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Andrew Peller Limited President and CEO John E. Peller (left), pictured at the 2008 TFWA World Exhibition with Greg Berti, Vice President, Estates Wineries and Global Markets |
CANADA. Peller Estates has unveiled details of its continuing expansion in the international travel retail sector as well as successful brand promotions in airport stores across the globe for its Icewines.
The Moodie Report shared a glass of the company’s Riesling Icewine with President and CEO John E. Peller, the third generation of this established wine-making family, during the TFWA World Exhibition last month. Mr Peller spoke of how more than 45 years ago his grandfather, a Hungarian immigrant named Andrew Peller, realised his dream to offer Canadians world-class wines that were produced from Canadian-grown grapes. Andrew Peller is now considered a pioneer in the evolution of the Canadian wine industry.
According to John Peller his grandfather set up a number of other businesses, including a newspaper and a brewery, before settling on wine-making. And it was an excellent ancestral decision, judging by the reaction to the brand from customers who gathered at the company’s annual shindig at the Majestic Hotel on the Tuesday evening of TFWA week.
Peller makes travel retail progress
Peller Estates Icewines are available across the whole Canadian airport store network via The Nuance Group and Aldeasa, as well as in Canadian border shops operated by Duty Free Americas. In the US, HMS Host at Seattle Airport targets Asian, American and European customers very successfully. The brand is most popular among Americans, followed by Asians, according to Andrew Peller Limited Vice President, Estates Wineries and Global Markets, Greg Berti.
The company entered duty free in Europe 18 months ago, where World Duty Free carries the Icewine products in the five London Heathrow terminals. Other top-performing outlets include those run by Aer Rianta International, both in Ireland and at Kiev Airport. The supplier is facing labelling and certification hurdles before it can enter the Russian market, where ARI is a major player at Moscow airports, but Berti has high hopes for his Icewines in the Russian Federation, as research had shown that 86% of the wine drunk by Russians are white wines. Research had also indicated that the Russians are fond of sweet wines, he added.
From Spring 2009, the company plans to launch its Riesling Icewine into the UK and European travel retail channel, where the brand’s Vidal, Oak Aged and Cabernet Franc Icewines are already on the shelves. Up to now, the Riesling Icewine has only been available in Canadian and US domestic and travel retail markets, where it has been very successful, according to Berti.
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From left: Peller Estates Riesling Icewine – set to launch in European duty free – Cabernet Franc and Oak Aged |
Sampling promotions
During 2008 leading travel retailer World Duty Free has been undertaking sampling promotions, which aided shoppers’ conversion into purchasers, said Berti. As part of the sampling process, the company had targeted wine enthusiasts with wine and food matching, using a glossy brochure entitled The Art of Wine and Food. “We have noted the sophistication of the British consumers – they have a high level of appreciation for wine,” he told The Moodie Report.
Travel retail-specific gwps had included a 5cl miniature with 50ml multi-packs. The three-pack is a duty free exclusive and contains Cabernet Franc, Vidal and Oak Aged Icewines. The pack retails at £65 and is the company’s best-selling item in Europe, according to Berti. The company also produces a four-pack for gifting purposes. Launched in the Canadian duty free sector last year, it is already the second best seller after the three-pack.
From 2009 a new gwp will be available in Canada comprising a backpack with two bottles of Icewine. “This new gwp is a travel-related presentation that’s convenient and easy to carry,” explained Berti, who added that the company had given away a scarf as a promotion at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. In addition the company will be supplying a luggage tag hooked around the neck of a bottle as another gwp with relevance to travelling consumers, said Berti.
“Wine is not a product – it is a consumer experience, which can be given as a gift and to show hospitality,” Berti concluded.
How Peller Estates Icewine is made
Canada’s Niagara Peninsula is a fertile wine-producing area. Its geographical position places it within the same range as the Champagne region of France, Rioja in Spain, Northern California in the US and the Chianti Classico region in Italy. Canada’s climatic conditions are optimal conditions for growing grapes – long, warm and sunny summers followed by dry, sunny autumns create cool-climate wines that have concentrated flavours.
Consistently freezing Canadian winters provide Peller Estates winemakers with naturally frozen grapes that become award-winning Icewines with intense fruit-forward aromas and flavours and a balanced, sweet taste. The production of Icewine is a precarious business, as the fruit is left on the vine well into the harsh winter months, and harvesting only takes place at night in temperatures below minus nine degrees Celsius. The grapes are then carefully hand-harvested, sorted and pressed while frozen. It takes every grape from an entire vine to yield enough juice to make just one bottle of icewine – ten times the amount of grapes used to make regular wines. The concentrated juice then goes through several weeks of fermentation, followed by several months of barrel ageing. The resulting icewine is sweet and aromatic, with an alcohol content of about 10% abv.
The company’s winery at Hillebrand, five miles from Peller Estates in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario was the site of Niagara’s first Icewine harvest in 1983, and research projects are consistently being undertaken by Peller Estates to develop new techniques and grape varietals.
Peller Estates: Canadian Icewine leaders
Peller Estates is a leader in the Canadian wine industry and is best known for its award-winning Icewines (the winery also produces table wines). The winemaking team is led by Winemaker Lawrence Buhler who oversees all vineyard and winemaking operations. The winemaking process uses small batches, minimum handling and extensive barrel ageing. Peller Estates Icewines are available in travel retail stores, fine wine shops and restaurants in the Americas, Asia and Europe.
The winery is located in the heart of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, and is operated by the third generation of the Peller family. The name “˜Icewine’ is well known, but recent research has told Peller Estates that many consumers are not fully aware of what it is, how it is made, what it tastes like, and when and how to serve it. To this end Peller Estates runs a gourmet restaurant at the winery where its own wines accompany each course.
Peller Estates Icewines have won around 50 awards since 2005, including Gold at Vinalies International, Paris this year for Peller Estates Vidal Icewine 2006 and Peller Estates Riesling Icewine 2006, and a Gold medal – Best in Class last year at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London for its Peller Estates Vidal Icewine 2005.
MORE STORIES ON PELLER ESTATES ICEWINE
Peller’s Bill Harvey moves to IntraBrands Inc – 25/09/08
Peller Estates adds to gold medal chest – 04/02/08
Peller Estates begins ‘exceptional’ icewine harvest – 15/01/08
