You are new to your role - why did you want to join Inter Beaujolais?
The Beaujolais vineyards are fascinating. They offer a wide diversity of wines and profiles, from cool, easy-drinking Beaujolais to the more complex crus. With 300 different types of soil, there are so many unique terroirs where our winemakers can express themselves. With such a great playground, I was very excited to join Inter Beaujolais.
I also seized the opportunity to taste a lot of Beaujolais during my onboarding at Inter Beaujolais. I was quite impressed by the high quality of the wines. This definitely contributed to my decision.
On a more personal note, the landscapes of Beaujolais are truly beautiful, and I was looking forward to living in such a breathtaking setting. I also love the local gastronomy, especially when paired with a glass of Fleurie or Beaujolais-Villages.
You have experience of working in similar role in Jura and Burgundy - what lessons and experiences can you bring from there into this role?
Olivier Badoureaux, the new director of Inter Beaujolais, has held similar roles in Burgundy and the Jura
Jura is 80% white (if you include Crémant du Jura) and Beaujolais is 94% red. So I’ve had strong experience promoting one colour of wine. But having just one colour doesn’t mean it’s boring, as Beaujolais offers such a wide diversity of wines.
In Bourgogne, I learned the importance of a well-balanced communication plan. You need to build strong relationships with both consumers and the trade.
In both regions, I developed a broad network of professionals, journalists, and key opinion leaders,which is quite important, as our industry isn’t just about wine, but also about the relationships we build.
What do you see as the biggest opportunities that you want to make the most of for Inter Beaujolais?
The Beaujolais produced is mostly red, thanks to our great Gamay, but Beaujolais also has some fantastic terroirs for Chardonnay. I strongly believe that our Beaujolais whites are a key opportunity for us. Beaujolais has been making white wines for many, many years, but the focus was mainly on Beaujolais Nouveau. Today, we promote our Beaujolais whites and Beaujolais-Villages whites whenever we can, because the quality is really there.
Another opportunity we see is the development of export markets. You can already find Beaujolais wines in more than 150 countries, but there are still many places where we can raise consumer awareness of our wines.
What do you see as the biggest challenges and how are you looking to overcome them for the region?
The current period is quite difficult. We have to deal with uncertainty in many export markets, and we’re also facing economic challenges in our domestic market.
We are very mindful of our budget, and in these complex economic times, we must make the best possible decisions about where we spend our money. One of the key challenges is deciding where to focus our time and resources to get the best return on our communications.
What do you see as the biggest difference and impact that you and Inter Beaujolais can have - both for your producers and members and what you can provide for wine buyers around the world?
It might one of France's most well known wine regions but there are still huge opportunties for Beaujolais and its increasingly fresh, crisp and on trend red and white wines
To make an impact we must promote a few key messages to the buyers and distributors.
The demand for strong full body red wines is not as high as it used to be. Consumers are looking at lighter wines that can be enjoyed in spring and summer. This is the DNA of Beaujolais wines.
Our wines are crisp, fruity and elegant. Our number one job is to promote this. We are working with our producers and the trade to raise the overall awareness of our wine styles.
Beaujolais Nouveau is also very much alive. Even though it is no longer as big as it was back in the 90s, we still believe in our primeur. Beaujolais Nouveau accounts for 20% of our production and we love this wine. We are telling the world that the quality of Nouveau is excellent and that there is a wide diversity of Beaujolais Nouveau available.
Beaujolais Nouveau is a great party wine for the third week of November, and the Beaujolais appellation is the great party wine for the 51 other weeks of the year.
During the last 10 years, the Beaujolais vineyard worked hard on raising the quality of the wines and in the communication of this major fact. Now, we know for a fact that Beaujolais has a renew interest in the heart of our customers.
We have now to work on developing the sales. This is where we will, at Inter Beaujolais, help our winemakers to develop their sales. As you know, being a “vigneron” is more and more complex and increasingly difficult. It’s no longer just being able to grow grapes and make wines. You now have to produce great wines and be an excellent salesperson.
Our programs are aimed at helping our winemakers to develop tools and skills to make more sales of their Beaujolais wines. This is where we want to have an impact.
Can you give us an overview of the Beaujolais production from the last harvest and how sales have been over the last 12 months?
2024 was a particularly difficult year for French winegrowers. In the Beaujolais region, unstable weather conditions disrupted the vegetation cycle and therefore had an impact on yields. The long keeping cuvées of the 2024 vintage are gradually starting to leave the cellars while other wines continue to mature under the watchful eyes of the cellar masters.
Just as vines are beginning a new cycle, winemakers, while already working hard on the next vintage, are glad to discover the fine, fresh and elegant style of the 2024 wines, very much in line with the expectations of today’s consumers.
We all know that the current period is difficult in terms of economics. We have been able to relatively maintain our sales, but it takes twice as much efforts. The year (August 24 to July 25) is not finished, and we still have to get the latest figures.
Where have you seen the most growth and opportunities?
Olivier Badoureaux sees real opportunities to shine a new light on the white wines being made in Beaujolais
Beaujolais whites are a big opportunity. It’s not just about selling more whites, but our new customers are interested in our range of Beaujolais whites. They like the wines, and they will be keen in tasting the reds. Beaujolais whites are a key lever to promoting the full range of Beaujolais.
Another area of growth is the export markets. We are very strong in a few markets (US, Canada, UK, Japan) and we are convinced that they are many other countries where we can expand and develop our sales.
Which wine styles from Beaujolais do you think have the most potential for growth?
Crisp is the main keyword. That’s what Gamay is and that’s what Beaujolais is. The demand is very much here, and we have the answer to it.
What is the harvest and production looking like for 2025?
So far so good, even tough we had to fight against the mildew. The north of Beaujolais (Saint Amour and Juliénas) had to deal with a few hailstorms that damaged a few plots here and there.
Harvest will most likely start end of August to the beginning of September.
What impact do you think that will have on sales and pricing?
It is too early to make a prediction for the 2025 harvest in Beaujolais
Too early to say. We’ll see the volumes of the harvest.
What major marketing activities do you have planned for the next year?
We have some great activities in the export markets. For instance, a strong Beaujolais focus on Davy’s in the UK, a series of masterclasses and Beneath Beaujolais diners in the US. We are also finalising the last details of our Beaujolais Nouveau launch in Japan.
In France, the most important activity will take place in the city of Lyon. We are preparing a trade tasting in February and a big festival in May. This festival will be a two-day event with a focus on gamay. Food trucks, DJ sets and chill around the Gamays of Beaujolais and other production areas. All very exciting!
Anything else to say?
Relax and drink Beaujolais.
* You can find out more about Beaujolais here.
