#09 Brand positioning in the niche: What we can learn from the best sommelier in DE about brand building and maintenance

His career has taken him through numerous renowned Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe, from Alain Ducasse in Paris to England and Schloss Lerbach, where he worked as a maitré sommelier in the three-star kitchen for over five years. He certainly celebrated his greatest success at the Sommelier Trophy, where he was voted "Best Sommelier in Germany". He has also been named Sommelier of the Year four times (FAZ, Gault Millau, Chefsache, Kulinarische Auslese) and has been working as an expert at Smart Wines since 2013. In this episode, we talk about which strategy you can use to play in the top league of sommeliers, why strategic considerations start with the winemaker and how to find the right sales channels in times of corona with limited gastronomy. wine consumption in Germany has recently increased significantly. According to DWI data, Germany is the fourth largest consumer market for wine and sparkling wine in the world with 20.7 liters per capita. For this reason, brand development and maintenance continue to be among the most important tasks in the wine sector. Small premium winemakers with niche products in particular face the challenge of positioning their product portfolio on the market. Pricing is also an essential strategic lever in times of coronavirus, when the hospitality industry, one of the largest distribution channels, can only be used to a limited extent. This is exactly where Thomas comes in at Smart Wines, acting as a link between winegrowers and potential partners and helping selected premium winegrowers to find the right positioning for their product portfolio. In our new episode of HIKS "Summer in the City", he tells us how the wineries are dealing with this challenge, how the market as a whole has developed in recent years and why openness to new ideas is so important for winegrowers when designing their menus within the hospitality industry and for guests.