Riesling rises

The UK’s leading wine commentators are in agreement: German Riesling is the most sublime and most fashionable white grape variety.  And its revival is gaining pace

IF YOU TAKE a few seconds to peruse the quotes on the facing page, it won’t be long before you realise that there’s a pretty common theme running between them all.

Indeed, you would have to have been stranded on the moon not to recognise that, according to the United Kingdom’s leading wine writers, and a fair few of its top buyers to boot, Riesling is pretty popular these days.

Which is nice, because everyone likes to have their national grape talked about in such esteemed terms, and especially by the UK’s leading wine writers and buyers.

The challenge, of course, is to turn such positive comments into sales.  And that’s a challenge that the German Wine Information Service has spent 2003 meeting.

A principal part of this has been through an effective campaign that has seen most of the major supermarkets, retailers and top class restaurants across the country increasing their listings and taking quality German wines seriously.

Take, for example, Asda which increased its listings from 16 to 21, or Majestic, which has pushed its range from 15 to 22.

Or, alternatively, look at the listings for German wines in restaurants such as Gordon Ramsay, The Fat Duck, Nahm, The Greenhouse, The Cinnamon Club, Nobu and Hakkasan.

Likewise, the GWIS Marketing Initiative scheme, which helps producers hone their products, marketing plans and presentation for the UK market, saw six winners this year and record entries.

Since the initiative was launched four years ago, it’s helped more than 18 winning wine concepts to achieve listings in the UK’s leading retailers. 

No small feat in such a competitive and heated marketplace.

And for 2004 it’s more of the same, but with an increased emphasis on making sure German wines end up in the consumer’s hands. 

As James Craig-Wood of the GWIS puts it, "The challenge for German wine in the UK market in 2004 is pretty clear.

Having made enormous advances in the battle to achieve listings in the on- and off-trade, key to success will be getting consumers in Britain to try, and ultimately to buy German wines.

"The cumulative effect of the generic campaign activity in previous years has led to an enormous advancement in the quality and range of German wines being listed in the UK – both in terms of contemporary-looking, modern, dry-style wines in the major multiples; quality estate wines in the independent specialists; and a serious offering of top foodmatching wines in London’s leading restaurants. 

What we need to do over the next 12 months is to build on that by reaching out to consumers." 

With this in mind, the GWIS will be continuing to support and develop new wines and work with trade buyers to increase listings, but it will also be embarking on an ambitious programme of events and tastings aimed at getting the product into the consumers’ hands.

"Sampling, sampling, sampling" is perhaps the best way to describe the GWIS’s plans for 2004.

"Our challenge now," explains Craig-Wood, "is to convert this groundswell of industry and wine writer support into sales to the UK wine drinker. With this goal in mind, the main focus in 2004 has to be the consumer, with a clear emphasis on encouraging trial to combat negative consumer perceptions about German wine while also converting this trial into sales.

Sampling activity at relevant consumer events and in-store, where we know our target consumers shop, will be cornerstones of the campaign to increase the volume and value of German wines on the UK market.

"Generic activity next year will continue to address the trade but it will have an increased consumer focus to drive sales.  Work with the supermarket and on-trade buyers to encourage even further listings will continue and this will act as a backdrop to the increased emphasis on raising the profile of German wine with consumers to get them to buy the wines on the retailers’ shelves and on-trade wine lists."

Worth raising a glass of Riesling to, no doubt.

DON’T TRUST US, TRUST THEM

"The name of the increasingly fashionable world’s finest white grape variety is frequently mis-pronounced and mis-spelled.  It is Riesling."

Jancis Robinson, The Financial Times, 14th September 2003

"The most unvalued wines continue to be the fine Rieslings of Germany. Demand was keen for the splendid 2001s, but 2002 was equally exceptional in the Saar and Ruwer, where there are many delicious and inexpensive wines to choose from."

Stephen Brook, Decanter, July 2003

"Sainsbury’s is quite upbeat about German wnes and reports a year-on-year growth of around 10 per cent… [and] is encouraged by the ‘strong performance’ of the new Rieslings it added to the range last spring, including an eiswein from Ruppertsberger in the Pfalz."

Patricia Langton, Off Licence News, 19th September 2003

"Wine merchants and supermarket buyers tell me they are sure that the long overdue [ Riesling] revival is beginning."

Joanna Simon, The Sunday Times, 27th April 2003

"Is the Riesling revival just around the corner? I can’t remember a time when Riesling was so talked about."

Anthony Rose, The Independent, 26th April 2003

"The Noble German Rieslings are amongst the greatest in the world." 

Andrew Catchpole, The Daily Telegraph, 26th April 2003

"German wine is painfully fashionable at the moment and no self respecting critic can get to the end of his or her weekend column without reference to some racy Riesling or another."

Graham Holter, Off Licence News, 11th April 2003

 "Riesling is the new Chardonnay!"

Phil Reedman, wine buyer for Tesco, March 2003

"The Riesling grape is due for a revival, and if the recent spate of tastings are anything to go by, it could be starting by spring."

Jane MacQuitty, The Times, 29th March 2003

"I find German Riesling the world’s most sublime white wine." 

Malcolm Gluck, The Guardian Weekend, 18th January 2003

German Wine Information Service, 33 Long Acre, London WC2E 9LA.

Telephone 020 7759 7405. Fax 020 7759 7401.

Email german.wine@phippspr.co.uk. Website www.germanwinesinfo.co.uk