#09 Brand positioning in a niche: What Germany's best sommelier can teach us about building and maintaining a brand

His career took him through numerous renowned Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe, from Alain Ducasse in Paris to England and on to Schloss Lerbach, where he spent more than five years as Maître Sommelier of a three-star kitchen. His greatest success came at the Sommelier Trophy, where he was named "Germany's Best Sommelier." He was also named Sommelier of the Year four times (FAZ, Gault Millau, Chefsache, Kulinarische Auslese), and since 2013 he has worked as an expert at Smart Wines.In this episode, we talk about the strategy it takes to compete in the top league of sommeliers, why strategic thinking starts with the winemaker, and how to find the right sales channels when the restaurant business is restricted during the pandemic.Wine consumption in Germany has risen significantly in recent years. According to DWI figures, Germany ranks fourth worldwide among consumer markets for wine and sparkling wine, at 20.7 liters per capita. That is why building and maintaining a brand remains one of the most important tasks in the wine business. Small premium winemakers with niche products in particular face the challenge of positioning their product portfolio in the market. In times when the restaurant trade, one of the largest sales channels, is only available to a limited extent, pricing becomes an essential strategic lever as well. That is exactly where Thomas comes in at Smart Wines: he acts as the link between winemakers and potential partners and helps selected premium winemakers find the right positioning for their product portfolio.How wineries are handling this challenge, how the market as a whole has developed in recent years, and why openness to new things matters so much for winemakers, for wine list design in restaurants, and for guests: he tells us all about it in our new HIKS episode, "Sommer in the City."