When the New World began to compete with France in some export markets around 30 years ago, there was a lot of talk about the reluctance of the French to put the grape name on the label. The geographical indication was more important, quite naturally, as France has so many famous names to put on the bottle.
It was different for Australia and the other newcomers, but they solved it by putting the grape variety on the label and making the grape the name of the wine. Thus, they changed the wine industry forever.
Consumers quickly got used to it and learned grape names like never before, except the French, who only drank French wines. But France has changed (as has the New World, for that matter, that’s moving towards more and more specifications of origin).
Even in the French market, it is today an advantage in some wine regions to put the name of the grape variety on the label. Benjamin Loze, wine buyer for a large food chain in France, says that it helps sales of, e.g. a Bergerac Blanc if it says sauvignon blanc on the label. This is also due to some extent on that sauvignon blanc is a very popular grape variety in the low and middle price ranges.
But he also believes that many (young) consumers choose beer instead of wine because they think it is complicated to know which wine to choose. A label with a highly visible grape variety helps.
Grapes are associated with a region, but perhaps above all, with a particular taste that one likes or dislikes. And if you enjoy a specific grape, it is easier to find it if it is clearly stated on the label. Benjamin Loze predicts a bright future in France for sauvignon blanc from South Africa and New Zealand.
Read more: SauvignonSelection
