POS can also make all the difference when it comes to sales, says Clive. “In-store information – such as tasting notes, pairing suggestions, and descriptions of regional characteristics – can guide customers through the selection process. Staff training is also vital; knowledgeable employees can make personalized recommendations based on each shopper’s preferences, which enhances the customer experience and builds trust.”

Neil recommends positioning bottles of wine within relevant food displays rather than keeping them to a designated wine display in your shop. “You can still have a wall of wine, but bear in mind that many shoppers can find this overwhelming.” If a knowledgeable member of staff can be on-hand to guide wavering customers that’s a boon, but if resources are tight consider positioning, for example, a Picpoul (France) next to your seafood display, or a Sancerre (France) next to goats’ cheese. 

“Be inspired by restaurant wine lists, too,” he suggests. Many establishments these days are splitting their wine lists into types – say, crisp white wines – and listing tasting notes below each wine, so that customers can ‘match’ the flavours of their chosen wine with the food on their plates. If you can apply this formatting to your displays you’ll be well ahead of the competition from supermarkets, says Neil, which still account for 80% of wine sales in Britain.

Similarly to how retailers will travel to the cheesemakers whose produce they stock in order to connect with their story, land and makers, Neil recommends building connections with winemakers – and sharing the stories you discover along the way. “Geographical Indications give confidence to consumers, but nothing beats conversing with a seller who knows about the product,” says Neil. “If you can connect with the person behind the product, you can tell its story.”

Building connections
Tasting sessions, pairing workshops and exclusive events are also a winning technique when it comes to educating customers. “They create a richer, immersive experience that encourages customers to return for more than just a bottle of wine – by creating a community too,” says Klearhos. 

“Opening some bottles from lesser-known wine-making countries such as Bulgaria, Romania or Greece really helps to break down barriers, and people are often surprised by the taste and how much they enjoy it,” says Neil. If you’re nervous about your own understanding of these wines, rest assured that your importer is likely to have plenty of information to share with you, Neil advises. “Part of the importer’s role is to share information with retailers, and it’s worth seeing if they are willing to come to your shop to host sessions with the whole team so everyone on the shop floor is informed and able to “help customers make the right choices for them,” he adds.

“As a general rule, the best retailers we come across are those who remove any element of snobbery from wine, concludes Clive. “People like what they like and they should be encouraged to keep on liking it! By getting to know what each customer does like – and each customer is unique in this regard – then you can really pull out the stops and suggest a wine to match their preferences.”