What’s the best way to capture a buyer’s interest and secure a spot on a supplier portfolio, retail shelf or restaurant wine list?
By Melanie Young
With thousands of SKUs in the marketplace, the competition for selling your wine is tough. Add to this challenge a decline in wine consumption, according to industry reports, and it’s an uphill battle for wine brands everywhere, regardless of size or reputation. So, what’s the best way to capture a buyer’s interest and secure a spot on a supplier portfolio, retail shelf or restaurant wine list?
We checked in with four gatekeepers, who supply and buy wines, to discover what drives their purchasing decisions, industry trends they’re watching and tips for how to work with them to sell your wine.
Market Trends and Customer Behavior Matter
Angelo Martelli, general manager for Buy Rite Wine & Liquor (which has 50 locations in New Jersey), follows market trend reports and customer interest. He aims for a well-rounded stock that balances the brands that customers are familiar with and loyal to with a certain level of diversification. “If customers are asking for a certain type of wine, we contact our vendors. We try to represent as many wine regions as we can, even if it is a small selection of handpicked items based on limited shelf space and budgets,” he says.
Fran Kysela, founder of import company Kysela Pere Et Fils in Winchester, Va., purchases $16 million of fine wines and spirits from around the world each year, on average. He says, “We study market trends and depletions data. Currently, we’re buying more white wines, especially Sauvignon Blanc and Picpoul. Customers want lighter, fresher wines, sparkling wines and wines with spritz. Lower ABV, organic and biodynamic wines are also popular. The dry rosé market has become oversaturated.”
Cary Palmer, director of food and beverage development for Link Restaurant Group purchases approximately $130,000 of wine per month for the company’s six concept restaurants in New Orleans, La. He says Sauvignon Blanc sales are up. “At Pêche Seafood Grill, our Sancerre by-the-glass at $17 sells more than it did when it was $13. Lighter reds are preferable over denser, more tannic ones in the warmer New Orleans climate.”
Gary’s Wine & Marketplace, with four locations in New Jersey, assigns category managers who evaluate customer demand, depletions and market trends. “We first assess what we currently carry and see if what is being presented to us fits into our portfolio. Each wine we bring in needs to fulfill a current demand or need,” says Corporate Wine Director Gillian Sciaretta.
Show Up and Follow Up
Palmer, who formerly worked in wine sales, encourages sellers to just show up with wines to taste. “I am a quick taster and only need five minutes. I may not buy the wine immediately, but maybe down the road I will — so follow up.”
Martelli emphasizes thinking like a partner rather than just closing a sale. “I cannot tell you how many times someone has sold us wine and never followed up. Stop in a few weeks later to see how the wine is selling. Offer to do a tasting. If we take a chance with you, be there to help us sell your wines once they’re in. Also, if you’re working with a distributor that we already work with, come into the store with them rather than stopping by yourself. This will make it easier [for us] to see your wines.”
Profit margins matter to buyers. Spotlight your wine’s selling points and provide a call to action. “Show us how [your] wine fulfills a current need of ours that’s not being met. We also want wines and deals that set us apart from the competition,” says Sciaretta.
Categories They Are Watching
Both Sciaretta and Martelli are monitoring the no-alcohol, low alcohol and organic categories based on customer interest in better-for-you and eco-friendly concepts. “An organic certification sometimes can make the difference between a customer buying one wine over the other,” says Martelli.
Buyers are also looking at wine regions that offer customers a new tasting experience and more affordable price points. “We are always looking for discoveries from off-the-beaten-path areas,” says Sciaretta. “Our guests want wines at great price points that showcase quality and over deliver. [Regional] examples include Paso Robles in California, Dao in Portugal, Alicante in Spain and wines from Chile.”
For his restaurants, Palmer is looking at wines from higher altitudes that, he says, deliver “crispiness,” such as Jura and Savoie in France and Alto Adige in Italy, as well as those with oceanic influences from the Mediterranean and Canary Islands.
Martelli stocks selections from New York and New Jersey wineries to support local businesses and cites the many well-made regional wines throughout the United States as a growth area for selling.
Finally, those interviewed advise investing in the relationship. Gatekeepers of wine are humans working hard to meet customer demand and move products. Be respectful of their time. Ask how they are doing and how you can partner with them to promote your wines. And consider every collaboration a gateway for success.
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Melanie Young
Melanie Young is a certified specialist of wine and co-host/writer for The Connected Table LIVE, a global podcast featuring conversations with thought leaders in wine, food, spirits & hospitality. Her articles have appeared in Wine Industry News, Wine Enthusiast and Seven Fifty Daily. She travels frequently to report on wine regions, people and events. IG@theconnectedtable
