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Domaine Pinnacle President Charles Crawford (left) and Camus President Cyril Camus showcase the ice apple wine’s sparkling line extension in Singapore |
INTERNATIONAL. Domaine Pinnacle’s award-winning Summit Selection Ice Apple Wine range has been extended with a new sparkling version, which was introduced to the trade at TFWA Asia Pacific in Singapore last week. The new line extension was launched via exclusive distributor Camus.
Made from a blend of six different types of apple, Pinnacle Sparkling Ice Apple Wine is presented in an upscale, tube gift packaging, which houses a 37.5cl bottle. Over 80 frozen apples are used to produce one bottle, which the company said results in “a complex and intense sweet apple flavour with an excellent balancing acidity. Full and round in the mouth, its fine bubbles create a light, airy character.”
Domaine Pinnacle Founder and President Charles Crawford said: “Summit Selection Ice Apple Wine has performed extremely well in travel retail over the past year and the Sparkling version is a natural extension, meeting the consumer’s requirement for fresh, new products that are ideal as gifts or for self purchase. Commanding a premium price, thanks to its superior packaging and taste, Pinnacle Sparkling Ice Apple Wine offers retailers solid margins and has the support of industry specialist Camus behind it.”
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The new sparkling version is said to result in “a complex and intense sweet apple flavour with an excellent balancing acidity” |
Camus President Cyril Camus added: “Pinnacle Ice Apple Wine has already proved an excellent fit within our portfolio; a superb quality alternative aperitif or dessert wine which is growing in popularity with our international customer base. The new Sparkling version is a perfect addition to the offer and we are delighted to introduce it to the travel retail market.”
Pinnacle’s existing Summit Selection has been building distribution in travel retail via Camus with 2008 sales expected to grow by double digits in 2008. The line is widely available in Asia Pacific with listings at major airports including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Bangkok, Thailand, Singapore, Japan and Korea. The brand is also listed through Aer Rianta International in Moscow and in the UK through Alpha Group, France (Aelia), Ireland (Aer Rianta Retail) and Germany (Gebr Heinemann).
Speaking at a tasting of the Sparkling version in Singapore, Crawford said: “The conversion rate among consumers from tastings is around 80%, which is very high. We would do six to seven times our regular sales in a month as a result of tastings. One of the keys is getting staff educated so they can talk knowledgeably to consumers about this product.”
He added: “The ice apple wine market didn’t exist before we began producing it in Quebec in 2000. All our products are entirely handcrafted on our family-owned estate on Pinnacle Mountain. It’s already a C$10 million category in Quebec alone, it’s growing fast in duty free, and it has huge potential. Montreal Dorval Airport is our number one sales location, where many travellers purchase ice apple wine as a destination gift. Plus we benefit from the fact that certain markets have an affinity with apple products, among them Germany and Japan.”
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Ice Apple Wine aims to reach the travel retail Pinnacle with exclusive distributor Camus – 17/04/07
