After a successful brand campaign launch in 2023 Vouvray wines are building upon their efforts with a full schedule of events over the next year, including a new Masterclass for trade professionals.
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The 2023 Vintage :
Nestled in the Loire Valley winegrowing region, the Vouvray AOC is notable for its use of one single grape: chenin blanc, a variety that enables winegrowers to produce a complete range of styles: dry, semi-dry and sweet still wines and sparkling wines. The 2023 vintage promises to showcase the best of this appellation with a strong harvest. “This year’s vintage offers graceful and refreshing wines, combining silky fruit notes with a beautiful minerality,” explains Jean-Marc Gilet, Vouvray winemaker. Other winemakers agree: “ The grape’s ripeness is particularly well showcased with pleasant suppleness and mellow acidity”, affirms winemaker Christophe Vigneau-Chevreau; while producer Sébastien Brunet adds “The 2023 cuvées are fresh and easy drinking, while also providing concentrated flavors, especially notes of white peach.”
A growing appreciation for Vouvray in the United States
In 2023, Vouvray launched a multi-year brand campaign aimed at American consumers and trade professionals, looking to educate them about the unique qualities of this appellation. Throughout the year, Vouvray winegrowers participated in various professional events such as the Aspen Food & Wine Festival and a discovery tasting showcase.
Feedback from these events demonstrated that Americans remain interested in light, dry whites and have continued to explore sparkling varieties, both on their own and in cocktails, aligning Vouvray wines with the current market trends. In 2023, the vineyard sold 1.6 million bottles in the United States , with an overall increase in value of 11%.
“Vouvray continues to grow in the United States, as demonstrated by the excellent reception for all of our events in 2023 and our dynamism in the marketplace,” says Alain Le Capitaine, President of the Vouvray AOC association. “ Our use of one single grape variety, the versatile Chenin Blanc which has the capacity to reveal the unique terroir of Vouvray, and the precise work of our small-plot winegrowers is particularly appreciated by American consumers, who show a genuine interest in discovering all Vouvray has to offer. The positive press surrounding our campaign last year confirmed Vouvray’s status as a rising Loire wine, and we look forward to building on this growth in 2024.”
Yours to Discover: Upcoming Vouvray Events
Following their successful showing at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic in 2023, Vouvray AOC will be returning this year with approximately 30 wines for tasting.
Wine trade professionals will also have an exclusive opportunity to attend an in-depth Masterclass on 8 wines from Vouvray appellation in Chicago May 20th, followed by an extensive tasting session of over 50 new-to-market Vouvray wines later that day.
