Wine marketing: chefs have their secret weapon
For wine dealers, restaurants are not only an important channel to promote their brands but a good place to show their control over the wine market. Meanwhile, the link between wine and catering business also makes the wine dealers innovate their marketing strategies. They promote their brands in some special-flavor restaurants with the recommendation of the chefs for their specialties. The restaurants also benefit from their wine promotion, which in turn triggers the competition between the restaurants and gets the wine dealers involved into the relationship between the restaurants and the customers.
Couly Dutheil and Domaine des Herbauges wineyards held the Wine Challenge in LEONARDO’S in Shanghai Hilton Hotel. The restaurant has a long history and an artstic atmospere and serves various brands of wine with 80 bottles of vintage brew in its wine cellar.
Some of the wine dealers are conviced that customers only have a vague idea of their wine choice, which is easily affected by the professionals, espcially the chefs in the restaurants, for their professional knowledge of food and wine. The chefs in LEONARDO’ understand that quite well. During the Wine Challenge they cook different food for different brands of wine.
“We serve the best Mediterranean food for people in Shanghai and even in China,”said the manager of Hilton Hotel. Only when the promoted products are known by the customers will they be sold well in a broader market. It is true to wine. A perfect match between food and wine can be found in Mediterranean Food as well as in Eight Chinese Food-cooking Styles. Right now the restaurant is selling its idea to some famous international companies. Its work to serve its specialties for Shanghai-Hongkong airline of Dragonair is under way. Meanwhile, some imported wine dealers are having a shot at this successful marketing effort and promoting their wine, but domestic wine dealers are not.
