ARENI Global: In Conversation

Why do estates from around the world want to work with a historic institution in Bordeaux? What impact have these wines had on La Place and beyond? And should fine wine producers look to La Place for distribution?

In the small world of La Place, no other change has had as many impacts as the recent growth of the Beyond Bordeaux wines category. From Almaviva to Opus One, from Penfolds to Masseto, the international icons have transformed the way the Place works, and the way we understand the fine wine category.

But in the last five years, the Place has also started to distribute what could be qualified as “anonymous brands” — wines with a surprisingly limited level of desirability, or international recognition. It’s a strategic move that left many actors in the fine wine supply chain quite puzzled.

In this fourth episode, hosts Felicity Carter and Pauline Vicard explore the origins of the Beyond Bordeaux category and explore the impacts of this growing category on the future of the Place.

With many conflicting interests at play, they bring diverse and layered opinions from all part of the supply chain. From Beyond Bordeaux producers to négociants, courtiers, journalists, distributors and importers, and Bordeaux châteaux, they all share their unfiltered opinions on the impact of the Beyond Bordeaux wines.

With: Philippe Newlin, Deidre Taylor, Tom Portet, Mathieu Jullien, Ronan Laborde, Jane Anson, Max Lalondrelle, Jeremy Stockman,  and Mathieu Chadronnier.

Inside la Place de Bordeaux is a seven-episode podcast series produced by Areni Global, a think tank dedicated to the future of fine wine. Areni Global helps wineries, distributors and retailers to understand how the world is changing, and how that creates risks to be managed and opportunities to be seized. What risks? What opportunities? 

Visit us at Areni Global to learn more about becoming a member.

Additional resources are available for this episode. You can find an edited transcript of Tom Portet’s interview. Tom is the co-founder of International First Growths, an Australian-based broker that introduces wines to La Place in Bordeaux. In this interview, Tom shares his experience of successfully bringing key Australian brands to the Place de Bordeaux, and the lessons he learned along the way.

Tom Portet’s interview:

Jane Anson’s Beyond Bordeaux tasting reports:

September release: https://janeanson.com/report/the-september-releases-2023

Mars release: https://janeanson.com/report/the-march-releases-2024

Follow Areni on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin: @areniglobal

This podcast episode was edited by Polly Hammond and the 5 forests team: https://5forests.com/ 

Inside la Place de Bordeaux was made possible thanks to the support of the CVBG, one of Bordeaux’s leading négociant house. To learn more about the CVBG:

Visit their website: https://www.cvbg.com/?lang=en

Follow them on Instagram: @cvbg_bordeaux 

Thank you for joining us today!

Faced with declining consumption and a threatening regulatory environment, are we good enough at talking or writing about wine? Why? What could be the levers of a new narrative for wine? And what could be the risks of not improving our game?

In this episode, hosts Pauline Vicard goes to Napa to meet author, speaker, consultant and all-round wine communicator Karen MacNeil. Karen has won every major wine communication award in the English language, including the James Beard award for Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year, and the Louis Roederer award for Best Consumer Wine Writing, among many others. TIME Magazine called her ‘America’s Missionary of the Vine’. She is the author of The Wine Bible, now in its third edition, which has sold more than one million copies. What does one of the world’s greatest wine communicators think about the state of winecommunication today?

Tune in to listen to Karen’s recommendations and the many ingredients needed for a successful, impactful and relevant wine communication.

And if you want to engage more with Karen’s great content, have a look at WineSpeed, the first fast wine e-letter—with great info and advice, all from Karen, and use the code for a 20% discount on standard annual WineSpeed subscription.

In Conversation is a podcast series produced by Areni Global, a think tank dedicated to the future of fine wine. Areni Global helps wineries, distributors and retailers to understand how the world is changing, and how that creates risks to be managed and opportunities to be seized. What risks? What opportunities?

Be sure to visit our website Areni Global, to learn more about becoming a member and access all our reports, events and analysis.

Follow Areni on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin: @areniglobal

Thank you for joining us today!

How does a bottle of Bordeaux end up on a collector's table? What will its journey be, from the châteaux to the world? Who decides who gets access to highly allocated wines? And the most fascinating question of all: who is currently making money (or not) in the fine wine supply chain? Are current margins enough to sustain a complex system?

In this third episode, hosts Felicity Carter and Pauline Vicard look at the behind the scenes of La Place de Bordeaux and consider the opportunities and challenges of this distribution system.

Get ready for an in-depth exploration of how the system really works, bringing in diverse and layered opinions from all part of the supply chain, from producers to fine wine merchants, all operating in crucial markets. With: Max Lalondrelle, Thomas Parker MW, Jeremy Stockman, Philippe Newlin, Vianney Gravereaux and Mathieu Chadronnier.

Inside la Place de Bordeaux is a seven-episode podcast series produced by Areni Global, a think tank dedicated to the future of fine wine. Areni Global helps wineries, distributors and retailers to understand how the world is changing, and how that creates risks to be managed and opportunities to be seized. What risks? What opportunities? 

Visit us at Areni Global to learn more about becoming a member.

Additional resources are available for this episode. You can find an edited transcript of Max Lalondrelle’s interview. Max is fine wine purchasing director for UK based merchant Berry Bros & Rudd. Founded in 1698, BBR has accompanied and shaped Bordeaux fine wine trade over centuries and retains a large influence on the Place de Bordeaux. Max himself has been buying Bordeaux wines for almost 25years. What are the major changes that he has witnessed, or led? How does he ensure BBR’s access to in-demand wines? What are the main challenges and opportunities of working with La Place?

Max Lalondrelle’s interview: https://areni.global/inside-la-place-de-bordeaux-episode-three/

Areni members can also access 5 Things to Know About Bordeaux’s Fine Wine Distribution, an analysis summarizing all the main takeaways from this episode, a perfect tool for wine students and wineries looking to work with la Place de Bordeaux: https://areni.global/five-things-to-know-about-bordeauxs-fine-wine-distribution/

Follow Areni on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin: @areniglobal

This podcast episode was edited by Polly Hammond and the 5 forests team: https://5forests.com/ 

Inside la Place de Bordeaux was made possible thanks to the support of the CVBG, one of Bordeaux’s leading négociant house. To learn more about the CVBG:

Visit their website: https://www.cvbg.com/?lang=en

Follow them on Instagram: @cvbg_bordeaux 

Thank you for joining us today!

What does an En-Primeur campaign look like? How is it organized? The on-going campaign is supposed to be a crucial one for the survival of the whole ecosystem. How much of that is true? What would la Place be without En Primeur?

In this second episode, hosts Felicity Carter and Pauline Vicard tell the tale of the En Primeur campaign, through speaking to producers, négociants, courtiers, buyers and critics.

Get ready for an in-depth exploration, bringing in diverse and layered opinions from Jane Anson, Ronan Laborde, James Miles, Max Lalondrelle, Thomas Parker MW, Valentin Lillet, Axel Heinz,  Jeremy Stockman and Mathieu Chadronnier. With them, we examine the fundamentals of the modern day en primeur system, analyse its strengths and weaknesses and its capacity to continue in the near future.

Inside la Place de Bordeaux is a seven-episode podcast series produced by Areni Global, a think tank dedicated to the future of fine wine. Areni Global helps wineries, distributors and retailers to understand how the world is changing, and how that creates risks to be managed and opportunities to be seized. What risks? What opportunities? 

Visit us at Areni Global to learn more about becoming a member.

Additional resources are available for this episode. You can find an edited transcript of Ronan Laborde’s interview. As the Président of the Union des Grands Crus, Ronan is responsible for organizing most of the En-Primeur week and setting together the collective representation of the vintage. Ronan explains the origin of the modern-day en primeur system, and reveals his views for the future.

Ronan Laborde’s interview:

Areni members can also access 5 Things to Know About En Primeur, an analysis summarizing all the main takeaways from this episode, a perfect tool for wine students and wineries looking to work with la Place de Bordeaux:

Follow Areni on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin: @areniglobal

This podcast episode was edited by Polly Hammond and the 5 forests team: https://5forests.com/ 

Inside la Place de Bordeaux was made possible thanks to the support of the CVBG, one of Bordeaux’s leading négociant house. To learn more about the CVBG:

Visit their website: https://www.cvbg.com/?lang=en

Follow them on Instagram: @cvbg_bordeaux 

Thank you for joining us today!

What does the global wine world need to understand about modern China and what will China’s role be in the future of fine wine?

About Simon Tam:

Simon Tam grew up in Australia. He worked in his parents' restaurant which is how he first came into contact with fine wines. After studying at a wine college, Tam worked as a wine consultant for the South Australian government and he even worked as a winemaker for a few years. He eventually moved to Hong Kong, where he opened the first wine school in the early 1990s. As the Chinese market grew, Simon became a bridge between the two worlds, working with winegrowers’ associations around the globe to promote the sale of wines in China. Simon Tam would eventually be appointed head of the wine department at Christie's, initially for China and then for the entire Asian region. Ten years later, Simon founded his own fine wine auction house, AEOS Auctions, and a year ago, he also launched a new project: Flavour Colours - a comprehensive wine and food pairing tool.

Follow Simon Tam

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-tam-5845504/

https://www.instagram.com/simontamwine/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/aeosauctions/

https://twitter.com/aeosauctions?lang=en

This episode of the Areni Global in Conversation podcast is titled “Catching up with China – In Conversation with Simon Tam”. Host Pauline Vicard talks with the charismatic Simon Tam about his life in the fine wine auction world and his perspective on China’s intricate wine market. They touch on so many interesting points including symbolism in the Asian wine market as well as Simon’s very own definition of fine wine. 

We also provide the cliff notes for this episode. 

Visit us at Areni Global to learn more about becoming a member.

Follow me, Pauline Vicard on Twitter & Instagram: @areniglobal

Thank you for joining us today! 

If you are interested in the global conversation around fine wine, head over to our website www.areni.global and become a member. This is not only a great way to support us, but the best way to unlock all our analysis, reports and articles.

Because whether you are producing, selling or pouring fine wine, you need reliable, specific data to make informed decisions. And we have just that in store for you.

What is La Place de Bordeaux? Does la Place only deal with fine wines? What’s the relationship between la Place and the En-Primeur system? How transparent is the Place?

In this first episode of Inside La Place de Bordeaux, hosts Felicity Carter and Pauline Vicard sit down to discuss their understanding of La Place and challenge their own preconceptions of the system.

We speak to leading experts to understand their perspectives on La Place: Jane Anson, Mathieu Chadronnier, Tom Portet, Valentin Lillet, Axel Heinz, Christopher Lynch, Christian Wylie, and Philippe Newlin. With them, we examine the important fundamentals needed to understand this very unique distribution system, and discuss some of the most common clichés about la Place de Bordeaux.

Inside la Place de Bordeaux is a seven episode podcast series produced by Areni Global, a think tank dedicated to the future of fine wine. Areni Global helps wineries, distributors and retailers to understand how the world is changing, and how that creates risks to be managed and opportunities to be seized. What risks? What opportunities? 

Visit us at Areni Global to learn more about becoming a member.

Additional resources are available for this episode. You can find an edited transcript of Mathieu Chadronier’s interview, going in depth about the origins of la Place and what it is today:

Mathieu’s Chadronier’s interview: https://bit.ly/ILPB-EpOne

Areni members can also access 5 Things to Know About La Place de Bordeaux, an analysis summarizing all the main takeaways from this episode, a perfect tool for wine students and wineries looking to work with la Place de Bordeaux: https://bit.ly/5thingsLaPlace

Follow Areni on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin: @areniglobal

This podcast episode was edited by Polly Hammond and the 5 forests team: https://5forests.com/ 

Inside la Place de Bordeaux was made possible thanks to the support of the CVBG, one of Bordeaux’s leading négociant house. To learn more about the CVBG:

Visit their website: https://www.cvbg.com/?lang=en

Follow them on Instagram: @cvbg_bordeaux 

Thank you for joining us today!

If you've ever wonder what La Place de Bordeaux is all about, how it works, and maybe most importantly why - and for whom- it works, then this podcast is for you.

In this seven episodes series, Areni Global top duo Pauline Vicard and Felicity Carter tackle all the hard questions, meet key players -many of them going public for the first time - and analyze the role and place of the Place de Bordeaux in the future of fine wine distribution.

Follow them as they enter the Place, and discover what happens behind what appears to be closed doors.

What does one of the world’s top Bordeaux expert think about La Place? As one of the world's top wine critic, how does she prepare for the upcoming En-Primeur week? And how is it likely to be influenced by the current social and economical context in Bordeaux? To answer these questions and more we sat down with Jane Anson, wine critic, writer and journalist.

About Jane Anson:

Jane is without a doubt one of the most influential fine wine critics globally, respected and praised around the world for her work ethos, dedication and talent. Her extensive works includes the magnum opus Bordeaux Legends, a history of the 1855 First Growth published in 2013 and released as an NFT book in 2022, Wine Revolution in 2017 and of course Inside Bordeaux published in 2020; a book called a ‘category buster’ by Wine Anorak and ‘the Bordeaux bible’ by Le Figaro. 

In 2021, She launched janeanson.com, a site dedicated to Bordeaux – one of the world’s greatest wine regions and, as we see in this episode, the center of so much of the global wine trade.

In Episode Offer: We can’t recommend Jane’s website www.janeanson.com enough: it’s a gold mine of insights, reports, and data on Bordeaux wines and beyond. On top of all this content, subscribers get first access to the Connoisseur Week and the Mentor Week, two of the greatest initiatives in the world of fine wine at the moment, both currently open for registration and application. To enjoy 15% off the first year's subscription, use the code use the code ARGL15OFF during the signup process . This code is valid through to the end of 2024.

Follow Jane Anson

linkedin.com/in/janeanson

https://www.instagram.com/jane.anson/

https://twitter.com/janeansonwine

https://www.facebook.com/JaneAnsonInsideBordeaux

This episode of the Areni Global in Conversation podcast is titled “Inside Bordeaux With One of the World's Top Wine Critics: In Conversation with Jane Anson”. Host Pauline Vicard sits down with Felicity Carter, editor of Areni Global, for a discussion about their upcoming trip to Bordeaux for the En Primeur campaign. The questions they want answered include, What will happen this year during the En Primeur campaign? What's at stake in this particular week? And How does it all fit within the larger context of the Place de Bordeaux? Excited to explore Bordeaux's role in the future of fine wine, they're joined by renowned wine critic and Bordeaux expert Jane Anson. The episode promises insider secrets delving into Bordeaux's current state of affairs, the marketplace, and the preparations for this unique week ahead!

We also provide the cliff notes for this episode. 

Visit us at Areni Global to learn more about becoming a member.

Follow me, Pauline Vicard on Twitter & Instagram: @areniglobal

Follow Felicity Carter on Linkedin or Twitter

Thank you for joining us today! 

If you are interested in the global conversation around fine wine, head over to our website www.areni.global and become a member. This is not only a great way to support us, but the best way to unlock all our analysis, reports and articles.

Because whether you are producing or selling fine wine, you need reliable, specific data to make informed decisions. And we have just that in store for you.

What role can wine investment play in the future of fine wine?

Host Pauline Vicard delves into the intriguing world of wine investment with guests Rosti Petrov and Matthew Small, of Cru Wine. Together they discuss the different opinions about investing in wine, from concerns about rising prices, to assertions that it's a safe investment with steady returns and tax benefits. Pauline also highlights the question about whether there really are people who simply invest just to invest rather than because they are fine wine lovers, as well as how fine wine collectors affect the market. Let’s explore what makes a wine worth investing in, how to assess risks, and what the future might hold for wine investments. Join us as we unravel the myths surrounding wine investment and its importance within finance.

Rosti Petrov is the Associate Director. Rostislav joined Cru Wine in 2019 having worked in the wine trade for over 10 years. Luxury wine retail, fine wine brokerage as well as a wine start up, Rosti experienced different parts of the wine industry before joining the investment arm of Cru Wine. His focus is very much helping to build Cru clients perfect cellars as well as drive expansion of the company’s wine selection.

Matthew Small is the Senior Portfolio Manager at Cru Wine. After seven years in investment banking, Matt entered the fine wine market following a lock-down which encouraged wine tasting and WSET studying. Matt’s focus is to work alongside investors, helping them to build robust, diversified portfolios with long-term earnings potential.

If you want to learn more about the report mentioned in the episode ‘Understanding the Fine Wine Consumer – Country Profile: Singapore’ follow this link. 

The research delves into the Singapore fine wine market, answering questions such as: How big is the fine wine segment in Singapore? What – and who – defines it? Who are the fine wine consumers? What are their purchasing behaviours and how is their perception of fine wine evolving? What are the main market risks and opportunities? 

If you prefer, you can also find today’s conversation here in transcript form where we highlight the most important points of the conversation.

Visit us at Areni Global to learn more about becoming a member.

Follow Pauline Vicard on Twitter & Instagram: @areniglobal

Thank you for joining us today! 

Areni Global is an independent think tank dedicated to the future of fine wine. We exist to answer the big questions of our time and to address our industry’s major threats, including regulatory, environmental, and societal changes. We do this by creating an international platform where experts and thought leaders can come together and share ideas, and by publishing key research and insights.

What are the processes, resources, the wine knowledge and skills needed to equip a vast team like Southern Glazers? Tune in and hear Eric Hemer MS, MW give his insights on what it takes.

Eric Hemer, MS MW is Senior Vice President, Product Education overseeing wine, spirits and related production education and certification in 45 US markets, Canada, and the Caribbean for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Eric has been with the company for 35 years; prior to his current role he held various sales,management, and educational positions in Florida before being promoted to his current role in 2013.Eric is a Certified Wine Educator, Master Sommelier and Master of Wine, and works closely with these organizations as well as others as a lecturer, examiner, and mentor. He is also an advisor to the Beverage Academy at Florida International University.

Follow Eric Hemer MS, MW:

https://www.instagram.com/sgwinespirits/

https://twitter.com/SGWineSpirits

This episode of the Areni in Conversation podcast is called “How to Scale Up Trade Education”. Host Pauline Vicard sits down with Eric Hemer, Senior Vice President Director of Wine Education at Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits. Eric is a distinguished figure holding both the titles of Master of Wine and Master Sommelier and he talks to us about the strategies and resources required to scale wine education for over 23,000 employees, exploring how such a large company prioritizes education as a competitive advantage and the most effective methods for delivery.

We also provide the cliff notes for this episode. 

Visit us at Areni Global to learn more about becoming a member.

Follow me, Pauline Vicard on Twitter & Instagram: @areniglobal

Thank you for joining us today! 

“Through a comprehensive research and publication programme, ARENI exists to inform, inspire and empower those invested in the future of Fine Wine”