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Trade - Service
Nov 16, 2018 / 13:02

French wine producers make inroads in Vietnam

Minh Anh

The Vietnamese market holds huge potential for French wine in general and Bordeaux wine in particular given the country’s very diverse culture and gastronomy with a large variety of tastes, just like wines.

Over 30 French wine producers are in Vietnam to present their best products to Vietnamese importers and connoisseurs as they seek firm footing in the Southeast Asian country with a fast-growing middle income class.
 
Wines showcased at the Crus Bourgeois Du Medoc Tasting 2018 in Hanoi on November 15. Photo: Minh Anh
Wines showcased at the Crus Bourgeois Du Medoc Tasting 2018 in Hanoi on November 15. Photo: Minh Anh
Crus Bourgeois Du Medoc Tasting 2018, the French wine tasting night, was held at the embassy of France on Thursday. Here, the winemakers showcased their best wines and they plan to hold another wine tasting night in Ho Chi Minh city on Friday.  This is the second event of its kind in Vietnam after the first one in Ho Chi Minh City last year.

French Ambassador Bertrand Lortholary boasted that French wine in general and Bordeaux one in particular are warmly welcomed by consumers in Vietnam. In the context of rising competition from New World wineries, French winemakers are actively finding new markets.

Speaking at the event, Olivier Cuvelier, president of the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, pointed out a singularity which is the yearly wine rating held by the alliance since 2010. All the qualified bottles carry a sticker with a unique code to give them the Crus Bourgeois identity.

The selection will be made every five years from 2020 and the products will be classified in three tiers of quality namely Cru Bourgeois, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, aiming to provide clearer options for consumers and create healthy competition among the alliance members, Cuvelier added.

It will also be reviewed every five years, which means that châteaux can move up and down the hierarchy. Around 30 million liters of wine produced by the alliance are sold all over the world, he informed.

“With this event, we hope to bring to Vietnamese consumers good wines with reasonable prices,” he said.

In response to Hanoitimes’ questions, Cuvelier said the Vietnamese market holds huge potential for French wine in general and Bordeaux wine in particular given the country’s very diverse culture and gastronomy with a large variety of tastes, just like wines.
 
Olivier Cuvelier, president of the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc,
Olivier Cuvelier, president of the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc,
“Therefore, people pay attention to which drink matches their food, translating into a good opportunity for us,” he noted.

Sharing the same view, Harriet Lee, a representative from Gironde et Gascogne and Julien Meyre from Vignobles Alain Meyre, who is the sixth generation inheriting the profession of his family, said Vietnam is a great market to look to, and expected to find distributors in the country.

The following are photos of the Crus Bourgeois Du Medoc Tasting 2018 held at the French embassy in Hanoi on November 15.
 
Connoisers taste wines
Connoisseurs taste wines
French Ambassador to Vietnam Bertrand Lortholary listens to the introduction of a wine.
French Ambassador to Vietnam Bertrand Lortholary listens to the introduction of a wine.










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