I have a commitment to another Spanish supplier.

Another supplier took me to Spain.

Your wines don't have enough press.

I don't have a Spanish clientele.

Spain doesn't have a good image.

I don't need any more Spanish wines.

Spanish wines don't sell.

People are not asking for Spanish wines.

Spanish wine pricing is too high, not the bargains I remember.

Sparkling wines don't sell year-round. I am waiting until the holidays to buy-in.

I am happy with the sparkling wines I have.

Our by the glass list is too small to feature anything but Merlot, Cabernet etc.

Albariño's are too high priced.

Names are unfamiliar, hard to pronounce.

White wines from Spain don't sell.

Objection

Some Appropriate Responses

I have a commitment to another Spanish supplier.

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There are plenty of good Spanish wines out there. Ours deserve a place because they are highly respected, consistently performing over a long period of time, nationally known brands. It is dangerous to put all of your eggs in one basket especially when the wines in that basket are not consistently stocked by the wholesaler.

Another supplier took me to Spain.

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That is fantastic, but remember it is still your business and it is not fair to you or your customers to exclude promotions of other wines just because you visited Spain with another supplier. This doesn't mean you are married to that supplier.

Your wines don't have enough press.

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Go to the Reviews section of this site or call our office for reprints. You should also point out that we always have POS available and it is always attractive, professional and effective. Across the board, our wines have more press collectively than any from Spain. Some examples: CDA Best Buy 90 pts. (Wine Enthusiast), Finca Valpiedra 94 Points, Top 100 wines of the year 1998 (Wine & Spirits), Finca Valpiedra 90 Points (Wine Enthusiast), Conde de Valdemar Brand of The Decade (Wine & Spirits), Conde de Valdemar Gran Reserva 1985 Top 100 wines of the year (Wine Spectator), Bodegas Martínez Bujanda Outstanding Producer (Robert Parker's Buying Guide), Cristalino Top 10 Sparkling Values in the World (Wine Spectator), Cristalino Best Buy (Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits, Underground Wine Journal), Cristalino 88 pts. Outstanding wine for the money (Stephen Tanzer), Conde de Valdemar Top 100 wines of the year 1998 (Wine Enthusiast).

I don't have a Spanish clientele.

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Nobody does. In the United States the population of Spanish people is actually quite small. The Hispanic market is a different market entirely. Sales of our wines appeal to a broad base of American consumers and our growth rate of over 30% over 1998 illustrates that we do generate sales among mainstream consumers. If we had to rely on a Spanish clientele, our sales would be less than a quarter of what we are selling. Lastly, Conde de Valdemar and Cristalino have very broad distribution in non-ethnic restaurants throughout the country, including many of the most prestigious and best known venues.

Spain doesn't have a good image.

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Spain is about where Italy was 15 years ago. They are following the same path and we see where Italy is today. Recent articles in Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast have heaped praise on Spanish wines. Spain is a country with rich tradition and a newfound reputation for innovation. In addition, since the Barcelona Olympics and World's Fair in Madrid in 1992, Spain's image has steadily increased. In fact, Barcelona is one of the three major fashion centers in Europe and Madrid is one of the leading European cities in terms of Industry and Tourism. This combined with the recent high profile opening of the new Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, recognition of Spain's world-class cuisine and consistent notoriety of Spanish athletes, has raised Spain's image to that of World-Class among Americans. With a population of 40 million and annual visitors of 50 million, Spain is second in Europe and third in the world in tourism (behind only the U.S. and France). Specifically relating to wines, Conde de Valdemar is one of only 12 wineries in the world to be named Brand of the Decade (Wine & Spirits). We have also had top 100 Wines of the Year in Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.

I don't need any more Spanish wines.

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This is a growth category and an opportunity for you to induce plus purchases. After all, do you really need more Cabernet or Chardonnay regardless of where it is from? 3 or 4 wines do not make a reasonable section for a major wine producing country like Spain.

Spanish wines don't sell.

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Spanish wine sales have increased an average of 20% each of the past 4 years. If your sales are not strong, you need to consider the brands you are stocking and where they are placed. In addition, this presents you with a chance to educate your customers and build the image of expertise in your store. By developing that image you will build a loyal customer base and that will return your investment in time.

People are not asking for Spanish wines.

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Have you featured them? Because indeed people are buying them. Why would anyone buy them from you if it were obvious you do not have a selection? If all you carry are the old tired brands, and hide them in the back on a bottom shelf, customers will realize you are not serious about the category and go somewhere else to buy them.

Spanish wine pricing is too high, not the bargains I remember.

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World wide wine prices have all gone up, Spain included. This is due to Supply & Demand. However, if you look at specific wines – CDA for $15 or a 5 year old CDV Reserva, these are still among best values in the world. Find me a wine with the kind of aging in barrel and bottle of Conde de Valdemar aged wines or any of our red wines from Italy, France or California for less money. As evidenced by the growth in Spanish wine sales, price/value is still an advantage to buying Spanish wines over those from other countries.

Sparkling wines don't sell year-round. I am waiting until the holidays to buy-in.

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Simply not true. There are holidays to merchandise sparkling wine year-round. For Cristalino, the months of June & February are bigger than September/October. I addition, let's be honest, you often over-buy on key brands in order to get the best price only to find excess inventory that you end up needing months to sell through. Quantity deals on Cristalino are much more reasonable than competitors.

I am happy with the sparkling wines I have.

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Cristalino brings something new to the party. It is clean, dry and light, has an excellent image and packaging great press and unbeatable price. It is one of the few wines that can satisfy experienced and novice wine drinkers alike and there is no cheap stigma here. Let's take a look at the shelf. Freixenet does about 90% of sales with two items, but generally has up to 12 facings including a lot of wines that don't sell. Cutting back on some of that gives you a chance to put in a product in Cristalino which adds a new option that you should have instead of the redundancy of one brand.

Our by the glass list is too small to feature anything but Merlot, Cabernet etc.

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While Conde de Valdemar Reserva or Crianza will not get the same number of orders by the glass as Merlot or Cabernet, we will almost always get more second glass purchases from those who order. The reason is simple, the style of either wine lends itself to being easier to drink than those heavier varietals and thus a glass of CDV is often gone before the meal and a second glass is ordered. This extra revenue goes right to the bottom line! Further, Conde de Valdemar is a very well known and respected brand. Putting this wine on by the glass will actually enhance your image in the eyes of your customers.

Albariño's are too high priced.

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Price is a function of the climate and yields. CDA is one of the largest producers in the region and that allows us to offer lower prices than others. If you compare CDA to other whites around the world that are similar in style and quality - such as from Alsace, Germany, California or New Zealand - it is a true bargain at about $15.

Names are unfamiliar, hard to pronounce.

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This should be an opportunity for your staff to educate and use their expertise. We can help with educational materials for your staff, including phonetic pronunciations of grape varieties. You should be aware however, that Spanish is the easiest language to pronounce because there are no hidden sounds. Every letter is pronounced in every word and the pronunciation is always the same for every letter.

White wines from Spain don't sell.

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En masse this is true. But there are places for a great Albariño for under $15 retail. Or one of the easiest whites to drink for under $10, Marques de Alella. Fresh, clean and eye-opening. We guarantee that our white and rosé wines are always current vintage and fresh. If not, we will trade them out.