Wines of Navarra launches new campaign

The Consejo Regulador Denominaciá½¹n de Origen Navarra and the Association of Navarran Wineries is launching a trade and press campaign this month. The UK campaign, which is part of a three-pronged international strategy with similar campaigns in Germany and the US, is set to run for three years.

Following UK press tastings held over the past two years, the marketing activity will comprise three trade/press tastings in London, Manchester and Edinburgh on 10, 11 and 12 November. Three trips will also be organised giving firstly sommeliers the opportunity to visit the region in October, then the press in November and the wider trade in December. Of the 18 bodegas, whose wines will be promoted, 14 currently have UK representation.

Pilar García, president of the CRDO Navarra said, “We are delighted to be able to be working in the UK again this year. The UK market has always been a very important market for us and we realise the need to promote a stronger message to the broader trade about the quality and diversity of Navarran wines.”

Navarra is keen to develop stronger links with the UK, its second market after Germany, and raise awareness of the new regulation in the region. This summer, two wine classification categories were added to the existing vino de mesa and vino de denominacion de origen (DO). From the 2008 harvest, Navarra will also be able to classify its wines as vino de la tierra (between vino de mesa and DO wine) or vino de pago, the highest classification of all.

García added: “We have a lot of great stories to tell and a lot of great wines to be tasted, what we aim to do with this activity is give the British trade and press the opportunity to do just that.”

Fionnuala Synnott 10/09/08