With such an intensive trip to a region that was largely unknown - or at least mostly unexplored - there was a lot for the buyers and sommeliers who came on the recent tour of the Luberon with The Buyer and Les Vins Luberon to contemplate on their return. Here we take an in-depth look at what impact the region had on two of those who went on the trip - Juliet Doughty, who at the time was head sommelier of Elystan Street, the one star Michelin restaurant in Chelsea who has now moved to Liberty Wines; and Katy Barker, retail and marketing manager at Oxford Wine Company.
Juliet Doughty
What was your perception of the Luberon before going on the trip?
To be completely honest my initial perception of in terms of the wines of Luberon only was: cheap and entry level. I didn’t really have much more of an opinion on the area. I knew there was rock climbing there, as I have climbed in this area before. But only remember drinking (good, but not great,) supermarket wines, when I was in this area before, many years ago.
Juliet Doughty was really surprised by the quality and diversity of wines in the Lubeorn
This is mainly because in Canada, where I have been living for a few years until recently, there is a well known branded wine that has ‘Luberon’ in massive letters across the front label which is one of the cheapest you can buy in Canada – hence giving the region a reputation for being cheap. Having said that the wine is not awful, and therefore I have never had a negative perception of the area.
Other things that used to come into my mind when hearing the region ‘Luberon’ are:
- Cheaper Côtes du Rhône.
- Entry level Côtes du Rhône.
- Vins de Pays.
- Party wine.
- Majestic/ supermarket wine at around £5.99.
How did that change having tasted some of its wine and met a wide number of producers?
My preconception has drastically changed, I think we have tasted some stunning wine from this region. Wines which I would very happily put on the wine list of a one Michelin star restaurant. I think also the price of these wines are actually far from cheap, they are not hugely expensive, but they are not ‘cheap’ per se.
I was also really surprised with the winemakers and characters of this region. The fact you have people like Sylvain Morey from Burgundy moving to the area to make wine. You have film director Ridley Scott choosing Luberon to set up his Mas des Infermières estate, when he could afford to start a winery anywhere he wants. You have winemakers from Châteauneuf-du-Pape moving into Luberon - I think this is all incredibly exciting for the region.
The differences between the north and south of Luberon and the wines that can be made there was a big surprise to Juliet Doughty and the other buyers on the trip
The fact the region sits within a national park, makes it an area incredibly exciting for those wanting to venture into bio-diversity farming and natural farming as well as organic farming. This was something I had no idea about, but the greenness of the region is outstanding. The wildness and the naturalness of Luberon, clearly makes it very attractive to farmers and vignerons, as natural farming and winemaking can be easily achieved there.
The area seems to have its own identity and personality. It also has altitude and different aspects of the mountain (the massif) Northern exposure, southern exposure etc. which gives it a huge diversity and complexity of soil structures and compositions. All these aspects give the region identity. These are things I didn’t realise and have completely changed my opinion of the area. There is terroir here and this makes the wines, in mymind more serious and explains the structure and complexity of some of them.
I was also really impressed with how modern the area was, the use of concrete and gravity in the wineries, even the labels on some of the wines, very contemporary, and attractive to the eye. Many you could happily see on shop shelves in boutique wine shops in London.
Which styles of wine do you think have the most potential in the UK - and why?
I think all the wines and styles have potential in the UK. I think the rosés are a really exciting area and should come into the UK as an alternative and challenge to the current dominant position of Provence.
The whites, though, were the most interesting discovery of the trip. Some were textured and layered, with notes of ripe stone fruits and hints of juicy, sweet Mediterranean lemons with minerality and structure. I personally loved when the whites had a bit of oak and added a nutty fudgy layer to the already quite ripe voluptuous styles.
Stand out whites for me included:
- Chateau La Sable Blanc.
- Chateau de Clapier, Cuvee Soprano, Thomas Montagne.
- Sylvain Morey Panorama Blanc.
- Cuvée Amphore Constantin.
- Mont Thabor Altum 500 Blanc.
What price points would you think Luberon wines could work best at restaurant/ pub/ wine merchant wine lists?
Juliet Doughty and Ian Wharton enjoying the tasting and lunch with Marrenon Wines
I think if Luberon can hit wine shop shelves at £10-15 in supermarkets, £15-20 in independent wine shops, where they can be hand sold, they definitely have a chance. I think in pubs they need to be competing with the likes of Côtes du Rhône and Piqpoul de Pinet. But people have to get behind them and sell them. Because Luberon is not a name people know yet. It’s not like Côtes du Rhône, or even Ventoux which is a much more recognised name.
In a restaurants as long as there are staff to sell the wine think Luberon wines could do well at £12-16 per glass. I think that is the way for them to get noticed in a pub orrestaurant. The by the glass price in a pub needs to be more like £8-10 per glass.
Any advice you wouldgive producersin terms of how they approachthe UK market?
There is an opportunity for the producers to get together and promote their wines in the UK and have a joint Luberon tasting. They need to get their suppliers to create a Luberon section in their portfolios. That is how they could be very successful. But they need to work together - co-operatives and independents.
Then if you have the likes of Ridley Scott promoting the area and its wines through the wealth of connections he has.
Anything else to say?
I just want to say how incredible I thought the region was. I don’t think I have ever come away from a wine trip that impressed with the wines. I feel like every wine out shone my expectations.
I think also the people of the area were warm and kind and eager to please. Also incredibly passionate about their wines and their area. They expressed this beautifully. I think that says a huge amount. The respect they have for their region shines through in their wines and the quality of wines they are making.
There is obviously quite a bit of money in the area, they should use that to promote the region’s wine.
Katy Barker, Oxford Wine Company
Katy Barker, centre, manages the retail side of Oxford Wine Company and sees lots of potential of Luberon for its customers
What was your perception of the Luberon before going on the trip?
I had never really considered Luberon as a quality winemaking region. It was just another one of the AOCs in the Southern Rhône that produced generic wine from the typical varietals found in Côtes du Rhône a. With the increase in rosé in Provence, I also expected to find a handful of rosés, trying to follow and fit in with the current trends in France and the UK. Overall, I wasn’t expecting the quality we experienced and the advanced wineries we visited.
How did that change having tasted some of its wine and met a wide number of producers?
For obscure wine regions and winemakers I have met so far, the passion and confidence in their wines has always been there, whether their wine has been good or not! In the Luberon I found that the passion is most certainly there, but the opportunity and quality is following very closely behind.
The diversity in the region is remarkable. The ability for them to produce a huge range of wines and have complete portfolios, with each producer having different influences from their terroir but also their personal experiences.I found the wines to be much more individual with a strong relationship to the area that they have been produced in, with a tangible link between the wines and the final product itself.
What I found most fascinating is the range of winemakers coming from different regions across France, notably from Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Burgundy, which certainly highlighted the excitement going on in the region. This merges a range of winemaking techniques with the complexity of terroir and range of varieties.
As previously mentioned by others I found the sweet spot at the mid range level (looking at £12 - £20 a bottle) where there is affordable approachable wines that show individuality.
Which styles of wine do you think have the most potential in the UK - and why?
I think the two styles that have potential in the market thus far for Luberon to find a gap is through white wine (specifically Vermentino) and potentially the lighter styles of red, which is produced through Grenache.
In independent merchants, which I think is bleeding through into supermarkets, there is a shift of customers wanting to discover alternative grape varieties that do not stray too far from the typical fresh, dry white wine.
The Luberon offers plenty for UK wine merchants to get excited about said Katy Barker
There is also a movement of customers moving away from heavy, bold reds, packed with lots of alcohol. We have seen an increasing interest in lighter, chillable reds with juicy, fruit forward characteristics.
What price points would you think Luberon wines could work best at restaurant/ pub/ wine merchant wine lists?
I think they should sit above the entry level price point, but not be considered premium wines. For us, I would expect the retail price to be between £11 to £25. Being too cheap, I think the wines run the risk of not being taken seriously and seen as ‘table wine’, if too expensive, people will not want to take the risk of buying wine from an unfamiliar region or variety.
Any advice you would give producers in terms of how they approach the UK market?
I think the two key aspects to consider would be labelling and price point. I think the labelling and the communication through the label will be crucial to whether a customer will pick up the wine or not. For example, the word ‘Rhône’ could be present on the label to give some familiarity for the customer.
Being in a protected national park and having so much biodiversity in the region and the vineyards alone, I think there is definitely a chance to promote the uniqueness of their wines and the wine tourism. As many have mentioned, Ridley Scott chose to move there due to its beauty and then subsequently fell in love with the wines. Personally, when I’ve found myself selling wines, customers need something more than good wine to attach themselves to, the wines need a sense of place or story for customers to relate too. Many wineries we visited were based in old, historical Chateaus, or heavily promoted their biodiversity in the vineyards. I think this could be pushed further!
The group of buyers who took part in the trip included left to right, Danny Spencer from East Street Wines, Enotria's John Graves, Richard Siddle from The Buyer, Heath Ball of the Red Lion & Sun, Juliet Doughty, Ian Wharton of Scott's in Richmond and Katy Barker
I did come away feeling incredibly educated about the region and its wines, however, I am still unsure of the AOC rules. I think going forward it would be more helpful, more specifically for wine professionals and distributors promoting the wines to have a full understanding of the region and its rules. Saying this, the attitude of winemakers producing wines with personality and variety is a huge advantage.
Anything else to say?
Overall the trip was really successful. All of the wines were really fascinating, and I look forward to seeing an increase in Luberon wines in the UK. All of the people we met were personable and super passionate about the wines they are producing and also the potential and future of the region. I feel this passion and excitement shifted to everyone who came on the trip which will hopefully be seen in the UK market soon.
* You can read part one and the extensive report on the buyers' trip to Luberon here.
* You can find out about the region on the Les Vins Luberon website here.
