www.retailnews.ie|September 2015|Retail News|67
On The Vine starting to really take off here and we will look at that sector in its own right in the coming months. Prosecco is still selling in great volumes, particularly as a treat wine for special occasions. This Italian wine style seems to have gained a social cachet of its very own, despite there being a huge range of other really good value sparkling wine styles on offer here. The Irish wine consumer knows what he/she likes and for the younger consumer, it has to be Prosecco!. Price is all important and so too are alcohol levels. The consumer will buy more red wine as the winter approaches and people start cooking stews and roast dishes. So the advice this autumn is to keep a range of fresh and fruity red wines on your shelves but make sure you include wines with lower alcohol levels. You should increase your range of red wines. Good full bodied quality wines from Australia and Chile are still driving red wines sales here, but make sure you also have an Argentine red on your list as this rapidly becoming a “must stock”, especially, Argentine Malbec. Red wines from France are also very much in vogue, French wine achieved sales of 987,920 nine-litre cases for off trade sales in 2014, a volume increase of 6.1%. Value sales of French wine for the same period increased by 7.1%. Most of the off trade growth for French wine can be attributed to price promotional activity. Spain is another country to keep an eye on. Look out for a generic promotional event in Dublin this autumn which is being organisd by the regional bodies of Rueda and Ribero del Duero from the region of Castilla y Leon. We will look now at the some of the wine offerings out there this autumn that will help drive wine sales for the retailer.
Trapiche (Coman’s Wines) Argentine Malbec is very much on trend at the moment: the full bodied wine style is robust and will appeal to the red wine drinker. Trapiche is a winery in Mendoza, which was founded in 1883. It was twice awarded IWSC Argentine wine producer of the year, in 2004 and 2008. Most of the fruit produced by Trapiche comes from the eastern part of the Mendoza region. Coman’s will be holding their portfolio tasting in the Radisson Blu in Golden Lane, Dublin 8 on October 6 (see separate panel). Make sure you go and taste the Trapiche range, which will be on promotion this autumn. First Cape (10 International)
Coman’s Portfolio Tasting COMAN’S Wines will be holding their Wine Trade Fair on Tuesday, October 6 in the Goldsmith Hall at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Golden Lane, Dublin 8. The event is exclusive to trade and press guests by invitation. It will commence at 13:00 with a Masterclass with Marcelo Belmonte from the Trapiche Winery exploring Malbec, followed by the wine fair, which opens at 14:00 and will run until 18:00. Coman’s are keen to highlight the comprehensive range of wines in their portfolio. Representatives from 20 of the world’s greatest wineries will be travelling to Dublin to take part in the show. As well as having the opportunity to meet with the winery representatives, there will also be lots of great wines available to taste and assess. Some of the wineries taking part include: Champagne & Sparkling Wine: Joseph Perrier AOP Champagne, Castillo Perelada DO Cava; New World: Casa Lapostelle (Chile); Finca las Moras (Argentina), Peter Lehmann (Australia); Robertson (South Africa), Simonsig (South Africa); Trapiche (Argentina); Undurraga (Chile) and Wither Hills (New Zealand); France: AOP Beaujolais & Burgundy, Mommesin; AOP Bergerac, Chateau Pique Segue; AOP Bordeaux, Burkes of Bordeaux; AOP Chateauneuf du Pape, Victor Bernard; AOP Corbiere, Chateau Carbonac; AOP Giondas, Pierre Amadieu; AOP Rhone, Boisset; Chateau de Sancerre & Pouilly Fume, Marcel Martin; AOP St Emilion, Château Boutisse; AOP Touraine, Sablenay; Germany: Mozel, Dr Loosen; Italy: DOCG Chianti, Fattoria Machiavelli; DOCG Gavi Nicola Bergaglio; Spain: DOC Navarra, Bodegas Ochoa; DO Rias Baixas, Salterio; DO Rueda & Ribero del Duero, Protos, DOCa Rioja, Bodegas Muga. For more information, contact: Redmond Gavin, Coman’s Wines, Belgard Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24. Tel: (01) 4519146, www.comans.ie. The wine fair organiser is Jean Smullen Tel: (086) 8168468 (jean@jeansmullen.com), who can be contacted for invitations.
Argentine Malbec is very much on trend and Trapiche is one of the finest examples on the market.
First Cape, the hugely successful South African wine brand, is produced by an amalgamation of small South African producers and is one of the big success stories of the current downturn. Their pricing and quality is a key to the brand. The wine is available in a range of styles including red, white and rosé.
Il Tauro (Luca Botter)
(Barry & Fitzwilliam) Salice Salentino is a wine region in the southern part of Apulia, known as the heel of Italy. Wines from this region were enormously popular about 10 years ago and now they seem to be gaining a presence once more. Made from the Negroamaro grape, the alcohol levels are relatively low and the normal RRP is €14. Look out for this on offer this autumn: a lovely fresh Italian red wine style with much appeal.