We were there. Hamburg wine merchant. Personal. Live. In the store.
We have completed our Hamburg leg of the roadshow and it was a complete success. We weren’t in a virtual meeting room or on the phone, but actually out in the stores, at the retailer’s shelves. From business to business, with real conversations, honest feedback and a lot of genuine curiosity about what we do and what we plan to do.
Our hook was clear and strong:
The Fair Wine Award and the EUROVINO trade fair. And that was the door opener. The Fair Wine Award was perceived as a competition that is different, one that sees the retailer not as a “customer” but as a relevant partner in the process. This rethink was perceived positively – and it aroused interest.
Many people were already familiar with EUROVINO. It became clear in every conversation: the industry is looking for precisely this credible, clear specialist format. Award + trade fair in the context of sustainability + future, are a strong signal – and precisely this combination was the right decision as a starting point.
Exemplary wines from the award:
What Hamburg has shown us: Retailers don’t want the usual sales pitch. They want meaning, relevance, orientation. And – this was very clear – they don’t want the next wine made from well-known grape varieties, of which there are already enough on the shelves. Things got exciting as soon as we talked about historical grape varieties and future grape varieties (such as PIWIs). A real switch went on: a new market discourse is emerging here that works with content and identity, not with standard goods.
Our first conclusion:
The roadshow is not yet complete. Berlin, Cologne, Munich and Frankfurt are further destinations for the organizers of the Fair Wine Awards. With the kick-off in Hamburg, however, it is already clear that this campaign will be a strategic tool in its own right. We will continue to expand this, add more cities and consider at least two roadshow routes per year.
What makes it special: Proximity, presence and genuine dialog are not an “add-on option”. Today, they are one of the strongest differentiators in the wine market. Hamburg is just the beginning – other cities (Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne and Munich) will follow. The Fair Wine Award and EUROVINO are the engine, the roadshow is the ignition – and we can already see how well this is working. Dealers listen. Dealers talk to us. Retailers open doors.
Finally, we would like to say how much we appreciate the wineries that have embraced this new format and entrusted us with their wines. We at Fair Wine did not conduct any sales talks and it was never about “selling” shelf space – but we took the opportunity to present exemplary wines from the Fair Wine Award to show retailers what our winemakers stand for.
Perhaps these initial contacts will lead to new, concrete relationships between retailers and producers. If that happens, then that would be the best effect of this whole tour for us. That’s exactly why we go out. That’s exactly what we do it for.
