In Vino Veritas, a wine magazine edited in Belgium, France and the Netherlands, reported this week that Georges Frêche, the president of the Languedoc-Roussillon region and one of the main drivers behind the Maisons de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon in Brussels, Milan, Shanghai, London and New York City, has promised to double the Sud de France marketing budget to €25 million next year. Although it could be just an election year promise (he’s up for reelection in five months), it appears to be further proof that the Languedoc-Roussillon is serious about promoting its economic and commercial interests worldwide. It’s the only French region to have established official bases in so many of the world’s financial and business centers, opening its first Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon in 2004 when Frêche was elected president of the region.
The Sud de France brand was created in 2006 to unite Languedoc-Roussillon’s food and wine producers under one banner, giving them a common identity and helping drive their sales, both in France and overseas.
Languedoc-Roussillon, which produces over 30 percent of total French wine output, has always played second fiddle to the better known Bordeaux and Burgundy wine regions on the international scene. Some 25,000 wine producers, 270 wine cooperatives and 3,000 businesses across France’s Mediterranean coast from the Spanish border to the Rhône valley are transforming the region’s table wine image by improving the way that they grow grapes, make and even market their wines.
The Maisons de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon represent a significant step in the region’s plans to raise its profile worldwide, and an increased Sud de France marketing budget would be an important part of this expansion strategy.
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Nice one!
Rah rah, Languedoc! I don’t know if we can just throw money into expensive offices, but joined with the talent of the Maison teams, I’m sure the Sud de France can be a brand to be reckoned with very soon!