François-Xavier Maroteaux, new President of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux
The newly elected President of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB), François-Xavier Maroteaux reveals his ambitions for the association and the objectives of his mandate. The co-owner of Château Branaire-Ducru, whose father Patrick Maroteaux was in charge of the UGCB between 2000 and 2008, is driven by a belief that there’s strength in numbers.
Hello, François-Xavier Maroteaux. You have just been elected President of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux. Why did you decide to assume this role?
The UGCB has a special place in my heart. When I was younger, I often heard people talking about it at home, since my father was the President between 2000 and 2008. I decided to take on this role firstly because I have always loved being part of a collective, whether within the Saint-Julien appellation – of which I have been the President since 2017–, the Fédération des Grands Vins de Bordeaux or the CIVB, where I also have responsibilities. These various commitments have created a belief that I intend to promote while I am in charge of the UGCB: we will go much further together than if we were alone. What’s more, I believe that working collectively is even more important in the current context.
What is the purpose of the Union des Grands Crus and what are its main strengths?
The UGCB is a tool that many regions are envious of and would like to have at their disposal. If we consider the latest international events we organized, it is clear that we are capable of bringing together many people. During an event such as the US tour, the UGCB creates a real emulation around Bordeaux wine. Over 10 days, the entire Bordeaux region is showcased in the United States thanks to a large number of UGCB member châteaux and the quality of their wines. In this respect, Bordeaux has never produced so many fine wines at highly competitive prices across all ranges. Such diversity and quality are highly attractive. Nowadays, importers don’t import a single type of wine. We must continue to offer such diversity and work together effectively. This has a strong impact!
What are the main challenges the UGCB is facing, and how do you intend to overcome them?
First of all, I would like to praise the remarkable work achieved by my predecessor Ronan Laborde and the entire UGCB team. We don’t intend to change everything! This is not at all necessary. The idea is to find ways to improve things while taking into account the changing context. Consumption patterns have changed, deconsumption is a reality. We need to adapt our strategy to this new context. I think, for example, that the format of consumer events we organize could be redesigned to attract a new, younger audience. We could think of more fun and engaging concepts to keep promoting our wines to wine lovers. In the past, consumers had a perfect knowledge of our wines, they were happy to be able to discuss their technical characteristics with us. Nowadays, they come more for pleasure. It’s down to us to support this change to attract new consumers and make Bordeaux even more attractive. We should bear in mind that all the events we organize aim to promote our wines and offer new market outlets. The new communication tools available to us should also help us to better reach out to these new consumers in the future.
How do you intend to move forward collectively with the 132 members?
We will need to get our members on board because I am convinced that there are already great ideas brimming everywhere, including within our family. We are all examining these questions on an individual basis. Let’s try to pool the brainpower of all our members to come up with ideas and think about what we could imagine in the future. We will soon organize regional meetings (Médoc, Rive Droite, Pessac-Léognan/Sauternes/Graves) to discuss together.
I believe another important point is our relations with wine merchants. The majority of our wines, if not virtually all of them, are sold through the Bordeaux wine trade. It seems very important to restore ties with merchants, discuss with them and listen to their ideas in order to move forward together.
Are there any new market outlets where the UGCB can accelerate?
Africa, for instance, is an area which we will need to look into in the future. When you read that by 2050, a country like Nigeria will have the third biggest global population after China and India, this is food for thought. What’s more, Nigeria has a young population that tends to consume red wine. We could consider organizing a future event in Africa, where the UGCB has already been – although we were perhaps a little too early, like in China at the time. Many things have changed since. However, we cannot increase the UGCB’s budget. We need to do just as well, if not better, with the same budget as before.
What message would you like to convey to your members?
A message of optimism! Obviously we need to continue to promote our wines and remember that Bordeaux is not the only region to encounter difficulties. Our major asset is that we are united altogether. Let’s continue to work hand in hand to overcome this crisis and come out even stronger. There’s strength in the Union’s numbers!
