There
appear to be three types of Sherry consumer: the older generation who have
always drunk it, but are now dying off; the occasional drinkers who will drink
it but not go out of their way to find it, considering it unfashionable and not
really competitive with other drinks; and the experts on whom Sherry depends
for its future growth.
A clear
understanding of consumers is vital for any product, and wine is no
exception. Who drinks Sherry nowadays?
What are the consumers like who drink the approximately 50 million bottles of
Sherry sold annually? To simplify a little, we could classify Sherry drinkers
into three basic categories:
The
traditionals:
regular consumers in the traditional markets. In Spain these would mainly be men
who drink Fino or Manzanilla, while in Britain, Holland etc. they would mainly
be women who drink Cream or Medium; people over 55, brand snobs who do not realise
Sherry is a wine.
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| The Sherry snob (pruneddownandbranchedout.blogspot.com) |
The
occasionals: people
of any age or gender who drink Sherry sporadically, usually at functions such
as ferias or celebrations where it is the wine on offer. They don’t know much
about it and have no brand preferences, drinking Sherry of any type according
to the local style, and they do it in any way such as aperitif, with tapas, in
cocktails…
The experts: wine lovers who drink Sherry as
part of a range of wines which they drink more or less frequently. They drink
Sherry as they would any other wine: preferably with food and in a relatively
informal environment. They drink most styles of Sherry, are of a younger
profile - usually over thirty - and of either gender.
Given the
situation and assuming that there are no foreseeable changes in the Sherry
business or the consumer, the logical evolution of each category is very
different.
There is no
doubt that the traditional consumer is slowly disappearing and this is the main
reason for the falling sales. Developing sales to the occasional consumers, the
ones who come across Sherry without looking for it, depend on marketing skills
to keep them interested and the creation of opportunities for them to come across
Sherry, not an easy thing to do in the face of voracious competition from vast
numbers of other drinks.
So the best
opportunity for growth is with the experts, the wine drinkers. Luckily numbers
of these consumers are growing, everywhere. These are people with some
knowledge or at least curiosity and interest in wine in its broadest sense. It
is very important therefore, that the bodegas and the Sherry trade in general
do their best to introduce Sherry to these consumers, along with its historic vineyards,
grape varieties and ageing systems. Everything in fact that makes Sherry
special, but within their scope of interest: the world of wine.
If Jerez
plays its cards right, these will be the consumers to return us to the path of
growth. They will assure the future of the industry and our heritage, so
important to us all.
(From Diario de Jerez 6.12.14)
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| A patio at the Alacazar, Jerez |
Vinoble
2016
The dates
for the IX edition of Vinoble, the sweet and fortified wine fair which takes
place every two years at the Alcázar in Jerez, have been announced. They are
the 29th 30th and 31st May 2016. The dates
have been carefully chosen to avoid clashing with other international wine
fairs.
After the 2012
fair was cancelled due to lack of funds, the 2014 was a great success and for
the first time, gastronomic activities were included. These will be expanded in
2016 along with revised marketing and improved access. The closing of the fair
in the middle of the day will remain, the idea being to give visitors time to
have a good lunch and a look around the city.
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