IVSO announces third wine campaign in the U.S.

South West Wine Region of France Commits to Revealing its Hidden Treasures

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On the heels of successfully penetrating the U.S. Market since 2009, the Interprofession des Vins du Sud Ouest (IVSO), the official trade association for the wines of South West France, announces its 2011 marketing program. This year’s campaign will continue to focus on the region’s authentic grape varieties and wide array of wine styles, extremely reasonable price range, limitless food pairing options, and the distinct health benefits gained from phenolic compounds associated with the wines of this region. Kicking off the program this month, for his third consecutive year as the IVSO Spokesperson, Fred Dexheimer, Master Sommelier, will continue educating members of the press, trade, and targeted consumers about this vast and relatively overlooked region through various activities:

• South West Wines Press Events in New York in the spring and in Los Angeles in the fall.
• South West Wines Sample Mailing to 50 journalists who will be able to taste and enjoy a selection of the region’s wines at their leisure. Not only will they savor familiar grape varieties like Négrette, Tannat and Malbec, recipients will also taste indigenous varieties such as Duras, Fer Servadou, Petit and Gros Manseng, Colombard, Mauzac and Len de l’El.
• Discovering South West of France Trip introducing privileged members of the press to the primary PDO/PGI denominations available on the US market, and exploring the region’s richness of terroirs, meeting passionate winemakers and experiencing the warm, convivial South West France lifestyle firsthand.
• NEW! Six South West Wines Discovery E-Newsletters each highlighting “Fred’s Picks” of 2-3 wines from the region
• NEW! South West Wines Blogger Tasting Event(s) hosted by Fred Dexheimer showcasing wines from the region.
• Miami Wine Fair September 2011 with 8-10 South West wine producers presenting their wines to U.S. trade.
• Nationwide educational components including Guild of Sommeliers, Culinary Institute of America, Society of Wine Educators, and seminars with top retailers, distributors and sommeliers.

Recent French Wine export figures released showed that the U.S. grew significantly in volume from 2009 to 2010. The total volume went up +6.39% to 10.5 million cases and proves that Americans are exploring French wines, despite an unstable economy. “Timing of these recent export figures is encouraging, as we promote enjoying these everyday wines precisely on the region’s various quality-to-value ratio offerings,” says Paul Fabre, Director of the Interprofession des Vins du Sud Ouest (IVSO). The region, located just south of Bordeaux, is often described as “the shape of a rugby ball”, stretching from the Pyrénées mountains to the Massif Central. Host to 5,000 winemakers, this area produces relatively unknown indigenous grapes from the areas of Madiran, Saint-Mont, Fronton, Gaillac, Irouléguy, Gascogne and Cahors. Its appellations boast diverse characters through the diversity of terroirs and wide array of grape varietals, producing a plethora of wine styles appealing to the American palette - from dry, still reds and whites, sparkling gems, and the favored viscous, richly flavored sweet wines.

ABOUT  IVSO

The official wine-trade organization of the region, the Interprofession des Vins du Sud Ouest (IVSO) is charged with the protection and promotion of its 18 PDO and 20 PGI wines, both in France and in key export markets. Its duties include maintaining strict quality controls for the benefit of the consumer as well as the organization of both economic studies and collective communication activities to benefit the region’s more than 5,000 winemakers.