"Does wine advertising really make you want to uncork a bottle?"

I have been involved with wine for over 20 years. I write about it, taste wines from all over the world, analyze wine ranges and follow the global wine evolution. I have also always been interested in wine advertising, so I have been collecting wine advertisements for several years - from trade magazines as well as from national and international consumer media. In general, there are two very different types of advertising: those that show a product and mention the winery, and those that focus on a region or a country - without putting a specific product, i.e. a specific wine, in the foreground. In general, it can also be said that most advertising does not really make you want to uncork a bottle of wine, especially as it is either too wordy, too unclear, too touristy, too interchangeable, too packshot-heavy or even too complicated. Unbelievable - especially since we're talking about wine here. A product that triggers something emotional in all of us, that we have all tasted at least once, that doesn't need to be explained to anyone and that in most cases makes us feel good. Wine is not bought for its functionality (of course there are exceptions), but for its emotional ability to add a special something to the moment. For me, advertising is most successful when it creates an image that the consumer can connect with on an emotional level. Wine and emotions simply go hand in hand. So why is there not more convincing wine advertising? Perhaps this question is easier to answer if we first ask ourselves what good wine is. Wine is indeed a gift from the gods. Wine is an elegant drink that combines culture, pleasure and joie de vivre. Today, wine is also a lifestyle, a trend and sometimes even a luxury. Even a simple glass of wine can be the result of years of wine experience, gained in different countries and continents and passed down from generation to generation. Wine has the ability to make a meal festive, to fill a company with joy and to increase our quality of life.

What is a truly great wine?

We live in a time that is characterized by fashions, globalization and general availability. This also has an influence on wine and the style of wine. Wines are vinified differently today than they were a generation ago. What was a great wine yesterday may have been eclipsed by an even greater wine today. However, it is important never to forget that the quality of a wine is also a subjective perception. Nevertheless, the world's most important wine critic Robert Parker has written an interesting definition of what a truly great wine is in his book on the world's greatest wine estates ("The World's Greatest Wine Estates"). It must fulfill four points. Firstly, it must simultaneously delight our palate and our spirit. Secondly, it must be able to actively hold the connoisseur's interest. Thirdly, it must reveal the character traits of its creator. And fourthly, it must reflect its terroir of origin. Four points that should not be forgotten when implementing an advertising campaign for a wine brand or a wine region - at least a few of them.

Most wines come from a terroir that has exciting stories to tell - why don't we tell them? Most wines are produced by personalities who have exciting biographies and family stories - why don't we learn about them? Most wines are enjoyed with food, whether at home or in a restaurant - why don't the campaigns take us into the kitchens of restaurants and consumers? Of course, there is a catch to this story, especially as wine is alcohol and not every market or country is allowed to advertise alcohol equally freely. Not to mention the so-called country campaigns, some of which are even financed by the state. They have to comply with so many requirements and regulations that there is a great danger that the result will hardly be noticed by the wine connoisseur due to all the consensus. Keyword country campaigns: 18 EU countries, for example, received large sums of money for the realization of wine image campaigns in 2009 and 2010. Italy received 238.2 million euros, Spain 213.8 million and France 171.9 million. The sums received by Romania (42.1 million euros) and Portugal (37.8 million euros) are considered smaller sums.

Let's take a look at the wine industry. Over the last 15 years, global wine consumption has grown from 227 to 238 million hectoliters (+4.8%) - with global production at 260 million hectoliters. Asia (+3.7%) has benefited the most from this growth, followed by America (+2.2%), Oceania (+1.1%) and Africa (+0.3%). Europe has lost share. In 1995, its share of total consumption was 72.1 percent, in 2010 it was 64.9 percent - with a downward trend. The decline is primarily the result of lower consumption in the three largest wine-producing countries Italy, France and Spain. Global wine exports developed very positively. In 1995 it amounted to 55 million hectolitres, 15 years later 93.5 million hectolitres (+70%). In short, it can be said that never before has so much wine been exported to other countries as we are currently experiencing.

Where is the future heading?

But back to wine advertising. The following four examples caught my eye among the abundance of bland wine advertising. They address either a community idea, fashion, celebrity or even "Mad Men" (although the Riedel campaign is older than the "Mad Men" series).

Let's take the ad for Château Rauzan-Ségla. The winery is owned by the Chanel Group, to which Karl Lagerfeld also belongs. To mark the 350th anniversary of the Bordelais château, Lagerfeld, Chanel's creative director, designed a special label. The fact that it is the highly acclaimed 2009 vintage, of all vintages, that is now being launched on the market with a special label is unbeatable in terms of marketing. The ad is simple, clear and elegant.

The advertisement for Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande - another top Bordeaux - is similarly positive. The winery was taken over by the Roederer champagne house a few years ago. The advertisement shows the label on a black background, with the shape of the bottle framed by an extremely decorative pattern (such wallpaper can be found in the château). The message is clear and simple: "Le Vin est une Civilization. "

The Riedel display is simple and elegant. Wine lovers know that the right wine glass is essential. The Austrian family business Riedel has been a leader in wine glasses for years. They work tirelessly to ensure that wine connoisseurs from all over the world find the right wine glass. The ad speaks for itself and is very eye-catching when flicking through a magazine. The motif for the Australian wine brand De Bortoli is graphically similar. What is addressed and implemented here is the idea of community. The slogan reads: "Wine is to be enjoyed with family and friends."

Intense discussions are currently taking place in the wine world about where the future of wine is heading. There are no clear answers - they range from "natural wines versus industrial wines", to "new aromatic wine styles", "clear regional typicity despite global warming", "global versus local" and "the new influence from Asia". The marketing of wine is also a major topic. Never before have there been so many different wines and new wines coming onto the market with every harvest. How they end up on our dinner tables is one of the major challenges facing the wine industry. Chandra Kurt