Consultancy Services
The core business of CWI is to define wines for the UK and other expanding wine markets.
All services are tailor-made to individual client’s needs.
1. Managing winemaking projects that may include the services of one or more on-site contract winemakers, usually during the vintage period. Producers usually wish to change working practices and wine styles to meet the needs of export markets. This can involve redefining existing ranges or building new brands. CWI remains involved with all project winemaking on this scale throughout the year, working as a team with the client’s technical management.
Example: For 9 years CWI recruited and supervised an expert vintage winemaking team for a major Loire Valley producer/negociant with strong export sales in the UK and Europe. Fifteen years on, CWI continues to work with the management in support of the company’s sales and marketing function to optimise their best export blends. This year continues to see increasing sales of these products.
2. Defining and blending product ranges to measured quality scales.
Example: A major, well-established South American winery was requested by its UK importer to produce a new branded wine for a different market sector to widen its appeal beyond its devoted core clientele. This wine was subsequently successfully launched in the UK, in many other countries and even on its home market.
3. Pre-assessment of a production centre’s suitability for quality audit, with recommendations to improve or correct problem areas.
Fact: CWI does this for any producers who are taken on as clients if they do not already have HACCP/ISO procedures in place and, sometimes, even if they do to ensure that their procedures will meet BRC standards.
5. Sourcing or pre-selection of product ranges for UK retail distribution.
Example: CWI pre-selected the wine range and advised/trained the buyer, quality assurance department and logistics department, of a major UK supermarket group for several years. During this time wine sales increased from under 0.5% to nearly 4% of the UK market, and average price per bottle increased by
nearly £2.00.
6. Sourcing and selection for UK on-trade/horeca distribution.
7. Research and preparation of a Market Report relating to a client’s production. The accompanying tasting through a client’s range may be a one-off exercise or may be a first step to further joint action.
Example of an assessment leading to longer term action: A one-off report was commissioned by a central European country’s wine marketing board on why they were not succeeding on the UK market and what they would have to do once in the EU in order to compete. A visit and one-off report was completed. Many of the recommended changes to the larger wineries visited involved their working methods. Seasonal winemakers and a series of visits throughout the following two years were commissioned by some of the wineries visited. The wines are now beginning to see increased success on export markets.
8. Brand building and contributing to the implementation of an existing Marketing Plan, by advising and assisting on the appointment of label designers, consumer researchers, importers or distributors, and the many details of the Launch Process. This usually applies where CWI is involved either in the production or selection of the wines.
N.B. We do not automatically advise all our clients to use Amphora. This recommendation comes only where we genuinely believe that it will be helpful. We will work with any appointed label designer to help our clients define the briefs to the designer and write any necessary text including back labels.
10. Marketing-related services, such as translations into English from French and Spanish.
11. Participation in assessments of winery properties being prepared for offer or investment.
12. Assisting with the implementation of government initiatives which impact on the international wine industry, originating from agencies and non-governmental organisations.
13. Working with UK and European trade bodies on wine industry initiatives.
Example: Angela Muir was invited to attend the premier quality wine tasting event in Croatia to assess and comment on the current styles of their unique red grape type: Plavac Mali, to a group of major producers.
14. Providing professional wine advice to the legal profession.
