by Laura Saeig for winesur.com
Marcos Flores Tlalpan is Master Sommelier and he will be one of the judges in the Argentina Wine Awards 2011. In this article, readers may find his opinion about the Argentinian market.
- What is the performance of Argentinian wines in the Mexican market?
Argentinian wine is a success in Mexico, considering that per capita consumption has doubled in the last five years. Besides, there is a trend to consume wines from the New World, where there is not so much legislative complication compared with the Old World.
- What are the most successful Argentinian wines?
The most accepted wines are the young red wines, with not so much aging, pleasant to the palate, but at the same time with good character and body. As regards white wines, there is a growing trend in their consumption. Consumers prefer fruity wines, even with some residual sugar, sweet, semi-sweet or semi-dry wines. Concerning prices, the most consumed wines are those in the price segment between 200 and 500 Mexican pesos.
- What has been the influence of the increase in the value of Argentinian wines during last year?
There has been a general rise in general wine prices. Nevertheless, I am certain that the competition factor will balance prices. Anyway, Argentina is at a disadvantage compared to Mexico, where they pay 20% on CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight). Chile pays 0% as well as United States, which is a member of NAFTA.
In spite of this, and considering that the economic factor is always decisive and is an advantage for Argentinian producers, I think they have been managing this situation for a long time and they have done it very well. In a country with a low average consumption, people tend to associate quality with price.
- How is the competition among wines from Argentina, Chile and United States in Mexico?
The Argentinian wines that started to arrive in Mexico had a high price compared with...Read full article
