New ‘Man’ Wine Hits The Shelves
The Californian wine makers E&J Gallo think they have spotted a gap in the market and have made a wine range aimed at men.Wine has long been considered a market dominated by women but Gallo feel with good marketing they can cut out a male niche. The new range signifies a new direction in their business model, after they recently stated they are looking to decrease the volume of wine they sell in 2009 by canceling some of their discount offer deals with retailers. Instead they aim to provide more sturdy “reliable” red and white wines that people can buy and know exactly what they will be getting.
The ‘Redwood Creek’ range is aimed at 35-65 year old men who have an enthusiasm for the great outdoors.It is not aiming to venture into the extreme sports of even very active sports markets but instead aims at appealing to those who they would consider “active in nature”.Outdoor pursuits that Gallo has said their new wines are inspired by include fishing, camping, hunting and hiking. They have already created links with the woodland trust, the Tourist Board of California,Riedel Glass and clothing label ‘Regatta’. The method of partnering with other strong companies is a tactic that has worked well in the States and they hope this will carry over the UK.
The new range of wines includes a simple Chardonnay and a couple of reds, a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon. Iain Newell marketing director for Europe has said that the new wine charms the very soul, with a rugged quality and a rich taste. “They will be everything you associate with nature and activity” comments Newell, “freshness, passion and full flavours” are all qualities that this wine boasts.There was a lot of time and effort put into the research for this project and if early US sales reports are anything to go by, it was well worth it.
