Innovations drive growth at Château des Charmes
The builders of Château des Charmes: (from right) founder Paul Bosc, his wife Andrée Bosc, Michèle Bosc and Paul-André Bosc.
“My father was seeing the future in 1978,” says Paul-André Bosc, the founder’s son who joined the company a few years later. “He knew the vinifera varieties were ready for prime time, and today they make up about over 50 per cent of Ontario’s production. It reminds me of Henry Ford. Ford didn’t invent the automobile, but his innovations accelerated the development of the industry.”
The facts support Paul-André’s pride in his father’s accomplishments. Château des Charmes has a long list of international awards recognizing excellence in table wine, sparkling wine and icewine. In 1993, the winery set an industry milestone as the first Canadian winery to win a gold medal for table wine at France’s prestigious Vinexpo.
Bosc senior was also instrumental in developing the tourism aspects of the wine business in Ontario. When Château des Charmes opened its copper-roofed stone building in 1994, it set a new standard for Ontario wineries that wanted to tap into the agritourism
market. Today, the Château provides about 25 per cent of the company’s revenue, including sales from weddings, corporate events and fundraisers held on-site.
“We wanted people to see grapes being grown and wine being made,” says Paul-André. “And the design integrated our marketing and tourism efforts. It’s not a
coincidence that great wine regions are close to large cities. Look at Champagne near Paris, Napa and Sonoma just north of San Francisco. We were confident that we could achieve something similar here, and we were right.”
Château des Charmes knows its markets. A survey last year produced a marketing database that continues to give the company insight into its current and potential customers. Trends identified include a greater consumer willingness to spend on premium wine, and growing international interest in Ontario wine.
“Our icewine has acted as an ambassador for us in foreign markets,” says Paul-André. “And now our other wines are recognized for their quality. Last year, we sold 12,000 bottles in France, and only half was icewine. We’ve been exporting to Japan since 1992, and our table wine sales are growing there too.”
Now in his 70s, Paul Bosc continues to innovate at Château des Charmes, leaving operations and management to Paul-André and his wife Michèle, the company’s director of marketing. Looking ahead, Paul-André sees great potential in what he calls “premiumization,”a trend that sees consumers moving from wines in the $12 to $15 price range to those in the $25 to $30 segment.
“I believe that if you find ways to improve the product, the market will reward your efforts,” he says. “My father continues to research, seeking the very best grapes for our vineyard. We just purchased 136 French oak barrels, at about $1000 each. And we’re stepping up our marketing efforts. We’re the grand old man of Ontario wineries, but I believe our best days are still ahead of us.”
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