From Paris with wine love

The concept is simple: for three weeks, the students transformed a Parisian café into a wine shop during the evening hours. They offered wines from more than 50 Austrian wineries for free tastings. It proved to be a worthwhile investment. Sales of 413 bottles generated more than €10,000 in revenue, with an average bottle price of €25 – an outstanding result.

The event also created numerous valuable connections. “I was able to connect Austrian winemakers with international traders. We are now also exporting Austrian wine directly to the French capital for the Association of Austrians in Paris,” says Chris Sciacca. Among the guests were members of the Austrian Embassy, the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and the Austrian National Tourist Office.

Making the most of your studies

Selling wine in the heart of Paris is just one of the unique experiences that benefit students in the programme. Thanks to their time in Bordeaux, both Laetitia Ferraton and Anna-Lena Weigand speak French fluently. They are completing the Double Degree programme and will graduate from both IMC Krems and Kedge Business School in France. “For me, it’s the international aspect that makes all the difference. I also wanted to study something business-related, but with a strong practical focus. That’s why I chose International Wine Business,” explains Laetitia Ferraton.

The hands-on approach also extends to social media. Anna-Lena Weigand shares her wine expertise through her Instagram content. “I want to show my generation how exciting wine can be. I combine wine with cooking because many young people have little connection to these topics. I want to change that.”

Budburst Agency: Real projects for regional wineries

Putting theory into practice is also the guiding principle of the Budburst Agency at IMC. The student-run agency forms part of the marketing education within the International Wine Business degree programme. From market research to product development, Chris Sciacca works with students on real-world projects for regional wineries, including Urbanihof, Weingut Feldtheorie and Weingut Christoph Hoch. “Whether it’s label design or different bottle sizes, we use the Budburst Agency to test how target groups respond,” explains Chris Sciacca, who is also a winemaker himself.

Before moving into the wine industry, the American worked in marketing within the tech sector. Several years ago, he relocated to Europe, where he studied International Wine Business at IMC Krems and, alongside his studies, founded his own winery, Kapitel Zwei Wine.

His own wines are bottled in half-litre bottles. Once a marketer, always a marketer. “I looked at why young people are drinking less wine today. One reason is that they don’t want to spend €40 on a bottle they may not even finish. That’s why I use smaller bottles that were originally designed for olive oil.”

Doing things a little differently and exploring new paths – that is what students learn in International Wine Business. In Krems, Bordeaux, Paris and wherever else their journeys may take them.

International Wine Business