WINE & SPIRITS: PEUCH & BESSE


Peuch & Besse vows to add ‘excitement, value and quality’ to the DF&TR wine sector


French family wine merchant Peuch & Besse boasts an enviable portfolio of red wine, white wine and rosé and continues to look at developing its presence in travel retail and duty free, despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Andrew Pentol reports.


F


or over a decade, French family wine merchant Peuch & Besse (P&B) has focused


its business on travel retail and embassies worldwide. Established in 1904, P&B has


been a winegrower in Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux since 1978 and for three generations has distributed wine in France and Belgium. Present in airport, diplomatic duty


free and border shops in around 40 countries, P&B is still pursuing new opportunities in DF&TR. This is despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.


Five key tasting notes Rajiv Bhatia, Advisor Business Development at P&B, has around 25 years of experience in the drinks industry and previously worked at William Grant & Sons. He tells TRBusiness: “Life must continue. Business must not stop. It is about looking at our existing business and the areas we are present. “Even in areas where


we are present like the Middle East, there are new opportunities. We are not in all the airports. It’s about taking references from one airport to expand into others. However, expansion must be done logically and not in a haphazard way so we can manage our growth.” Assessing the potential of


the DF&TR wine segment, Bhatia says there are considerable opportunities now and in the future. “There has been a lot of focus on


spirits and if you look at some of the wine ranges when travelling, they look fairly standard. It is the same sort of wine. The objective should be to add excitement and


OCTOBER 2020


give people value and quality. It’s about maximising the opportunity to bring people into the store and then maximising the buying opportunity.” P&B, whose portfolio comprises


red wine (70%), white wine (20%) and rosé (10%), cites red wine as its bestseller in DF&TR. Sylvain Combe, CEO, P&B says: “Saint Emilion wine is the best-seller worldwide. You can visit all airports around the world, and it is the same result every time.” The need for innovation and


to ensure products stand out on shelves will be even more apparent in the post-Covid-19 era. Bhatia explains: “Wines


from P&B have a collar around the neck of the bottles, highlighting the company’s One Winemaker selection. “The collar attracts


attention on shelves, because when you look at wine bottles, they normally look the same. It can also be used as a drop- stop for pouring.” Customers can learn more about P&B wines by studying


the label on the reverse of the bottles. Bhatia says: “Each label comprises five key tasting notes.


These include the ageing potential of the wine and the temperature to serve it at.” In addition, a QR code on the


label transports customers to the vineyards, enabling them to view the winery and the estate and enter the world of


the winegrower. The Covid-19 situation is difficult


and challenging for DF&TR stakeholders, but presents new scenarios allowing stakeholders to adapt and survive. “The situation is difficult overall,


but exciting as well because we are trying to find solutions,” says Combe. “TRMarketplace is one solution. Previously, nobody would imagine we could do something like this. The platform is an opportunity to meet people differently. Although we need to meet people in person, this will not happen until later as few people are travelling.” He continues: “We have to adapt,


stick together and find solutions. It’s very exciting to hold these types of discussions as everyone is more open [to such opportunities] than before.” Consolidating the company’s


existing DF&TR business is the main priority moving forward, as the industry recovers from Covid-19. “We also want to work more


with embassies who appreciate our selection,” concludes Combe. «


“There has been a lot of focus on spirits and if you look at some of the wine ranges when travelling, they look fairly standard. It is the same sort of wine.”


Rajiv Bhatia,


Advisor Business Development, Peuch & Besse


TRBUSINESS 63


Above: Customers can scan a QR code on the label of the bottles and be transported to the vineyards.


Left: Wines from P&B have a collar around the neck of the bottles, highlighting the company’s One Winemaker selection.


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