Virgin Wines gets the party started

Virgin Wines is bringing wine tastings into people’s living rooms with the launch of its Virgin Wines Fabulous initiative.

Modelled on the Tupperware or Ann Summers party format, the online retailer will encourage customers to host tasting events at home, pitching the evenings as an opportunity to "try before you buy" from a selection of nine wines.

Speaking to the drinks business at the Virgin Wines spring press tasting last week, managing director Jay Wright described the parties as "a really great way to interact more with the female market, which by-the-case sales haven’t really done before.

"There’s still a bit of a ‘lush factor’ that means women don’t like buying 12 bottles at once. You have to change the way it’s presented", he argued.

Following a trial period, the scheme is due to launch in July, starting in the company’s Colchester and Norwich heartland with the aim of building demand across the UK from there.

In addition to winning over the neglected female market, Wright noted a further positive result to emerge from the 25 test parties carried out by Virgin as it developed the idea.

"People are buying the wines they’ve tasted on the night and the price hasn’t been so important", he observed. "Whether it’s £5.99, £7.99 or £11.99, if they like it then they’ll buy it."

Above all, Wright maintained, considering the company’s relatively youthful customer base compared with that of its sister company Laithwaites Wine, the emphasis at these events will be "about having fun first and foremost."

Gabriel Savage, 06.06.2011