The Newly Allowed Display Of Grape Varieties On Wine Sold In Grocery Stores Will Make Winners And Losers

Since last December 30, restrictions on the labeling of wines sold in Quebec grocery stores and depanneurs have finally been relaxed to allow the display of grape varieties, a measure welcomed unanimously by the wine as well as the retail industry.

But while those whose grapes are noble and well-known — such as cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and so forth — see a great opportunity to grab more market share, those whose grape variety is unknown or just don’t really have one (for those wine made of a kind of mixture or other), face a more uncertain future under these new market rules.

Winners and losers … even within a similar brand!

Take, for example, Revolution White, a brand of white wine bottled in Quebec by Constellation Brands, now called Arterra Wines Canada since its acquisition by the Ontario Teachers investment fund (Canadian division only). The red version of this wine has notably been the best seller in Quebec last year.

This white wine is available in two almost identical versions: one that comes from Chile and the other from California. Both have the same label but the Chilean version is blue pastel while the Californian version is green turquoise. Everything else is the same.

Now, the rules have just changed and the display of grape varieties is now allowed. We can plainly see a winner and a loser emerging. The winner: the Chilean version because it is made of Sauvignon Blanc, a noble grape, very well known and highly appreciated. This is why the updated label of the Revolution White Chile version now includes the words “Sauvignon Blanc” written in a very visible way (see below photo) as if to show its great pride!

Its big brother, the Revolution White version California, does not have that chance. Delicious, this wine is however composed not from Chardonnay, but of 92% Colombard, a totally unknown grape variety. So the new label does not even mention it and instead put the word “California” to highlight its native State. Will this be enough to maintain its sale levels now that every other wine displays its grape variety?

 

The Chilean version proudly displays its grape variety, but not the Californian version. It is much better to write “California” than “Colombard” …

Imported wines vs wines produced here

All the imported wines whose grape varieties are noble and well-known have therefore a keen interest to display their name, as the following wines do quite obviously:

 

As can be seen, the Smokey Bay label before the regulation change was silent on its grape variety. Its new version puts the latter in full prominence, in white on black!
The Wallaroo Trail was in 2015, according to the Quebec’s SAQ, the best-selling wine in Quebec. The fact that it can now display its Chardonnay grape may now give it an even bigger boost.
Chile is not left behind with wines that are also made from known grape varieties, offered at very low prices.
For its part, the Julia brand, which rightly prides itself on offering fine wines and blends, is not afraid to introduce lesser-known grape varieties, even if it means to educate consumers.

On the other hand, the wines that are labelled “made here”* and of which we know nothing of their content – other than they’re safe to drink – can’t take advantage of the revised regulation. The absence of grape varieties on their label is likely to become increasingly embarrassing, as is the case for the following wines:

Before, we knew nothing of what this wine contains. Today, the mystery thickens while the other wines display more transparency by indicating their grape variety. Hence the question: does it even have one?

The chic of this brand can not make us forget the fact that we do not know anything about its grape variety.
Finally, this wine, made in Canada and not in France, remains completely silent on its composition. All that we know is this: “Nicolas Laloux is a wine full of character that is easily savoured. A simple and authentic wine with aromas of ripe fruit giving way to an ample and round palate. ” Understand who can!

Towards a new grape variety type of Darwinism?

The grape variety is an essential element when it comes time to pick a wine. In the United States, in the “liquor stores”, shelves are often grouped by grape varieties and several wines have no other name than that of their grape variety.

The fact of being able to display them in grocery stores could theoretically lead to a long-term Darwinian effect that will favor the selection of known grape varieties to the detriment of those that do not display them or have unknown ones.

If this effect was to be confirmed, wines without any known grape variety could be losing market share, unless aiming to lower prices … and again! It is hard to see how price can play much of a role considering that some of the imported and locally bottled wines already sell for less than $ 10 a liter.

This could be bad news for wines “made here” but really, no one will shed a tear.

 

 

Note: Quebec regulation specifies that a wine must be labelled “made in” when it is a “beverage obtained through the fermentation of grape juice, reconstituted grape juice or grape must, and containing at least 6% and less than 15% of alcohol by volume”.

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