“I find Provence most akin to Champagne right now both in terms of how we sell the wines and also how our guests think about them.” That’s the level of respect that Tom Fahey, co-owner of The Terrace at Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, has for Provence and the quality of rosé wines it is producing. Here we talk to Fahey and other leading wine importers -Hennings Wine and Museum Wines - about the Provence wines they are listing and why and what they see as the future untapped potential for the region and its wines.
Matthew Hennings, managing director of Hennings Wine Merchants
Based in Sussex, Hennings Wine Merchants has become one of the most respected and leading regional wine merchants and distributors in the UK.
How do you consider Provence as a wine region you want to work with compared to five years ago?
We have been strong on Provence for quite a few years now. However, five years ago we couldn’t get enough of it during Covid and that very hot summer of 2020. Containers of premium names were flying around then.
What has changed over that time?
It is still an incredibly important part of our range and has definitely grown over that period. However, there are some excellent lesser-known wines that with the right packaging and style that have been a real success for us. The fast growth of the “bigger premium names” can be a challenge and has opened the door for other producers to follow.
What are you most looking to source from Provence?
We already currently ship directly from four or five wineries in Provence which do very well for us. Most of them are organic and biodynamic which is increasingly important for us as a business as we looking to list more sustainable wineries.
Clearly the quality and value proposition are important but we also look for any USP, or story, to communicate to our customers. People most definitely buy with their eyes so colour and packaging is key. One of the reasons we moved away from doing as much with the big major brands is the price competition from the major supermarkets, s. So channel management is key.
What do you think gives Provence the edge over other French wine regions?
It works from its entry level at around £12 right the way up to over £25 in good volume. It also sells 12 months of the year now, perhaps not in the volume it does in the summer but still sells very well. Provence now makes up a good degree of Christmas sales. Stylistically it is also on point with what people want. Fresh crisp, easy to drink, with or without food. From starters in wine to experienced palates and it looks great. It has a luxurious appeal to it with the packaging which certainly helps with premium sales.
How has your portfolio of Provence rosés grown? What would you like to source more if you could?
We are a little lighter on wines at this time of year as we wait for new vintages to come in. We will probably have somewhere in the region of 15 Provence wines this year as we found another producer at Wine Paris I think we will work with.
The one thing we can’t control is the sunshine but down on the south coast if the sun is out, it’s like flicking a Provence rosé switch.
We also find that we do very well on all three sides of the business with these wines: wholesale; retail; and online. We do attract customers due to our extensive range, quite a few of which are only available in the UK through us.
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