navarra times 2011

1 THENAVARRATIMES

OVER THE COURSE OF 2010 the Wines ofNavarra Campaign in the UK, funded by theCRDO Navarra and the Navarran WineExporters, embarked on an in-depth surveyinto what the country’s top buyers thoughtabout the region’s wines and their potential togain a wider distribution in the UK.

Ten of the top retailers were interviewed bya leading trade journalist, and asked a numberof questions about the Spanish wine categoryin general and the positioning of Navarranwines within that category. The questionsranged from what buyers felt were Navarra’sUSPs as a wine producer and generic brand, towhat way the region, and its producers andbrand owners, could improve their position inthe market.

Understanding what the UK’s supermarket wine buyerswant and need is pivotal for success. In 2010, Wines ofNavarra commissioned exclusive research to discover thepotential for its the wines in the UK, and the results havegiven plenty of fresh new leads for the region’s producers.Here, Charlotte Hey reports on the key findings, not just for Navarra, but for Spain as a whole.

Search for wines, producers, read about theregion, explore the wine map and more...

THENAVARRATIMES Spring 2011

PAGE 3IMBIBEREPORTS

PAGE 6 THEPRODUCERSPart one of a series of interviews withproducers about

the UK market

PAGE 8 2011CAMPAIGNAll the producers taking part in this year’s campaign

Following a trip to theregion Imbibe magazinereports back

NAVARRA UK RETAIL REPORT

There is no doubt that thereis huge potential for the

region and there is room forall levels of Navarran wines

in our market.

Simply visit iTunes and search DO Navarra

Download the Wines of Navarra iPhone app today.

Issue 2

Navarra Times 2011_Layout 1 24/02/2011 10:13

As was to be expected from such a group ofprofessionals, there was a certain amount ofconstructive criticism as to how Navarra’s wineproducers could work more efficiently in themarket, however there was a great deal ofpositivity about the region’s potential andexisting strong points. Commenting on thereport, Pilar Garcia Granero, President of theNavarran Consejo Regulador, said: “We werekeen to gain this kind of insight into the marketfrom the people who are the UK’s gate-keepers when it comes to wine. It is crucial thatwe have managed to access their thoughts andopinions on our wines, especially if we want tobuild wider brand recognition for our wines.” She continued: “We continue to invest inpromotion in the UK because we see it as notonly one of the world’s most importantmarkets, but also one where trends in wineconsumption are set in other Europeancountries.”Granero’s colleague, general manager at theConsejo Regulador Navarra, Jordi Vidal, added:“We are delighted that these buyers gave freelyof their time to offer information about ourregion and wines. It is going to give ourmembers some great pointers as to what canhelp us achieve more success in the UK.”Each of the top ten retail buyers interviewedrecognised the potential that Navarra had todevelop its distribution in the UK. All of themmentioned the tremendous value for moneythat Navarra offered in comparison to some ofits better-known and larger rivals. One said thatthe wines ‘were often good value and well-made (especially the reds). There is no doubtthat there is huge potential for the region, andthere is room for all levels of Navarran wine inour market.’Another pointed out: “They’re consistent andthey’re reliable and they’re good quality andvalue for money. None of the other regions isreally in competition, so why doesn’t Navarragrab that and run with it?”The area that perhaps was potentially themost exciting for buyers was that of NavarranRosados. Many felt that while the category inthe UK was smaller, it was still growing and that

there was potential for Navarran producers toreally make a mark with consumers by makingRosado one of their main USPs. As one buyercommented: “Navarra does really well with itsrosé wines, perhaps better than any otherregion in Spain. So why not make that yournumber one selling-point? In that sense it has apoint of difference over its competitors. Therosé sector may be smaller, but there’s a lotmore competition in red wines.” One of the top five supermarket buyers saidthat Navarran Rosados were ‘Excellent.Navarra can offer some of the best value-quality ratio in Spain.’A number of buyers spoke about the needfor a stronger branded proposition in theSpanish wine category as a whole, and the factthat Navarra also could benefit from a couple

of well thought-out brands that included awhite, a red and a Rosado within their offer. Amajor supermarket buyer commented thatbrand building would be crucial to Navarra’sfuture. Another stated that: “There are a fewproducts currently which represent modernSpain, or offer an alternative to brandedproducts from the US, Australia or Chile.”Overall, it is felt in the region that this surveywill give both encouragement and food forthought. As Jordi Vidal asserted: “We need tocontinually adapt and react to the needs of themarket and this analysis will help us to performmore effectively. It’s a fantastic piece of researchthat I know our wineries, exporters and brandowners will use.”

For more information [email protected] or if you wouldlike to know more about Navarran wineslog onto www.navarrawine.com

Navarra does really wellwith its rosé wines, perhapsbetter than any other regionin Spain... make that [the]number one selling point.

THENAVARRATIMES

Wines of Navarra newsletter is published by Bespoke Drinks Media Ltd. on behalf of Wines of Navarra

Bespoke Drinks Media LimitedFirst Floor, 2 The Brook, SouthwaterHorsham RH13 9UYTel: 01403 733756 Email: [email protected] Website: www.bespokedrinksmedia.comEdited by Charlotte HeyEmail: [email protected]

Contributors• Charlotte Hey• Angeline Bayly• Pilar García-Granero

Designed by Lucy EriksonCopyright Bespoke Drinks Media Ltd 2011. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be copied, photocopied orreproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, inany way or means, either by recording or otherwise,without permission of the publishers in writing.

Wines of Navarra UK would like to thankthose supermarket and multiple retailbuyers who kindly gave of their time andexpertise in the compilation of this study.

THANK YOU

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THIS MONTH’S Imbibe magazine carries afour-page report on the four Hotel du Vinsommeliers who joined four members of theUK wine trade press on a trip to Navarra lastSeptember. The article provides an insight intothe wines the group tasted and what is new andchanging in the region. As part of the UK campaign to promote Winesof Navarra in the on-trade, the Hotel du Vin groupsent four of its sommeliers from across the UK tothe wine region. It was a three-day trip thatincluded visits to seven wineries and began with apresentation at the Consejo Regulador DONavarra in Olite.Naturally, the sommeliers were also keen to geta feel for the Spanish food and culture, somanaged to visit a few good restaurants too!“The region had more to offer than I expected...”Pierre-Marie Pattieu, Hotel du Vin Cambridge.“The first thing that comes to mind about thesewines is the freshness, from north to south. Nomatter which grape variety was used, I alwaysfound a refreshing, well-balanced acidity.” Pierre Lancereau, Hotel du Vin Brighton.“I have confidence in buying or recommending abottle of wine from Navarra. It’s the consistencyand standard which is the selling point for me inthe bistro.” Pete Townsend, Hotel du Vin Harrogate“Chardonnay from Navarra is different fromChardonnays from other parts of the world,because it has a lively fruit character, great minerality and a good, fresh finish.” Lenka Strapkova, Hotel du Vin Edinburgh

For a copy of the full article simply visitwww.imbibe.com

Imbibe champions Navarra

Bodegas Ochoa

Sommelier comments in Imbibe Jan/Feb 2011

Right: John Downes MW, Left: Richard Woodard


NAVARRA WINELAUNCHES APPIn order to makenews and viewsfrom Navarra asaccessible aspossible, theConsejoRegulador

Navarra has launchedthe Navarra Wine App.As one of the first Spanish wineproducing regions to do so, theregion is making a big effort toallow consumers to accessinformation and news about theregion as easily as possible.The app is free to downlaod andcontains all the information youneed to know about Navarra andits wines; including the

latest vintage report, the historyof the region, information aboutviticulture, varietals and vinification.“We want to make sure that weare making information about theregion accessible to everyconsumer and broaden our reachby communicating to those,potentially younger consumers,who are more likely to use thiskind of media,” commented JordiVidal, manager at the ConsejoRegulador Navarra.More details about the NavarraWine app can be found onwww.navarrawine.com.

NAVARRA UK CAMPAIGN INITS 4TH YEARThe Consejo Regulador Navarraand the Navarra Wine Exportershave announced that the genericcampaign for Wines of Navarrawill continue in 2011. This marksthe fourth consecutive year thatNavarra has carried out

generic promotion of their winein the UK market.“We are delighted to be able tocontinue the promotion of ourwines in the UK,” commentedPilar Garcia Granero, president ofthe CRDO Navarra. “This marketis incredibly important for ourregion and, despite the challengingeconomic conditions at themoment, we are dedicated tomaintaining our support for ourexporters and the importers ofNavarra in the UK.”The campaign will centre thisyear on helping to build moredistribution opportunities for thewines of Navarra, while continuingto work with the UK trade toimprove the image and reputationof the quality and diversity of theregion’s wines.For more information about thecampaign [email protected].

NAVARRA PARTNERS WITHTHE YORKSHIRE POSTWines from Navarra is the firstgeneric partner to work with TheYorkshire Post on their annualChristmas competition, organisedby Christine Austin.The competition, which includesthe prize of an exclusive trip fortwo to the region, runs in theweekly wine column, written byChristine Austin. Including questionscentred around the region and itswines, the competition is designedto test the 400,000+ readers of thepaper on their wine knowledge. Speaking about the competitionChristine Austin said: “Navarra hasreal diversity and is beginning togain some true consumerresonance. Having recently been tothe region I feel that Navarra is theperfect partner for ourforthcoming annual quiz with theYorkshire Post. I am delighted to beworking with the region.”

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We are delighted tobe able to present youwith our secondedition of The NavarraTimes – bringing youan up-date on all thathas been going on forNavarra, its wines, thebrands, and the UK

campaign over the winter months.2010 has been a busy year for us all in the region,and we have been striving, as always, to improvethe quality and distribution of our wines in the UK. The vintage was exceptional and our official teamsof expert and independent tasters are currentlyworking hard to classify the vinatge and evaluate allof the new wines being released onto the market.This process of double tasting the wines, marketedand sold under the Denomination of OrigenNavarra, is an essential part of our pledge to makethe best possible Navarran wines.At the start of this New Year we are also veryhappy to be able to announce that we will becontinuing our campaign promoting Wines ofNavarra in the UK during 2011. The campaign thisyear will move from being a purely trade-based

campaign, to being one which looks to build linkswith the consumer and create more and moreopportunities for them to taste our wines. We willbe working closely with our wineries and theirimporters to build on the foundations createdover the last two years and make Navarran winesmore accessible to the consumer in the UKmarket – a market which we consider key to oursuccess.We are very aware that given the currenteconomic climate we all have to work much moreeffectively to win business and build brands, andwe hope that with our consistent support for yourmarket you will see that Navarra means businessand its producers are committed to producing red,whites and rosados that are able to compete.

Wishing you a prosperous 2011.

Pilar García-GraneroPresident, CRDO Navarra

PS: If you want to find out more about the Wines ofNavarra campaign in the UK please [email protected] or log ontowww.navarrawine.com

Feliz Año Nuevo!

News

GREAT VINTAGE IN NAVARRAAt the end of 2010 the news on the streets inNavarra was that the 2010 harvest is going to bea winner. Volumes were down by about 13% incomparison to 2009, with a volume of about 86million kilos being collected, but the quality iscertainly going to be classified as “Very Good” ifnot “Excellent”.According to winemakers in the region thequality of the fruit this year was extraordinary,given that the weather conditions in the run upto harvest had been nigh on perfect. A drysummer and autumn provided a perfectenvironment for the harvest. No rain meant nodisease or rot and smaller berry sizes - importantfor the purpose of colour and extraction in the reds.Overall, 92% of the harvest was made up of redgrapes and 8% for the white. This year the mainreason for the decrease on overall volumes wasdue to the lower quantities of Merlot, Tempranilloand Garnacha being harvested across the region. This year’s harvest campaign stands out forhaving started late and for lasting well intoNovember. This allowed the wineries to pickparcel by parcel depending upon maturity, giving the Navarran wineries cause to hope for agreat vintage.

VINTAGE REPORT


NEKEAS IN THE WINE PRESSThe Old Vine Garnacha fromNekeas has been in the newsrecently winning column incheswith Tim Atkin MW (The Times),Victoria Moore (The Telegraph)and Richard Hemmings(www.jancisrobinson.com). Onoffer at Majestic, the wine haswowed the wine journos as beingone of their favourite wines in therun up to the festive period.

PIEDEMONTE SUCCESS2010 has been a great year forBodegas Piedemonte, winningover 20 medals in a plethora ofdomestic and international winecompetitions, and also beingawarded quality certifications fromthe British Retail Consortium andthe IFC, audited by theindependent organisation the CMI– leader in food audits at aninternational level.Commenting on gaining thesecertfication, a Piedemontespokesman said: “We haveachieved the highest level ofaccreditation for these awards,gaining 97.98% and a Grade Afrom the BRC. This recognised thework that we are doing to ensurethe highest levels of qualitycontrol in the winery and it givesus the incentive to keep onimproving.”

CORK EXHIBITION ATSEÑORIO DE ANDIÓNThe Aroma Room at the Olitebased winery, Señorio de Andiónis home to a new exhibit aboutcork – the aim being to explainthe story of cork stoppers toconsumers and visitors to thewinery. Covering every aspect of corkproduction, this exhibit reveals thecomplexities of how we arrive atthe point of eponymous stopper

and where, in Europe, it isproduced.

CHIVITEIt’s been a busy quarter forChivite, with the launch of twonew wines, a new tradingagreement, and a new Facebookpage.The new distribution agreementwith WineStudio will cover theLondon area and looks toincrease distribution of the newGran Feudo Edición andColección 125 ranges in the on-trade. Chivite has had successwith the Gran Feudo Ediciónrange this year, winning Gold andSilver medals in the SommelierWine Awards.

NEW PRODUCTSNEW WINE FOR TANDEMThe Tandem winery has justlaunched its lastest vintage of ArsIn Vitro, a 50/50 blend ofTempranillo and Merlot. Inkeeping with the winery’sphilosophy of minimumintervention, the wine is aged inconcrete vats for 24 months,allowing a totally naturalstabilisation and fining. Previousvintages have received acclaimfrom international publicationssuch as Wine Spectator and PersWijn and will be shortly availablein the UK.

NEW VINTAGE RELEASEFROM MARCO REALThe 2010 Homenaje white and

rosado have been released byBodegas Marco Real – some ofthe earliest to hit the market inNavarra.The dry summer and goodweather conditions in the lastmonths up to harvest have leadto the production of a fresh andzesty white and fruit-forward,delicious rosado.

CONSUMER FOCUS FORCHIVITEIn line with consumer trends, thebodega has released an organicMerlot – Expresión VarietalMerlot 2007 – sourced from anorganic vineyard in the north ofNavarra, packed in light-weightbottles and labelled withrecycled paper using water-soluable inks. In addition, the newGran Feudo Blanco Suave, awhite wine made fromChardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc andMoscatel the wine is slightlysweeter in style, has beendeveloped to attract newconsumers to wine.

NEW NAVARRA TASTINGNext month the 2011 campaignbegins in London with The NewNavarra Tasting. The event willshowcase all that is new fromthe producers including the 2010 rosado vintage, an organicwine from Chivite and winesfrom Domaines Lupier whichjoins the campaign this year.Trade guests will be invited toregister in advance. If you wouldlike more details please contact:

Angeline Baylyon 01403 733756 or email:[email protected]

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News

Inside the next issue: The Producers – Part Two and three exciting new initiatives

The next issue of The Navarra Times will go to press in earlySummer. If you have any news about wines from Navarra pleasesend it to: [email protected]. We are looking for storiesabout what you’ve been drinking, where you’ve been buying winesfrom Navarra and any stories on recent promotions you’ve seen.

SEND US YOUR NEWS

For more information onWines of Navarra in the UKplease contact us. Tel: 01403 733756 or Email:[email protected]

NAVARRA


NAVARRA IS A REGION which is not onlydiverse in terms of its geography and climate –its boundaries stretching from the foothills ofthe Pyrenees in the North to the desert-likeflatlands in the South – its diversity is alsoapparent in the many different types ofwineries that are producing hundreds ofdifferent styles of wines across the region.From large cooperatives to small privatelyowned, boutique wineries, the variety isamazing. And their bid to gain good marketpenetration in key export markets therelationship between quality and value formoney is fantastic too.Whilst each of the wineries involved inexport have their own individual aims andgoals, the mantra across the region is to pushthe message that Navarra can offer bothdiversity and value when it comes to its wines,especially in comparison to other Spanish wine

producing regions, and the overall push in2011 is to extend the distribution of theseexcellent wines in the UK.There are a number of top wineries involvedin the Wines of Navarra UK Campaign thisyear, here we examine the objectives of threeof them. All three differ in their size and make-up, but they are all keen to make the Britishmarket a successful one for their brands.

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Now in its fourth year, the generic campaign for Wines of Navarra in the UK is gathering pace asknowledge about the quality, diversity and excellent value for money of the wines starts to beappreciated. In the second edition of The Navarra Times, we talk to three of the producersinvolved in this year’s campaign about their plans for the market and what they hope to achieve

THE PRODUCERS - PART ONE

The mantra across theregion is to push the

message that Navarra canoffer both diversity

and value

The reputation of Chivite for producingwines that can compete on aninternational stage is long-standing. As oneof the oldest family-owned wineries inNavarra, with wine-making traditionsdating back to the 1600s, you could saythat grapes were in the family’s DNA.The UK has always been an incrediblyimportant market for the Chivite familyand their brand has been present here formany years, constantly adapting to thedemands and requirements of theconsumer while maintaining a solidcommitment to produce the best qualitypossible.It has been widely covered in the tradepress that Chivite has recently taken on anew on-trade distributor in the UK, theiraim being to build strong representation inthe London on-trade sector. According toEduardo Ruiz, who works in exports forthe company, “penetration in the on-tradeis foremost in our minds at the moment.We are looking to position our top endwines, Colección 125 and the Gran Vinode Pago from Arínzano, in this key sectorof the market.” In addition, the newly-launched andspecially-designed Edición range fromChivite will also be part of this push togain more exposure in the on-trade. Ruizsays: “We see the UK as one of the shop-windows of the wine world, it is animportant market with discerningconsumers and we want to champion thevalue for money that Navarran winesrepresent in a very influential area of thetrade.”Alongside the on-trade the focus is alsoto look to gain listings in the independentretail category with the Edicíon, Colecciónand Arínzano wines in a bid to build astrong image for the brand, and thecompany will be launching a limited

CHIVITE


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quantity of their prized Arínzano wines inthe UK towards Spring, plus organising anexclusive event around the launch of theirthree vintages of the Pago wines and thenew 2004 vintage in the Autumn.The consumer is also very much in thesights for Chivite, which will attend theDecanter Fine Wine Experience again thisyear, plus a number of other consumerevents – making 2011 a busy, butpromising year for the Chivite brand.

For more information on the Chiviterange go to www.chivite.com

CHIVITE continued

In just a decade Bodega Inurrieta has putits name and its wines firmly on the map.Not just in Spain, but also in keyinternational markets. The UK is one of themarkets where the brand has enjoyedsuccess due to hard work and a passionfor making the best possible wines that areappealing to both the trade andconsumers.The family who founded the winery hasalways been associated with winemaking inthe area surrounding Falcés, towards theSouth of Navarra. Their mantra is to makewines which express the terroir and themicro-climate of the vineyards where thewines are produced. For José Antonio Pellicer, in charge ofexport for the company, the brand’sabsolute priority is to ‘continue toestablish its credentials in the on-tradesector. Our challenge is to build a spacefor ourselves in this very competitive

INURRIETA

sector and in these difficult economictimes.’Pellicer believes, “The British market isimportant because of the way of UK wineconsumers behave, their curiosity andwillingness to try wines from othercountries like France, Italy or Australia andgrowth in the consumption of wine overthat of beer in recent years.” Hecontinues: “Despite the economicsituation, it is a good time to push ourwines, even though we know that 85% ofwine is purchased in supermarkets andconsumed at home in the UK.”The brand’s particular focus this year willbe in the London on-trade and workingwith other distributors nationally in therestaurant sector. “We believe that thisarea of the trade gives more stability to abrand and its customers are much morefaithful to a brand when they findsomething that they like.” And while Pellicer is aware of thedifficulties and constraints of the UKmarket, he is determined that his brandwill gain more exposure in the marketthroughout this year. He admits to having avery clear focus for the brand, one hebelieves will work.

Inurrieta has a great range of wines thatyou can discover more about atwww.bodegainurrieta.com

Founded in 2003 by winemaker AliciaEyaralar, wine business expert José MaríaFraile and a small group of friends andfamily who shared their love of wines,Tandem has quickly established itself asone of Navarra’s top boutique wineries.The search for the perfect site for thewinery and vineyards started in 2001, the

TANDEM

aim from the outset being to make thebest possible wines that the DO Navarracould produce and fulfil their dream ofbuilding a winery and range that wouldbest represent their philosophy ofwinemaking. The Tandem brand has been in the UKfor a few years and recently became partof the Hallgarten Druitt portfolio thatpurchased Novum Wines last year. Sincethe takeover, José María Fraile points outthat there has been a slight change instrategy for the brand, “Our goal is toincrease our presence in the UK marketand we would normally sell our wines inthe HORECA and independent retailsectors but we are also keen to work withmultiple specialists who focus on qualitywines with a point of difference.” This, hefeels, also makes the brand perfect forwine clubs and internet wine sites, which,in his own words “we are keen to workwith”.Fraile continues: “Our positioning is quiteunique, we are in the North of theNavarra D.O. at the North West cornerright at the mountains that form theboundaries of our Appellation of Origin. Itis a very cool area, with rather coldsummer nights, that means slow ripeningto our grapes. We normally harvest threeto four weeks later than the South ofNavarra, which gives a natural acidity tothe grapes and thus a natural freshness inthe wines.”At Tandem the vines are sustainablyfarmed, are not irrigated and are over 24years old. In addition, the fact that thewinery is constructed completely fromconcrete, and gravity fed, means that theyare able to apply a philosophy of minimalintervention when it comes to vinification.The wines are already winning prizes.For Fraile, the UK market is “the mirrorin which European wine trends arereflected. It is a very demanding market,”he states, “but has a lot of professionalbuyers in the trade and their knowledge ofour potential customers and consumersmeans we have greater possibilities to dobusiness there.”There is no doubt in Fraile’s mind thatthe British market is challenging, “But,” hesays, “it is also very attractive, because youhave the chance to achieve very goodvolumes.”

To discover more about the Tandemrange log on to www.tandem.es


THENAVARRATIMES: DIRECTORY

Bodega InurrietaUK importer : C & D Wines LtdContact: Felix BenitoTel: 020 8778 1711 Email: [email protected]

Bodegas OchoaUK importer : PLB GroupContact: Adam WyarttTel: 01342 336534 Email: [email protected]

Bodega de SarríaUK importer : BoutinotContact: Christina CavenderTel: 0161 908 1300 Email: [email protected]

Bodegas ChiviteUK importer : 10 InternationalContact: Jo ThompsonTel: 01372 454 910 Email: [email protected]

Bodegas y Viñedos NekeasUK Importer : seeking UKimporterContact: Carlos BiurrunTel: 0034 948 350296Email: [email protected]

Bodegas San MartínUK importer : seeking UKimporterContact: Eduardo LeónTel: 945 278240 Email: [email protected]

Compañia Vitivinícola TandemUK importer : Hallgarten DruittContact: Steve DanielTel: 01582 722 538Email: [email protected]

Domaines LupierUK Importer : seeking UKimporterContact: Elisa UcarTel: 0034 639 622111Email: [email protected]

Ntr. Sra. del RomeroUK importer : MorgenrotChevaliersContact: Simon SmithTel: 0845 070 4310Email: [email protected]

w w w . w i n e s o f n a v a r r a . c o . u k


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