Pink Port hits shelves earlier than planned

Credit for the creation of pink Port should have gone to Croft, but crossed wires meant UK supermarket Mark & Spencer stole the glory and associated publicity.

The Fladgate Partnership, producer behind both M&S Pink Port and the just-launched Croft Pink, had planned a simultaneous unveiling of the two products, but the own-label retail version hit the shelves on Monday, earlier than expected.

“We came up with the idea of a pink Port,” explained Adrian Bridge, managing director of The Fladgate Partnership, owner of Croft, Taylor’s, Fonseca and Delaforce Ports. “As M&S don’t do brands they bought into the idea about making it into an own label. We were planning a simultaneous launch for Croft Pink with M&S pink Port but the listing times on the rest of the High St are not always the same as M&S.”
The two Ports have different packaging: the supermarket version comes in a straight-sided 50cl clear-glass bottle while Croft Pink is clothed in a sculpted 75cl bottle.

Both Ports claim to appeal to women and are designed to capitalise on the growing interest in rosé.

The pink Ports are made by extracting a small amount of colour from the skins of traditional red Port grapes. After pressing, the grape juice is cold fermented for seven days off their skins. This slow fermentation – twice as along as for standard Port – produces, according to the producer, a fine berry flavour and a light, refreshing style.

Bridge commented, “The Port industry needs innovation to raise awareness of Port as a contemporary product which is why, three years ago, I came up with the idea of producing a lighter style of Port. This will attract new consumers to the Port category and at the same time de-seasonalise consumption. It has been a lot of work for the winemaking team but they have now produced this outstanding new wine.”

The Fladgate Partnership has pioneered several new Port styles over the last century including the first Dry White Port in 1934, the first commercial Late Bottled Vintage Port in 1970 and most recently, the first Organic Port in 2006.

© db / Patrick Schmitt, 30/01/08