2023-09-24 06:30:00
It’s a visit between friends. Where familiarity is required. And yet, at the beginning of July, while summer is having difficulty settling in, it is Jérôme Peter who travels the 57 hectares of the Domaine de la Charmoise in the Touraine appellation, located in Soings-en-Sologne (Loir -and-Cher). The wine purchasing manager (alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, consume in moderation) for Carrefour weighs heavily and buys between 5,000 and 8,000 bottles from this renowned family house, a pioneer of sulphite-free wines in the years 1990. So there’s no question of disappointing him. “Every year, Carrefour representatives taste it and come back,” says Jean-Sébastien Marionnet.
And the vintages tasted were pleasing, as evidenced by the smile of the grandson of the creator now at the head of the century-old estate created in 1921. The 2020 Terroir des silices vintage will find its place on the shelves of Carrefour from September 26 at 6 .90 euros when the Première Vendange (2022) in red will be close to 10 euros (9.95 euros).
Inflation is on the rise
Prices which are within the price range practiced during these wine fairs. The Revue du vin de France calculated that the average price of a bottle sold during this essential back-to-school event was 8 euros this year. Despite this, the average basket is 90 euros for an overall turnover of one billion euros for all brands combined.
Inflation has of course joined the party. Glass, cardboard and wood (for barrels) soared and producers had to pass on the increase by an average of 10%. This is less than food inflation but to prevent consumers from sacrificing wine in their purchases, the major brands have kept prices as low as possible. For fairs, at E. Leclerc the average price for a bottle is around 7.50 euros when half of the offer is below 8 euros for Franprix. At Carrefour, Jérôme Peter’s team opted for promotions: four bottles purchased and two offered from twelve references.
Soings-en-Sologne (Loir-et-Cher), July 2023. Jérôme Peter (right), responsible for wine purchasing for Carrefour, buys between 5,000 and 8,000 bottles each year from Domaine de la Charmoise, managed by Jean-Sébastien Marionnet . Wines which will be presented at the wine fair. LP/David Charpentier
Is this race for low prices taking place to the detriment of producers? Do the big brands always have the last word? “There is always a little apprehension when large retailers arrive but Carrefour respects the negotiated price,” assures Jean-Sébastien Marionnet who is also in contract with Monoprix. “It’s a triple winning equation,” summarizes Jérôme Peter. The winegrower must find his way like Carrefour and, ultimately, the consumer, who is the justice of the peace. » He assures: “the goal is for the partnerships to last and for it not to be a one-shot. » And to cite areas like that of Charmoise with which his brand has been in business for several decades.
More than 5,000 samples tested
To arrive in the catalogs, the wines must undergo a drastic selection. Around 5,000 samples pass through the taste buds of Carrefour tasters and only one in five is retained. For E. Leclerc, the undisputed leader of wine fairs with a unanimously recognized cutting-edge selection, Cyril Mondon, head of the wine division, does not skimp on tests either.
“At the national level, mainly between the months of January and February, we blind taste 2,000 wines. And in the region, our regional purchasing centers test as many, which then allows us to regionalize our offers. » In the end 500 references will have the chance to be selected.
“We quickly secure small winegrowers by only listing them in the region because of their low production volumes. Their price is ours, we don’t discuss, assures Cyril Mondon, also director of a store in Rouffiac-Tolosan (Haute-Garonne). We know our winegrowers. Some are afraid of only being taken for one year. But we know very well that in front of us, there is no Coca or Nestlé. The vine and wine remain an artisanal world. »
The great wines, now “unattainable”
For thirty years, Thierry Desseauve has been scrutinizing the evolution of wine fairs. The co-author with his acolyte Michel Bettane of the guide which bears their names judges that they have radically changed, “gained in quality and lost the role of destocking” for the Bordeaux or Burgundy vineyards among others.
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“Today, the great wines of these regions are unattainable for consumers unlike in the 1980s and 1990s,” underlines the expert. The major brands are now focusing on appellations and wines between 5 and 10 euros, this last range constituting the heart of the market. » And even at this price, Thierry Desseauve, whose team of experts offers for free on his site its selection of the best vintages from wine fairs, tasted and annotated, believes that the consumer can generally trust the work of the major brands.
On the Internet too, the hunt for the vintage with unbeatable quality/price ratio is rife. Le Petit Ballon, which has “carved out a reputation as a nugget finder” according to its purchasing manager, Brice Marsault, is working in this direction. With more limited resources than the big brands, it manages to offer 150 new vintages specifically for its autumn wine fair. “Wine is a product of discovery and pleasure and we believe that it should be accessible to everyone. »
Boost the slow commercial period between the start of the school year and the end of the year
It’s 1973 in a supermarket parking lot. E. Leclerc in Vannes (Morbihan) and Saint-Pol-de-Léon (Finistère) that the concept was born. The bottles are placed on pallets under a marquee. Customers don’t even have to go through the store to buy them. 80,000 bottles will be sold. The goal is then to boost a slow commercial period after the start of the school year and before the end-of-year holidays.
Given its success, the operation spread across France and the competition followed suit. Today, during the Leclerc wine fairs, 10 million bottles are sold in two weeks for a turnover of 100 million euros in more than 600 stores in the group.
The main dates of wine fairs. Lavinia: until October 1; Nicolas: until October 3; La Grande Épicerie de Paris: until October 6; Monoprix: until October 1; Franprix: until October 8; Biocoop: until October 14; U stores: from September 26 to October 7; Carrefour Hypermarket: from September 26 to October 9; Auchan Hypermarkets: from September 26 to October 9; Aldi: from September 26; Netto: from September 28 to October 16; E. Leclerc: from September 30 to October 14.
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