My daughter, @victoriah1218, is a new board member and currently enrolled in a college class on the wine business. For that class, Victoria is doing a case study on Achaval-Ferrer and I suggested that she tap the wealth of knowledge on this board.
Appreciate any help, thoughts, suggestions as we try to get the next generation into wine.
And if there are any Floridians (part-time, full-time, or otherwise) that would like to complete a short survey (<20 questions), you can access one on this post (hint hint @Robert.A.Jr@Marc_Frontario):
I’m currently working on a case study focused on Achával-Ferrer and its positioning in the U.S. premium market. I’d love to hear both personal impressions and broader market perspectives.
A few questions I’m exploring:
Have you tried Achával-Ferrer wines? If so, what was your impression of the quality and style?
Do you think Achával-Ferrer offers strong value relative to its price point compared to other Malbecs in the $30–$80 range? Why or why not?
What motivated you (or would motivate you) to choose Achával-Ferrer over other Argentine or Napa Malbec producers (e.g. vineyard specificity, importer reputation, critical scores, recommendation, curiosity)
For those familiar with its U.S. presence: do you believe its reputation was built primarily through restaurant placements, retail/collector demand, or critical press?
More broadly, what would a smaller premium Argentine winery need to do to capture your attention and convince you to try their wines? (e.g. packaging, label, social media marketing strategies)
Thank you again for your time, I truly appreciate learning from this group!
Hi Victoria, I have not tried Achaval-Ferrer, but I do have a suggestion for your research. Your question is a good one, but I would consider adding this to it as your research develops: "If you haven’t tried A-F, which of these explains why not? a) I have never seen a bottle; b) I am not familiar with Argentinian wines; c) I’m not very familiar with Malbec. Since you are looking at pretty informed consumers on this board, here you would wouldn’t get man “a” or “b” responses but after decades of drinking primarily U.S. based wines I would choose “c” I’m not very familiar with Malbec. I am probably not alone. Good luck with your project!
