Portuguese wine sales growing in the U.S.

There is an extra effort being made to introduce US palates to a little wine producing corner in the western portion of the Iberian Peninsula, called Portugal, and it seems to be resulting well.
“I think that Portuguese wines are being perceived as an alternative to more expensive wines,” said Luís Oliveira, of LGL Imports in Fall River, who will be leading a seminar on Portuguese wines at the Boston Wine Expo. “People are seeing it’s a quality wine for its value.”
Often crowded out of the American wine market in favor of more familiar French or Italian products, Portuguese exports are steadily starting to increase as more and more effort is brought to the fore to educate wine drinkers on the product.
Portuguese Wines are gaining recognition in the U.S. for their exceptional quality and value. Portuguese wines are consistently receiving rave consumer feedback and positive press reviews.
“Now, it’s not just consumed by Portuguese immigrants,” said Luís Oliveira, father of the other Oliveira and owner of Luís Liquors in Fall River. “With all the wine that is coming here now… No way, it’s all for the Portuguese.”
With 10.19 million litres imported between 2011 and 2012, an increase of 8.6 percent in volume from the year before, that may very well be the case. Still, unfamiliarity may have been a big reason that Portugal has been under-recognized in the world of wine in the United States.
“I think part of the reason that Americans aren’t that familiar with it may be the difficulty that people have with the wine regions and grape varietals,” said the younger Oliveira.
According to Miguel Nora, Senior Area Manager for Wines of Portugal in New York City, an offshoot of the non-profit commercial organization ViniPortugal, such initiatives are beneficial as they showcase the uniqueness of Portugal’s winemaking style.
“The main difference between our wines and those of other countries is that we use our own, national grapes,” he said. “We’ve worked with these varietals for almost 2,000 years now… The rest of the world uses the same type of grapes.”
Varietals such as Cabernet, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir are grown and processed all over the world and are, therefore, well recognized. That is also a result of countries, such as the U.S. and Australia, without historical ties to winemaking, venturing into the market, according to Nora.
“They have no history [of viticulture]. When you don’t know the specific grapes of your region, you tend to go with what you already know,” said Nora.
Those working on the ground in the United States, acknowledge that the language issue is one that scares away potential consumers.
“We have to demystify the fear that people have of mispronouncing Portuguese varietals,” said the younger Oliveira. “The more people are familiar with it, the more that helps.”
With varietals such as Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Baga, Alvarinho and Arinto, the names certainly do come across as a challenge for those unfamiliar with the Portuguese language.
In the eyes of the elder Oliveira, blending Portuguese varietals with others, such as Cabernet, has also helped to introduce Portuguese brands to Americans.
“They look at it and see that it’s 60 percent Touriga Nacional, and 40 percent Cabernet, then say, ‘it’s a Cabernet, I want to try that,” he said.
Efforts of producers, such as those associated with ViniPortugal, have certainly improved the fortunes of Portuguese wines in the United States as well, according to Nora.
In 2011, the U.S. was the fifth largest importer of Portuguese wines, based on information available on ViniPortugal’s Wines of Portugal website. In 2012, it was the fourth, behind France, Germany and top importer Angola, said Nora.
“Angola is a huge market,” he said. “This is partly due to the strong links that Angola has with Portugal,” links which have been maintained since Angolan independence from Portugal in 1975.
With the help of ViniPortugal, which was founded in 1997, the Portuguese wine market in the U.S. has expanded in terms of dollar. The data available from the group indicates that there was a 14.6 percent increase in exports to the U.S. from Portugal in 2012, when compared to 2011. That is a total of almost $33 million.
From the perspective of the U.S., there was a 35.5 percent jump in the sale of Portuguese wines for that same year, according to Wine Spectator.
Of course, if you ask Oliveira the father, the secret is completely in the quality.
“We have a good product at a good price,” he said. “Then again, of course, I’m going to say that. I’m Portuguese.”


Adapted from: http://ojornal.com/portuguese-brazilian-news/2014/02/cheers-portuguese-wine-sales-spike-in-the-u-s-brands-to-be-promoted-at-boston-wine-expo/#ixzz2xeNeyAF3