MARKETING: NEW PRODUCTS Futuristic Flacon

Ruinart combines traditional bottle-shape with sleek minimalism for its prestige cuvée

Product name: Dom Ruinart
Contact details: Champagne Ruinart, 0207 416 0592
The House of Ruinart has completed a radical overhaul of its packaging with the launch of a new presentation for its prestige cuvée, Dom Ruinart. The new look combines the classic heritage of the brand’s flacon-style bottle with a sleek and contemporary minimalist look. The bottle is presented in an alluring matt black box with blue or coral hints that emphasise its rich curves and a heavy buckle-inspired label. The rrp for the 1996 vintage is £95, and the Dom Ruinart rosé 1990 is £130.

Product name: Cardhu Special Cask Reserve
Contact details: Diageo, 020 7927 5300
Diageo has released a new single malt expression from Cardhu; the cask reserve spirit has been aged in American oak. It has been earmarked for an initial release in Spain and Portugal where the Cardhu 12 year old is one of the most popular single malts available.
The packaging takes strong cues from the 12 year old, including the decanter-style bottle and wooden stopper. However, the dominant colours have been changed to black and gold to reinforce the product’s premium status. It is the latest special release from Diageo’s Classic Malts Selection.

Product name: Batemans Autumn Fall

Contact details: Batemans, 01754 880317
Autumn Fall is the latest bottled beer to be launched by family-owned Lincolnshire brewer Batemans. Launched last month, the seasonal reference joins a line up that includes Spring Breeze, Summer Swallow and Rosey Nosey. The 500ml bottles of 4.2% abv ale have all been redesigned, with a more simplified design emphasising the ‘Good Honest Ales’ strap line and an embossed 1874. The seasonal selection complements the year-round range: XXXB, Combined Harvest, Victory Ale and Dark Lord.

Product name: Hint
Contact details: Pizzino, 020 8822 3425
Pizzino has developed a new brand of flavoured mineral water that has no added sugar. Hint has been a major success in the US, finding favour with a host of popular celebrities and even making it into the highly sought-after Oscars nominees bags.
Available in eight fresh flavours – including pomegranate-tangerine, cucumber, peppermint and tropical punch – Hint is produced with pure water infused with 100% natural flavours. No additives or preservatives are included. The clean, fresh packaging reinforces the brand’s all natural credentials, as does the catch line “drink water, not sugar”.

Product name: El Circulo; Arnegui
Contact details: Free Run Wines, 01672 540 990
Two new brands have been launched by the Félix Solís Avantis group, following the company’s recent opening of a seven million bottle capacity winery in Rioja. El Circulo has been earmarked for the UK off-trade market, while Arnegui will only be made available in the on-trade.

The new winery is based in Fuenmayor and is Félix Solís’ third facility in the region. It will ultimately have capacity to produce over nine million bottles each year. It is anticipated that these two lines will be followed by a host of other new lines from the company.

Product name: Ultimate Bartending Kit
Contact details: Maxxium UK, 01786 430 500
Maxxium’s mixology team has joined forces with Urban Bar Ltd to develop the Ultimate Kit, a must-have collection of accessories designed by bartenders for bartenders. A limited release of just 200 units have been produced, each incorporating 15 pieces in a stylish portable case.
Wayne Collins, Maxxium UK’s resident mixologist, explains: “The brands mixology team is constantly working on ways to help bartenders perform to the best of their ability. We can’t expect people to create first class drinks with second class tools.” The company’s focus on cocktail culture has also included launching a Masterclass DVD and a new website www.mixxit.co.uk in the last year.

Product name: La Mare Jersey Cream
Contact details: La Mare Wine Estate, www.lamarewineestate.com

La Mare Jersey Cream is a new line that combines the spirit of Jersey apple brandy with rich, smooth cream from the island’s renowned dairy. This silky and luxurious cream liqueur is presented in a sleek and stylish black frosted bottle, and is ideally served chilled or over ice.
La Mare has combined two of the products for which the Channel Islands are most famous. The dairy industry has a long and distinguished heritage for producing milk and cream of exceptional quality, while Jersey’s cider industry was producing over eight million litres a year over two centuries ago.

Product name: 35º South
Contact details: Buckingham Vintners, 01753 219 171
The packaging for Chilean brand 35º South has been given a fresh new look to emphasise its contemporary values. The wine is produced by Viña San Pedro and distributed in the UK by Buckingham Vintners
The new design retains the brands two strongest visual cues: the wind compass and the bright orange colouring on the foil and label. Text on the label explains the reason for the 35º name, while the brand’s place of origin is clearly designated.

Product name: Carlsberg Jacobsen
Contact details: Carlsberg, www.jacobsenbryg.dk
Carlsberg is the latest brewer to tap into the demand for niche speciality beers with the launch of the Jacobsen range. The collection of seven variants was rolled out across Scandinavia late last year, and two of these will be made available in the UK in the coming months.

The Jacobsen collection is presented in 750ml bottles – a format that the company hopes will encourage sharing together with a meal. The authentic and un-fussy presentation reinforces the brands’ purist credentials. The two references which will be sold in the UK are Saaz Blonde, a 7.1% Belgian-inspired brew that is an ideal accompaniment with roast lamb, and Bramley Wit, a cloudy 4.6% white beer that works well with fish and Asian dishes.

Product name: Champagne Gosset Prestige Cuvée Celebris 1998
Contact details: McKinley Vintners, 020 7928 7300
Champagne Gosset has released Celebris 1998, the fourth vintage of its prestige cuvée to be launched in the last decade. The blend includes eight grands crus with 64% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs and 36% Pinot Noir form Montagne de Reims.
Beatrice Cointreau, ceo of Champagne Gosset explains: “This is a tribute to the history of our Champagne house, which has maintained its tradition for over four hundred years. This cuvée is an unforgettable wine showing astounding aroma and flavour. It is wonderfully rich and pure, extraordinarily concentrated, beautifully fresh and incredibly seductive.”

Product name: J2O Orange & Pomegranate
Contact details: Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd, 0845 755 0345
Britvic has tapped into the growing popularity of pomegranate beverages with the launch of a new flavour in the J2O range. The limited edition reference will only be made available for the next six months, but is the first flavour to be simultaneously launched into the on-premise and retail channels.

J2O has capitalised on the growing tendency towards premium adult soft drinks since its launch in 1998, and limited editions have proven popular: last year’s Apple & Raspberry launch produced 72% incremental sales. Britvic hopes that given the current popularity of pomegranate, this year’s launch will fare even better.

Product name: Arniston Bay, The Shore
Contact details: The Company of wine People, +27 (0) 21 881 3870
The Shore is the latest commercial wine blend to be rolled out by Arniston Bay. The red and white references both aim to be as “uncomplicated” as possible, making them accessible and appealing to young novice drinkers. Both variants are presented in simple, bold bottles that emphasise the well-known brand name alongside a wave-inspired motif.
The wine hails from the Western Cape: the white is a 2006 vintage, bottled at 12.5% abv; the red is a 2005 and is bottled at 13.5%. Once new consumers have been recruited into the world of Arniston Bay the company hopes that this positive first experience will inspire loyalty to the brand.

© db November 2006