C-Store Wine of the Year 2010
C-store retailers’ top 10 wines of 2010 have all combined quality, value, and attention-grabbing marketing, in order to create serious shelf appeal.
Print18 January 2011
Barry Whelan, managing director, Excel Recruitment, on behalf of sponsor BOL Design, presents the award for C-Store Wine of the Year to Jean De Castlenau of Gleeson Wines for its winning product, Blossom Hill
Barry Whelan, managing director, Excel Recruitment, on behalf of sponsor BOL Design, presents the award for C-Store Wine of the Year to Jean De Castlenau of Gleeson Wines for its winning product, Blossom Hill
And the nominees are…
- Santa Rita
Hardys
Wolf Blass
Jacobs Creek
Rosemount Estate
McGuigan
Long Mountain
Cono Sur
Blossom Hill
Ernest & Julio Gallo
The award for C-Store Wine of the Year 2010 was sponsored by the design led manufacturer specialising in retail display equipment, BOL Design
Blossom Hill is Ireland’s number one selling wine brand
Gleesons’ Blossom Hill, the number one selling wine brand in Ireland with 6.1% volume share in the total off trade market (Nielsen Oct 2010 MAT), was the worthy recipient of this year’s C-Store Wine of the Year award.
Strong sales continue to be well supported by advertising, PR, quality point of sale material and regular promotions. The light, fruity, off dry style and distinctive packaging are particularly popular with young female customers looking for a ‘no fuss’ wine to enjoy with friends.
A sparkling Italian Zinfandel has recently been introduced to the range and the ever popular White Zinfandel from California continues to be a crowd pleaser.
For the second year running Blossom Hill was the official sponsor of Ladies Day at the Failte International Horse Show in August.
Santa Rita is the second biggest wine brand in Ireland
Santa Rita is the second biggest wine brand in Ireland
Heroic effort rewarded
Another strong contender for the top title, Santa Rita, is the most popular Chilean wine in Ireland and the second biggest wine brand in Ireland.
The winery was recently named ‘Winery of the Year 2010’ by the prestigious Wine & Spirits magazine. This is the tenth time it has won this award. Strong historical links with Ireland have undoubtedly contributed to Santa Rita’s popularity with Irish consumers.
In 1814 during the fight for Chilean Independence, 12 men led by Irishman Bernardo O’Higgins took refuge in the Santa Rita wine cellars following a long and arduous battle. The historical legacy continues to this day as the same cellars are now used to age Santa Rita’s 120 range, which was created to honour these heroes. Santa Rita 120 is the most popular label, but the brand has something exciting to offer at every level, including the quality Reserva and Medalla Real wines, the innovative terroir-driven Floresta and the flagship Casa Real.
A talented winemaker
Also included within this year’s top 10 c-store wine brands, was McGuigan wines, which according to a recent AC Nielsen report, continues to out perform the market. In fact, it is now the fifth largest brand in the market. The Black Label range comprises of a Cabernet/Merlot, Shiraz, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Rosé as well as McGuigan Black Label Sparkling Chardonnay and Sparkling Rosé. The range will have strong above the line marketing support, particularly in the national press and radio with a major emphasis on Neil McGuigan’s award at the IWSC awards as “the Best White Winemaker in the World” and “Winemaker of the Year.”
Hardy bucks
According to AC Nielsen, Hardys is now the sixth biggest selling wine brand in Ireland. Quality, flavour and character remain the cornerstones of its contemporary wines while respect for Hardy family history ensures the wines benefit from the lessons of long tradition.
Hardys is the sixth biggest selling wine brand in Ireland
Hardys will be backed by a radio campaign and the major emphasis will be on the promotion of Hardy’s Stamp litres for the price of 75cl. The Hardys Bin Range will be used as a promotional price offering.
Wolfishly good
As an icon of Australian winemaking, Wolf Blass continues to evolve. Starting in 1961 with a tin shed in the Barossa and an immigrant’s dream for a better life, Wolf Blass has grown to become one of the world’s greatest wine producers.
Wolf Blass has received over 4,000 awards and accolades at international wine shows since 1966, including winning the ‘Jimmy Watson’ Trophy – Australia’s most prestigious wine award – an unprecedented four times. In 2008, Wolf Blass was honoured with the acclaimed International Red Winemaker of the Year award at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) in London.
Wolf Blass is the leading premium wine in the wine market in Ireland. During the past year, Wolf Blass has updated its packaging across all its ranges within the Wolf Blass family. The new labels aim to heighten shelf appeal and premiumise the Wolf Blass portfolio.
A diamond worth discovering
As one of Ireland’s leading wine brands, Rosemount offers consumers a range of cleanly styled wines to suit every taste and budget. Rosemount’s passionate and established winemakers ensure that consumers experience accessible fresh, bright wines that deliver intense fruit flavours. This distinctive style and quality has made Rosemount a favourite with Irish wine drinkers over the last 20 years, and resulted in the brand being placed in this year’s top 10 c-store wines list.
The Rosemount Diamond Cellars range offers an accessible interpretation of the Rosemount style. The wines are approachable and are created to delight, every day of the week.
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