MARKETING: NEW PRODUCTS – December 2007

Agwa de Bolivia; Bouquet Chardonnay 2006; White Satin; Cerveza Potro; Viru; Château Gilette; Absolut Mango; Enchanté; Champagne Deutz; Cachet; Auchentoshan 50 year old, Red Heart Chile; Chili Vodka

Spirit of Bolivia

Herbal liqueur with a guaraná, ginseng and coca leaf kick

Product name: Agwa de Bolivia
Contact details: Babco Europe, +353 (0)1 202 0012
Agwa de Bolivia is the only liqueur to be made using the coca leaf, a 100% natural product that also includes extract  of guaraná and ginseng. Bottled at 30% ABV, a 70cl bottle includes some 40 grams of coca leaf, which are harvested in the South American country and distilled in Amsterdam. The brand has already achieved cult status in the US, Russia and Australia, and the UK will be the third European market to feature in the roll out. When drunk with a wedge of lime, the changing pH in the mouth creates an “oxygen buzz” – or it can alternatively be mixed with an energy drink or Champagne.

Product name: Bouquet Chardonnay 2006
Contact details: Pascal Bouchard, +33 (0)3 8642 1864
The latest addition to the Pascal Bouchard portfolio is this 100% Chardonnay produced by the family winery near the heart of Chablis. Priced from £6.99-£7.99 in the UK, it is a fresh, crisp, fruit-driven wine with a distinctive mineral finish. The wine has already secured lisitings with Threshers and in selected Tesco stores. The Bouchard family is an independent producer and grower, tending 36 hectares of vineyards.

Product name: White Satin
Contact details:Charteredbrands, +44 (0)845 634 4024
Classic gin brand White Satin has been given a revamp by its new owner. The new identity underscores the brand’s rich heritage, a logical move given that its history can be traced back to 1770, when it was one of the first gins to be produced in London. Since taking control of the brand from US-based Heaven Hill Distillieries in March, charteredbrands has altered the packaging, increased the strength to 40% ABV and reverted to using only natural botanicals, in a drive to take White Satin back to its roots.

Product name: Cerveza Potro
Contact details: Pierhead +44 (0) 20 8320 4467
Renowned premium beer importer Pierhead has expanded its portfolio with this striking new offering from Mexico. The product’s long neck and distinctive cobalt blue glass are sure to guarantee plenty of shelf stand out, but the packaging is not the only factor that marks it out as unusual. While most Mexican beers are a light golden colour, Cerveza Potro is a dark ale made from 100% malt. The beer is packaged at 4.7% ABV and a 500ml bottle comes with an RRP of £1.85.

Product name: Viru
Contact details: Global Brands, +44 (0) 1246 868 931
Global Brands has revamped the label for its intriguingly packaged Estonian beer brand, Viru. The new label has been designed to complement the brand’s highly-recognisable conical bottle shape and increase on-shelf readability, using a distinctive Art Deco themed typeface. Global Brands beer director John Harley explains: “The Art Deco lettering fits with the heritage of the brand. It is gaining a cult following within the UK’s quality bars and stylish independent venues.”

Product name: Château Gilette
Contact details: Wine Studio, +44 (0) 30 8838 0660
Wine Studio has been appointed as the UK agent for top Sauternes house, Château Gilette. The distributor claims the château “is focused on perfection, only producing in outstanding years and ageing the wine in concrete vats for at least two decades prior to bottling – resulting in their crème de tête, a rich fruity wine that is deep gold in colour and tastes younger than the vintage would suggest.” The château is owned and run by husband and wife team Xavier and Julie Gonet-Médeville. The range incoporates 75cl bottles from 1971, ‘75, ‘79, ‘81, and ‘83, as well as 75cl and 37.5cl from 1985.

Product name: Absolut Mango
Contact details: V&S Global Travel Retail, +46 (0) 8 744 73 00
Mango will be the next flavour to join the extensive Absolut portfolio, launching in global travel retail outlets from February. It is the 10th flavour variant to be added to the brand family since the roll out of Absolut Citron. The company believes that the sweet, tropical fruit is an underexplored flavour within the vodka market – and the product is made without any added sugar or sweetener. Launching new products initially in travel retail outlets is standard practice for the Absolut brand, with wider roll out tending to occur within 6-12 months.

Product name: Enchanté
Contact details: SCB Partners, +44 (0) 20 8960 5577
Enchanté is a new low alcohol, low-calorie sparkling fruit juice drink from Malaysia. The passion fruit flavoured drink contains only 25 kcal per 100ml and has a strength of 3.5% ABV, making it a “responsible alternative to wine and spirits.” The brand has already been a hit with the fashion set in its home market and was first rolled out in the UK at London Fashion Week, where it appeared at a number of parties, including Julien Macdonald’s. With a recommended retail price of £4-£5, it is targetted primarily at 20-30 year old female drinkers.

Product name: Champagne Deutz

Contact details: Berkmann Wine Cellars Ltd, +44 (0) 20 7609 4711
Traditional Champagne brand Deutz has been given a new visual identity that reinforces its premium nature. Based on the company’s  preference for “evolution not revolution”, the entire range is now packaged in the elegant, long-necked bottle that was previously reserved for a few special products. The presentation also includes new labelling that reinforces the identity of the brand family. The packaging was previewed at Vinexpo 2007 and first shipments have already been dispatched.

Product name: Cachet
Contact details: Castel, +33 (0)5 56 95 54 00
Cachet is the latest release from Groupe Castel, and is aimed squarely at the UK market. In order to ensure that the product taps into the desires of British drinkers, the project was developed with consultation from a range of UK experts including Neil Tully MW, Robert Joseph and Winebrand’s Lynne Whitaker. Cachet is a range of single- and dual-varietal wines from the South of France, which are launching at Oddbins priced at £5.99. 

Product name: Auchentoshan 50 year old
Contact details: Morrison Bowmore Distillers, +44 (0)141 558 9011
Auchentoshan has released two bottlings of its oldest ever single malt, taken from a pair of casks that were filled on Monday 15 April 1957. Cask 480, released this month, has yielded just 144 bottles, and cask 479 is expected to produce a similar number when it is bottled in February. The whisky is bottled at a cask strength of 49.1% and presented in luxurious packaging with a commemorative booklet. The asking price is £2,500 per bottle.

Product name: Red Heart Chile
Contact details: Buckingham Vintners, +44 (0)1753 521 336
The Red Heart range has been extended with this Chilean product, adding to the Australian variant which was launched last year. The 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine has been produced in such a way that its antioxidant level is 41% higher than the average level for leading brands. It is sourced from Viñedos Puertas in the Curico Valley, and is available in Morrisons priced £4.99.

Product name: Chili Vodka
Contact details: Chivo Oy, +358 (0) 50 561 313
This new vodka is the latest release from Chivo, a Finnish company that specialises in chili-flavoured alcoholic beverages. Since launching six months ago this warming product has been a big hit in its home market, and is now aiming to conquer the rest of Europe, commencing with the UK. It is produced at Shaman Spirits, the world’s most northerly distillery, using 100% Finnish grain. Chivo is also planning to launch another product, Chilicocoa.