Marks and Spencer adds Mexican wines to its range

Marks and Spencer has added two Mexican wines to its range along with “trendier” mid-priced French wines and a salted caramel craft beer as part of it autumn range review.

The two Mexican wines comprise a Quetzal Chenin Chardonnay and Quetzal Malbec from L.A. Cetto winery in the Guadalupe Valley, within Baja California.

M&S Winemaker Belinda Kleinig said that although the region has been producing wine for over 300 years, it tended not to produce inexpensive commercial wines. “We tasted many excellent wines on the trip… but many were expensive from a UK retail perspective,” she said.“We were delighted to find a fantastic winery partner to help us create accessible wines which reflects Mexico’s unique clement an conditions with cool nights and district sea influence.”

Bordeaux has also seen a major review, with the addition of five new mid range wines priced between £7-11, that the retailer is hoping will help target younger, trendier drinker.

It has also boosted its fine wine range, added four fine wines from Margaux, Saint-Emilion and Saint-Julien, as well as its first wine from Madiran, from Yves Fourcade of Plaimont Producteurs.

M&S Buyer Emma Dawson said the store had become “more adventurous” since first introducing a revolving range of new parcels every six months. It has added several white fine wines and new world wines including Te Mata Awatea, Drouhin’s Oregon Dundee Hills Pinot Noir and a Meyer Pinot Noir 2014 from Canada.

“New World countries are starting to devote more attention to producing wines with equal finesse and delicacy to the classics,” she said.

It has boosted its range of craft beers to twelve, with the addition of four new beers including the Maritime Salted Caramel Porter from Meantime Brewing Company, a Smoked Ruby and White IPA from Adnams Brewery and a Black IPA from the Purity Brewing Company. It has also added two seasonal beers, Adnan’s Southwold Christmas Ale and Meantime’s Monnet Cognac Barrel Aged Greenwich Ale.

In the last year M&S has rolled out 20 new beers as part of a major boost. Product developer Jenny Rae said people looked for new and different craft beers in pubs and they had actively tried to replicate that experience in store.