Sergio Cerro: “We have created two more dates to promote sales and consumption in the wine industry”

Raised glass, corkscrew and toast. The 6th edition of “La Noche de las Vinotecas” will be held this Friday. In our November issue, we celebrate Argentine wine and invite you to rediscover all its nuances through tastings, gastronomic suggestions and promotions in around 700 wine bars across Argentina and Uruguay.

“Wine Bar Night” Argentina Wine Bar and Associated Chambers (CAVA) began three years ago as a result of events hosted by Zoom and other platforms during the pandemic. PERFIL spoke with the organization’s president, Sergio Cerro, about the current state of Argentina’s wine industry. Competition with other beverages and new sales channelsTo.

– How did the initiative to organize La Noche de las Vinotecas come about?

– We began to constantly think about some event that could unite us and gain greater visibility. During the pandemic, we started hosting some events and nights on Zoom and other platforms.So they held a federal event to try to get individual wine retailers to join the movement. To a lesser extent, we have achieved that with post-pandemic normalcy and a bit of established wine store activity related to wine events such as fairs, tastings and talks. So we wondered why it wasn’t being generated. wine bar nightthe same way La Noche de las Pizzeria and La Noche de los Museos are held in Buenos Aires. Three years ago, we formed a new team and started working on our first team. This is the 6th edition we have done. Thankfully, wine is growing every year and different companies like The Wine Foundation and Covia join us every year.

– What do you expect from this edition?

We got two things and we’re very happy. The first is thermometers from wine retailers across the country. We host events representing 23 states. The second is Several Uruguayan wine bars are also participating.I’m very happy. Furthermore, we hope that with the participation of approximately 700 wine shops, we will be able to produce good wine. feedback between winemakers and final consumers, wineries and suppliers. When we set out to create this, we said we had two big opportunities this year. Father’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Generate two dates: National Wine Day in November and Malbec Edition in April. Generate two more dates to facilitate sales and consumption in the wine industry.. This is why we are very optimistic. There are many cities and regions where this event is seen as something for tourists.

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– Do you have any advice or advice for people who are wondering whether to participate?

– Most wine bars are run by their owners, so it’s worth a visit. Little by little you will come to understand that Clients come in, friends leave.. This is almost always achieved. They start coming to wine bars, attending talks and tastings, and eventually make friends and start enjoying barbecues together at home. The saying “wine unites” is true. When you start drinking wine, you discover the whole process of culture, which creates bonds between people and ultimately forms a very nice group. On top of that, We offer great and very interesting wines from all over the country.. No wine is richer than another. There are various wines available all over the country.

– Do you think wine is regaining the space it may have lost to craft beer and gin due to the pandemic?

– We applaud the presence of both craft beer and gin, as the wine bar also sells these types of products. So it wasn’t a problem, it was an opportunity. Also We found that there are various sales platforms and that in many cases the liters of wine are reduced.. However, we have seen initiatives such as fine and premium wines such as Reserva and Gran Reserva and events in our wine stores continue to grow our company. For several years now, wine cellars with more powerful equipment have appeared on the market. We are all doing well, not too badly. There is no decline in sales except for premium wine. However, I think that consumption will change as the years go by. Probably for quality rather than quantity.

–What are these “different sales platforms”? Does it include Chinese supermarkets?

– yes. There are also websites, e-commerce, supermarkets and wholesalers. For Chinese supermarkets and wholesalers, we say buy bargain and sell bargain. The products may be the same or different.. This is because the added value found in wine in traditional wine stores is not found in these sales channels.

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– Add to the fact that wine shops do tastings, but Chinese wholesalers and supermarkets don’t.

– Completely. The wine cellar is located in a temperature-controlled environment where product control and wine traceability measurements are carried out.. Most of us buy directly from the winery in logical quantities, we know who made it, we know where the product has been, it comes directly to us and we store it in our wine cellar. Some people store them in air-conditioned cellars or warehouses. All this means that the product is in optimal condition. In other channels, such as buy offers and sell offers, it doesn’t matter who you buy from or the quality of the product you have at the time of sale. If you go to one of these stores and return a wine that doesn’t taste good, they probably won’t give you a replacement.However, in the wine cellar, defective wines are replaced.

-A few days ago, the government announced that it would abolish 973 regulations and deregulate the wine industry. What do you think?

– I belong to the commercial sector and represent wine shops in this country. I think it will be useful for everyonelogically. We all know that regulations and taxes paid are often poor compared to competition from other markets. As for end consumers, I feel that work styles are gradually becoming normalized. Previously, due to inflation, an additional 10% to 20% was added “just in case.” Both from wineries, distributors and wine shops. I think so It would be better for everyone if we could live in normal conditions and taxes start coming down. The end consumer will then be able to purchase a better quality product or a larger quantity of the product.

Please note that you may not drink alcohol when driving and sales to minors under 18 are prohibited.

Martín Tiscornia is a student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in communications at USBA.