411: How is the new Canadian sparkling wine, Fracette, poised to take on Champagne, Prosecco and Cava? John Boynton, CEO of Arterra Wines, reveals the strategy
Unreserved Wine TalkShow Notes
France has Champagne. Italy has Prosecco. Spain has Cava. So what's the new Canadian sparkling wine style that's just launched? Will Canadians remain loyal to domestic wines once American wines return to store shelves? Is the wine industry making a costly mistake by assuming young drinkers will turn to wine as their incomes grow? How could boxed wine change the way you think about buying and enjoying wine at home? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with John Boynton, CEO of Arterra Wines Canada. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
Highlights How can boxed wine overcome its reputation for being cheap and become a practical choice for everyday drinking? Why does John believe large-format wine offers one of the best values in the alcohol category? If Friday nights are increasingly spent at home, how can wine become more relevant to the people sharing that occasion? Is the idea of one bottle for everyone becoming a poor strategy for the wine industry? What does Arterra's consumer data reveal about whether younger drinkers will naturally start drinking more wine as their incomes rise? How many Canadian wine drinkers are likely to stick with Canadian wine once American wines fully return to shelves? What can the wine industry learn from the decline of newspapers? Could greater scale help Canadian wineries compete on price and export more wine internationally? Does Canada have the potential to become a major sparkling wine producer? What makes Fracette distinctly Canadian compared with other styles of sparkling wine? Why does John want Canadians to stop saving sparkling wine for special occasions?
About John Boynton John Boynton is the President of Arterra Wines Canada. He oversees the domestic and international sales, marketing and operations of Canada's leading wine company. John joined the company in 2022 from NordStar (parent company of Torstar) where he held the role of Vice Chair and President of Digital. He was previously the President and CEO of Torstar and Publisher of The Toronto Star. John is an experienced CEO with a proven track record of helping companies transform and grow – successfully turning strategy into action. He leads his teams in a way that aligns to our purpose and values, focusing on teamwork and collaboration. Throughout his 35-year career, John has worked in Sales, Marketing and Operations – for many different industries. He has experience in building both customer and direct-to-consumer relationships as well as in mobile, digital, data and ecommerce. A Canadian, John has lived and worked in Canada, the US and Europe.
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/411.
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