Consortia Tutela Vini Soave e Recioto di Soave – the governing, marketing and regulatory body of wines, and wine producers for the Soave region.

We usually work with lesser known terroirs, so at first glance, Soave, a well-established household name, and one of Italy’s most exported white wines, was perhaps an unusual client for Swirl & Market.  However, in spite of its fame, under the surface Soave had challenges to resolve; like all large wine regions, Soave is comprised of hundreds of producers, this resulted in a huge diversity in its positioning, furthermore there was relatively no awareness of the fine wines of Soave, especially single vineyard historic sites. The glorious nuance, and individuality of the region had not been celebrated and it presented as just another monolith of wine, and Premium Soave struggled to be heard.

A perfect case study for Swirl & Market as we love to make great terroirs shine…

OUR MISSION:

  • Create a campaign to challenge misconceptions and improve market perceptions and positioning of the Soave regions
  • Communicate the work done by the Consorzio on terroir mapping and biodiversity
  • Show consumers, trade and journalists the reality of top quality Soave
  • Increase penetration of Soave in the prestige on and off trades
  • Change mistaken and out of date perceptions of Soave
  • Help producers of top quality Soave to establish or expand distribution
  • Establish Soave as the Fine White Wine of Italy
  • Engage existing importers and retailers of Soave wine
  • Inform buyers and press of the dynamic work of the Consorzio
  • Build the confidence and market knowledge of the talented Consorzio team

WHAT WE DID:

#SoaveRevealed – March 2017
A trade and press tasting with additional masterclasses on Soave Crus and terroir by Sarah Abbott MW and Giovanni Ponchia. Full event management and logistics. Selection of venue with great glassware. Advance publicity and coverage.

#SummerofSoave  – July 2017
A consumer sampling and social media campaign, highlighting Soave’s nuance and quality, and the characters behind the wines. We held events London, Leeds, Manchester and Edinburgh through June-July 2017. Great venues. Hosted by Master of Wine. Instagram competition. Liaised with stockists of wines. Supported with content.

Press Office to promote events, proactively increase press coverage, respond to journalist enquiries, and monitor press and social media coverage

Trade liaison following up with trade buyers after tastings and facilitating introductions to producers. 

WHAT WE ACHIEVED:

  • Press reach for participating wineries was over 3 million, with an estimated value of £185,000
  • Social media reach and engagement on @SoaveWine channels grew by more than 200%
  • Leads from multiple new importers for Soave wine
  • Leads from major ontrade buyers Soave listings and ongoing promotion
  • Soave described as one of Italy’s finest white wine and “alternative to white Burgundy” by key influencers