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Coronavirus conversations: Patrick Pouvatchy of Château Sainte Roseline

The export sales manager at Château Sainte Roseline in Côtes de Provence tells us about the growing importance of online sales, how Covid-19 will bring about a shift in thinking; and the estate’s limited edition rosé, designed by Christian Laroix.

Photo courtesy of ProvenceWineZine.com

How is business during this tricky time?

Our business has been globally hit many ways. In France, as with many countries, the on-trade is on hold while the off-trade segment is still dynamic. At an export level, sales to the US and Canada are for now still strong, while European exports have seen a significant decline. Online sales have never been stronger, however.

How have you adapted the way you do business during the coronavirus crisis?

To ensure the safety of the team we’ve been following the government rules and restrictions. At the winery, masks and alcoholic gels have been provided, and extra measures have been taken to limit the number of employees in offices. Since we can’t have visitors to our wine shop for now, we’ve had to adjust the approach and offer our services with a ‘drive through’ experience instead.

Are you enjoying a boost in off-trade/ online sales?

The core of our business during the lockdown is in the off-trade segment. Compared to last year, our online sales are booming. However, these sales are not compensating for the losses from the on-trade segment in France and at export.

How do you think the coronavirus crisis will change the world?

Globally, it will affect the way people think, perhaps towards buying more locally, as we can already see it in terms of fresh food purchasing, which is supporting local producers and shops.

This situation has never been seen before and it is important at our level to resure our employees, partners and collaborators, and to maintain the links and become stronger together once the virus wave passes.

Consumers have to be reassured on three pillars: quality of product, environmental consideration, and ethical production methods. More than ever, our corporate social responsibility strategy is at the core of all of this.

 How should the wine trade adapt in the face of the crisis?

For wineries, the challenge is to get through these difficult times. Forecast and distribution strategies are being challenged at an unexpected time.

Reactivity and flexibility are the key to success at many different levels: within the company (with cashflow pressure, banks are providing solid financial support); with our reliable partners, offering further flexibility in terms of payments to support them; and to our consumers, who need to be reassured of supply.

Do you think it will change how people do business, if so how?

Working remotely has never been so easy – e-meetings and conference calls are frequently being used on a daily basis. The rates of carbon emissions are decreasing globally, and collaborators are adjusting their focus towards continuing this proactive way of helping the environment.

What is the future for the wine trade post Covid-19?

The world has been surprised by the Covid-19 pandemic this year and at the moment, wine consumption levels are unpredictable. As we’ve seen, key wine fairs such as Prowein and Vinexpo have been cancelled this year because of Covid. The wine trade has been affected by this lack of networking, however, once we all have a better understanding and defence against the coronavirus, people will be more confident to attend these important fairs again.

What are your top priorities as a company going forward?

Our main priorities are to maintain our CSR focus, which we’ve already been working on for years, and to maintain our involvement with our current partners. The safety and security of our collaborators and our environmental commitments are core to us.

Do you have any new wines in the pipeline?

To mark our 70th anniversary, we’re launching a limited edition of our iconic flagship cuvée Lampe de Meduse 2019, designed by the haute couture maestro, Christian Lacroix. The shape of our iconic bottle reminded him of a woman’s body. He also wanted to pay tribute to the very feminine history of our iconic cuvée and our Château.

In order to symboliase this femininity in our history, Lacroix wanted to use the imagery of white lace; an attractive material for women’s clothes. The white colour reflects the purity of Sainte Roseline, which echoes the purity of our wines.

The lace also highlights the precision work in the vineyard; work of delicacy and finesse, which echoes the meticulous and artisanal handcrafted work of our winemakers, who fashion our wines from the cut bunches of grapes as the haute-couture master would cut cloth.

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