Q&A: Louise Boddington, Crown Cellars

Louise Boddington, wine buyer for Crown Cellars, the specialist wine and spirits division of Carlsberg UK, reveals her predictions for the world of wine in 2015.

Which parts of the world are currently experiencing growth?

Generally we are seeing good growth in Old World classics where consumers are confident in the quality. Wines like Chablis (+38%), Sancerre (+26%) and Châteauneuf-du-Pape (+20%). Spain is also performing well both at value and regional level. Argentina continues to grow but this is all about Malbec – we have seen phenomenal sales over last 12 months (+50%). And the popularity of Prosecco seems unstoppable with volumes up 70% in 2014.

Which wine styles are proving to be most popular?

Aromatic, fruity whites such as New Zealand or Chilean Sauvignon Blanc; ripe, succulent reds like Malbec, Merlot and wines from southern Italy are still proving to be most popular; plus rosé is still showing good growth – mainly the sweeter Zinfandel rosé’s but also those from Provence. The volumes here are much smaller but I think consumers are understanding the benefits of a drier style when enjoying with food.

What is your top wine region tip for 2015? Where should buyers be focusing their attention?

I think there will be a lot of focus on Spain. It is currently the country offering the best value, so great for good quality, entry level wines. Plus consumers are also looking for wines from regions other than Rioja – Carinena, Bierzo for example. Spanish wines offer lots of food matching opportunities

What do you think will be the big trends for wine throughout 2015?

Price is still going to play a big part in 2015 with many consumers still very value-conscious. I think they will still look to ‘safe bets’ such as the Old World Classics when they want to trade up and Prosecco will continue to be the fizz of choice. There certainly is a lot more emphasis on food matching throughout the drinks categories – so not just wine but also with beer and cocktails. Given the current popularity of fruity styles it would be great to see consumers engaging in wines like Viognier or Fiano too.

Crown Cellars wine sales have grown by 19% in the last year. What do you think is driving this growth?

Our sales have been growing year on year for a while now – we are increasingly being recognised as a credible wine supplier by customers in terms of our range and service. We have put more resource into our wine sales team by adding four new people, increasing the team to eight, and we also have a dedicated Crown Cellars team in our Customer Contact Centre. There is great momentum now around the wine category throughout Carlsberg UK as a whole – the entire sales force is very comfortable talking about wines and this is ultimately delivering us more business.

What process does the team go through when selecting wines for the Crown Cellars portfolio?

The annual review really kicks off at the London Wine Trade Fair in the spring when myself and the wine sales team get the chance to visit existing and new suppliers to see what’s new. I will already have an idea of where I feel the list needs tweaking in terms of current trends. Then in the autumn I call in samples from any potential suppliers for myself and Jonathan Pedley (our consultant MW) to taste through. I then present back to the wine sales team for a final group decision.

What’s next for Crown Cellars in 2015?

Our current focus is the launch of our new range for 2015. Listings are being finalised at the moment and then we will showcase these and a selection of wines from the existing portfolio to our customers at a series of spring tastings towards end of April. This will also coincide with the release of our new Crown Cellars Wines & Spirits price list.

We launched our new website earlier in 2014 www.crowncellarswines.co.uk which showcases our entire portfolio of wines and spirits and has been well received by our customers and staff as an easy-access information hub. In 2015 we will look to continually improve the site and the information available. The drinks listing tool that sits behind the site enables our customers to put together their own bespoke lists including beers, wines, spirits and cocktails. It is being developed into an iPad friendly app and will be launched early in the year.

Our team has been expanded again this week with the addition of extra marketing support to ensure we are supporting both our customers and sales colleagues. This is a direct reflection of the success we have enjoyed and our commitment to continue to grow our share in the on-trade.