Interesting Ideas from Champagne
Champagne is a huge product dominated by a number of large companies but there are also many smaller, less well known producers who have to compete in order to grow and flourish – sounds familiar?
To many people “Champagne” is a generic product but this is far from true and the smaller producers in particular have to fight to establish an identity in order to gain sales in wine merchants, hotels and restaurants.
I recently visited a small champagne house (Waris-Larmandier in Avize) which has a number of approaches to this problem of establishing itself as “different” and “noticeable”. This is not meant to be a promotion piece for that vinyard, the objective is to consider some of the approaches they are adopting to differentiate their product from their competitors and suggest that there may well be ideas here which specialist confectionery producers might find interesting and can adapt and adopt.
Now I know people will say “Champagne is different to confectionery”, but is it really? It is a product which is in the “indulgent” sector, it is frequently used for gifting, has quite strict controls on composition and manufacture and there are some large and a lot of small producers – doesn’t that just about sum up confectionery?. Even in pricing terms they are not all that dissimilar – there are a number of specialist chocolate producers who are selling products with a not dissimilar price tag and even a visit to your local confectionery specialist can be relatively expensive if you are seeking a distinguished gift.
Waris-Larmandier have approached the problem of distinguishing themselves from other smaller producers from a number of angles in addition to the obvious one of producing a high quality, consistent product.
Their whole process of growing grapes and producing the Champagne is carried out using organic and biodynamic methods including working the vinyards partly with horses rather than solely with machines (this is kinder to the soil structure). They are also working to reduce or eliminate the use of sulphites – a common stabiliser in wines. Whilst these ideas are not particularly uncommon in the broader wine business it is not a common USP in this particular sector
They own vinyard plots in a number of different places within the Champagne region, so they are working towards producing unique Champagnes from small individual “terroirs” and distinguishing them within their overall brand. They are then going further and considering alternative approaches to the initial fermentation, including employing wild yeasts and using amphorae rather than conventional steel or oak vessels. Not all of this will, I am sure, be successful, but it seems very likely that they will have something to say to the customer which no-one else will.
In addition to this work on the product itself they are fortunate to have a highly talented artist within the family so in addition to unique labels they also produce highly decorated bottles which enhance the gifting value of the products and leave the recipient with something lasting to remember the gift by. Even their small company vehicles carry some of this artwork to reinforce the identity. This artistic approach is built upon in their small shop and tasting area by the display of not only work by this artist but also by a small number of vary distinguished ceramicists.
Not all these ideas translate literally to the confectionery business, of course, but the thinking and moving beyond the relatively simple boundaries most small businesses set themselves is very interesting. It takes a product in which innovation is difficult and seeks ways to differentiate it from others in the market place.
It is also building on the benefits of a (relatively) small business, a large producer would not be able to change the business model built up over many years without creating a lot of cost and complication into the business, a small company can do this relatively easily as long as it has the ideas, skills and motivation
Jul 11