St Emilion classification to go ahead

The St Emilion classification has finally been signed off by the French government.

The legal notification of the classification, which has been in limbo since it was sent to the French Ministry of Agriculture in January 2011, was published in the Journal Officiel on June 16.

This means that despite continuing internal wrangling, the classification is indeed going ahead.

All Chateaux – including those aspiring to the very top ranks, Grand Cru, Grand Cru Classe, and Premier Grand Cru Classé – will be tasted blind.

Wines will be assessed on taste, their terroir, where they sit in the market, and their existing reputation.

‘I expect there are still some people who will disagree with the results,’ Saint Emilion president Jean-Francois Quenin told Decanter.com.

European Union Labeling Changes Affect U.S. Exporters

Did you know that currently in the U.S., approximately 60 wineries use the word “chateau” and 15 use the word “clos” on their labels?

Initially, the EU allowed continued use of these terms for a period of three years, with successive extensions of two-year periods. However, prior to expiration of the first extension, the EU told U.S. producers to cease using these terms.

Read more at: http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=88948&htitle=Wine%20Export%20Forum%20Focuses%20on%20EU

What Deals on Facebook Means to the Group-Buying Coupon Business

Below is an excerpt from an article posted today in AOL Daily Finance:

“For local merchants that also engage in online sales, Facebook’s large network of users should be a major selling point. It was for Christine Tran, owner of Artisan Wine Depot in Mountain View, Calif., one of the retailers participating in Facebook’s Deals launch.

Other issues that contributed to her decision included Facebook’s technology, which allows her to use her Facebook account to track customers who sign up for the discount in real-time and then click on their names as they redeem it. She noted other group-buying websites tend to use a paper-and-pencil approach, sending merchants a document that requires them to scratch off customers’ names as they redeem the discounts.

The clincher for Tran, however, was Facebook’s approach of defining and emphasizing a customer experience in its advertising, rather than focusing on the size of the price cut. For example, the 25% discount Artisan offered for its limited-production wine tasting is displayed in smaller type than the headline that touts the tasting itself.

“Discount deals like Facebook’s are a loss-leader for us,” Tran says. “I consider this part of our advertising budget, but I also want to attract customers who’ll want to come back later, not just for the deals. Facebook seemed interested in building our customer experience.”

Click here to read the entire article.

Cheers!

-The Artisan Wine Depot Team