Pays d'Oc IGP : The Presidents' Interview

The Presidents' Interview

Jardin des Sens - Montpellier 23/04/2012

Extract of the interview by SommelierS International of Olivier Simonou, President of the Interprofession of the IGP Pays d'OC wines (Inter Oc), and Jacques Gravegeal, President of the Union of Pays d'Oc wine producers.
SommelierS International: You respectively are President of Inter Oc and of the ODG* that defends the IGP Pays d'OC. Can you explain what a Protected Geographical Indication is?

Olivier Simonou : IGP is a Protected Geo­graphic Indication that consists in producing grapes on a delimited appellation area, according to precise specifications and with total traceability and control over the geography and quality of the product.
Jacques Gravegeal : The region IGP includes the 5 departments of the region Languedoc-Roussillon and part of the Lozere. As Olivier underlined, we both are subjected to specifications that state the production conditions, the varietals that have to enter the recognition, the volumes, as well as the quality.

SI : You advocate diversity. Why can Pays d'Oc IGP claim it?

OS : The diversity of the Pays d'Oc area can be seen under different axis. First of all it is a territory that extends from Perpignan to Nimes. Consequently it totals many different terroirs, from hillsides to more maritime zones. But we also have more than fifty varietals that can claim the label. And then this diversity also expresses through its producers: wine growers, cellars, cooperatives...


Florence Barthes, Jacques Gravegeal, Olivier Simonou, Linda Filone

SI: We know that the IGP Pays d'Oc is chosen by many firms and wine growers and that it represents close to 6 million hectolitres. How do you segment such a range?

JG : We once chose to give the consumers the means to find their way by bringing them references. We first create Collection, the elite, the top of the pyramid that represents a bit less than 10% of the production volume.

Then we have an important segment in the middle, the range Seduction (about 3.5 million hl). At last the bottom of the range with about 1.5 million hl. We thus have three levels. The tasters, we now notice through their comments, start to appreciate this segmentation. It also enables to give a stronger identity, a territoriality, permitting a better recognition by the consumers.

SI : The IGP Pays d’Oc committed itself in sustainable develop­ment. What have you done, for how much time and how do you assess your position now?

OS : Sustainable development has become since three years now an important work axis for the label Pays d'Oc. We tried to have a very pragmatic approach and to avoid complexity. We started with a diagnosis of the existing practices—empirical or based on a frame of reference. Finally we noticed that many people had already initiated, more or less consciously, a sustainable development approach. To supervise this we are creating a reference basis with some essential points. The objective of the Interprofession and the ODG is to give the producers a structure that enable them to have an outlined and well-built approach, that can be assessed, in order to give everyone the chance to situate himself in this policy.
JG : Sustainable also means economy. On the inputs, on fungicides, on water which we lack a lot in our region. The idea is to rationalize in the vineyard, in the cellar, in the wine storehouse. Tomorrow's consumers will expect a product to last, to keep its territorial and qualitative promises. If we do not integrate the sustainable phenomenon, we would be completely out of the race.
I always kept in mind that to win, you have to work together, along with the trade and the production. Listen to each other, hear one another. There is a perfect osmosis between the Interprofession and the ODG. And that is a guarantee of success the consumers benefit from.

SI : What can you say about the Pays d'Oc wines' place today?

JG : We are the only segment that increases. We are the world first region in terms of total surface area. With 3 million hl at export, we are the first exporter of France, far ahead of Bordeaux. The national market represents 3 million hl. We face constant increase since 25 years. We are going to produce 300 to 350,000 hl more this year.

OS : It is a very dynamic label. The IGP wines today are among the first turnover in mass-market retailing in France. Pays d'Oc also has a very important place in the emerging countries. One always highlights certainly very qualitative and very prestigious appellations but Pays d'Oc has a very important rank as much in daily consumption than for special events through the Collection range, our ambassador.

* ODG (Organisme de Défense et de Gestion): Defence and Management Organism