Caught between rocks and a wine truck - Foulques Aulagnon, Wines of Alsace

Historic influences of both France and Germany have shaped the region of Alsace and its wines.  Foulques Aulagnon, Export Marketing Manager of Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d’Alsace (aka - “CIVA” or “Wines of Alsace”) tells XChateau about how CIVA promotes this small corner of northeast France globally.  CIVA takes Alsace global to spread the word about some of the world’s most underappreciated wines, from Wine Trucks to an emphasis on food and wine pairing.  

This episode is sponsored by Sonoma State University’s Wine Executive MBA program.  A 17-month, transformative program that builds leadership skills and business acumen focused on the specific needs of the wine world.  Learn more about SSU’s Wine MBA programs here.  If this is something you’re considering, the next session’s enrollment deadline is Feb 28, 2021, for courses starting in April!!  

Detailed Show Notes

• Alsace background - “a pearl” of a winegrowing region
  • 38,500 acres
  • 2 million-year-old soils
  • 2nd driest wine region in France
  • 90% white wine, 10% red wine (all from Pinot Noir)
  • 25% of production is Cremant d’Alsace (sparkling wine)
  • German influence (varietal on the label)
  • Mosaic of soils and grape varietals (e.g., Sylvaner, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Noir)
  • > 300-year-old family estates
• CIVA responsible for everything but the rules of production, with 3 major roles: 
  • Business monitoring and strategic planning
  • Technical viticultural support
  • Marketing communication
• Mission & purpose - increase positive awareness of Alsace globally and boost wine sales
• Main areas of focus (marketing side)
  • Public relations - programming with media and trade
  • Promotions and communications - in-store, social media, POS, educational materials
  • Commercial development - support wineries looking for importers, distribution
• How does CIVA measure success? 
  • Sales increase in value and volume
  • PR / press impact - readers reached and exposure
• CIVA members - every independent winegrower, co-operatives, and negociants - anyone in the AOC is automatically part of CIVA
• It’s a private organization but recognized by the French state
• Funding is through mandatory contributions by winegrowers with small support from the EU
• Market focus and support examples: 
  • Investing in over 15 countries
  • Historically active in EU, especially Northern Europe
  • Now more in the US, Canada, and Japan
  • Examples of support
    • Switzerland grocery store chain - provided media support to boost sales
    • Wines of Quebec - offered content and help to bloggers to produce content on Alsace wines
    • Provide info on food and wine pairings and consumer events
    • Provides information for visiting the vineyards of Alsace
    • Alsace Rocks - a 360-degree program of press, trade, and consumer events, started in New York City in 2018, went global afterward
    • Wine Truck Tour in Canada (Ontario and Quebec) - a food truck styled wine tasting with a terrace, tables, and chairs; competition to win Alsace wines, taste at your own leisure, and opportunities to share on social
• WWII Impact on Alsace
  • Became French again post WWII
  • History of being both German and French gives the region strength
  • But, only being consistent since WWII has resulted in Alsace being a bit behind in building its reputation as a wine region
• The leader in organic and biodynamic wines
  • In 2020, 32% of the wine was certified organic
  • 1st producer of biodynamic wines (in the 1960s)

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