SINGAPORE. Latin America’s leading wine producer Viña Concha y Toro has partnered with DFS Group to launch the travel retail exclusive Route of Cabernet Sauvignon from Casillero del Diablo.
For the month of April, the range was available as a world-first exclusive in DFS at Singapore Changi Airport, one month prior to a global travel retail roll-out.
“No longer should wine be the poor relation to spirits instore.” – Viña Concha y Toro Head of Marketing Asia Pacific Nani Mulet
Route of Cabernet Sauvignon, from the company’s flagship Casillero del Diablo brand, comprises three bottles sourced from three distinctive Chilean wine valleys: Maule, Rapel and Maipo. A series of eye-catching activations has been designed to take travellers on a journey through these valleys to the Devil’s Cellar in Pirque, where the ‘legend’ of Casillero del Diablo began.
As reported, the range is the first travel retail exclusive from Viña Concha y Toro as it seeks to invigorate the channel and drive wine category growth with Casillero del Diablo.
Viña Concha y Toro Regional Commercial Director Asia Pacific Philip Sancto commented: “Sales of Casillero del Diablo have almost doubled in the last three years in Asia’s domestic markets. South American wines have huge demand in this region, but are dramatically underrepresented in the travel retail channel. DFS has been instrumental in unlocking this market opportunity with us, and it has been a pleasure working with them to bring our first travel retail exclusive range to life.”
DFS Group Director Merchandising Spirits, Wine & Champagne Frederik Vanden Bulcke said: “DFS is proud to partner with Concha y Toro in launching this exclusive range of wines, accompanied by engaging and disruptive activations at Changi Airport. We are excited to debut this compelling combination to Changi’s discerning travellers, offering them even more opportunities to choose from the best wines and spirits during their travels.”
The launch activations will run throughout May across all four Changi terminals in both Departures and Arrivals. Travellers are invited to “taste their way through Chile’s storied wine regions” and learn about wine through gamification.
The displays are distinguished by elements of slate, wrought iron gates and brickwork, reminiscent of both the old cellar in Pirque and the underworld home of its fabled protector. According to the winemaker, folklore has it that Casillero del Diablo wines are guarded by the devil – a rumour spread by Viña Concha y Toro founder Don Melchor de Concha y Toro to discourage pilferage from his cellar more than 130 years ago.
To engage travellers in the legend of the Devil’s Cellar, Viña Concha y Toro has created an interactive wire loop game that features in the Departures Hall activations. In a race against the clock, players use a wand to navigate the wine valleys of the Route of Cabernet Sauvignon to the Casillero del Diablo wine cellar in Pirque. Should the wand touch the wire, a buzzer will ‘awaken the devil’ and the player will have to take a step back and restart the game.
A giant version of the game is being showcased in Changi Terminal 4*, where Viña Concha y Toro is running a pop-up event pod until 30 June. The company said this is the first time a wine brand is taking over this space, which also features a sampling station.
Viña Concha y Toro Head of Marketing Asia Pacific Nani Mulet commented: “No longer should wine be the poor relation to spirits instore. Our Route of Cabernet Sauvignon story is being shared in a bold and disruptive way. Through gamification, we are creatively guiding consumers through the valleys to make them true experts of both Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon and the legend of Casillero del Diablo. Travellers are clearly drawn to the passion that our brand holds. They are receiving a total experience and walking away with exceptional wines that can’t be found anywhere else.”
Viña Concha y Toro Global Travel Retail & Duty Free Director Diego Baeza added: “Being a relative newcomer to travel retail gave Concha y Toro the perfect opportunity to take a fresh perspective. Thanks to efforts led by our Asia Pacific team, we have delivered a unique proposition from Chile’s number one wine brand, Casillero del Diablo. DFS has matched our enthusiasm for the project and has been immensely supportive in its implementation. Changi is the perfect launch pad, and we’re very excited about rolling out the concept with DFS and other travel retailers in the coming months.”
In addition to the travel retail exclusive range, the activations feature Casillero del Diablo’s limited-edition Leyenda Cabernet Sauvignon. ‘Leyenda’ – which translates to ‘legend’ – has been sourced from Pirque in the heart of the Maipo Valley. The grapes are said to be from the best block in the Concha y Toro family’s oldest vineyards.
Shoppers who purchase any bottle from the range will receive a set of wooden coasters detailing the Chilean wine valleys and their distinct terroirs.
The Route of Cabernet Sauvignon activation is being rolled out to several locations over the coming months.
Speaking to The Moodie Davitt Report*, Mulet said: “This is one of the most ambitious 360-degree projects that Viña Concha y Toro has executed, and it really showcases our marketing prowess. The fantastic wine, beautiful labelling and bottle details, strong key visual and eye-catching instore activation platform, with an inspirational story behind the concept – all these elements combined elevate the product and convert travellers into true experts in Chilean wines.”
Since its launch at Changi, the range has been selling “incredibly well”, Sancto revealed. The 16 month-aged Maipo, in particular, is performing above expectations.
“Casillero del Diablo is usually a very commercial brand but this is taking us to new levels that it has never been sold at,” he said.
Sancto continued: “From June, the range will also be available at Abu Dhabi International Airport with DFS as well as Hong Kong International Airport with Duty Zero by cdf [China Duty Free Group and Lagardère]. In July, the journey continues to Vietnam with DFS, in both Ho Chi Minh City [Tan Son Nhat International] and Hanoi [Noi Bai International] airports. Beyond that, we are hoping to progress into North Asia – China, South Korea and Japan – as well as Australia and New Zealand, and expanding in Southeast Asia.
“We are exhibiting at the TFWA Asia Pacific for the first time next week, which we hope will open up even more opportunities,” he added.
*Note: The Moodie Davitt Report was invited to an exclusive tasting and tour of the Route of Cabernet Sauvignon activation at Changi T4. Stay tuned for the full interview with Viña Concha y Toro’s Regional Commercial Director Asia Pacific Philip Sancto and Head of Marketing Asia Pacific Nani Mulet.
Check out our Instagram post here and our Story Highlight ‘CasilleroDiablo’ here.
TFWA Asia Pacific debut
Viña Concha y Toro will spotlight Route of Cabernet Sauvignon at TFWA Asia Pacific, and is inviting delegates to play the interactive wire loop game on the stand (Basement 2, H34). The participant who clocks the fastest time each day will win a special prize.
One of the world’s top five wine companies, Viña Concha y Toro is seeking to develop partnerships to capitalise on the rapid rise of South American wines in the Asia Pacific region.
The company will present its diverse wine portfolio, which includes Chilean wine brands Casillero del Diablo, Don Melchor and Almaviva; Argentine wine brand Trivento; organic wine brand Bonterra; and Californian wine brands 1000 Stories and Adorada.
The current underrepresentation of South American wines in global travel retail – in spite of their popularity in domestic markets worldwide – offers great potential for growth, said Viña Concha y Toro Global Travel Retail & Duty Free Director Diego Baeza.
“In Asia in particular, our exceptional wines have seen sustained domestic success, and we’re looking to optimise our brand power in the region with solutions creatively tailored to the travel retail environment. Exhibiting at TFWA Asia Pacific this year is another step in our development and participation within the channel.”
Baeza continued: “Viña Concha y Toro has a unique portfolio of American wines, a rich heritage and a creative marketing approach, rooted in storytelling. We believe that this distinct combination of elements brings something new and exciting to the channel that will deliver exceptional value to shoppers and retail partners alike. We have a fresh perspective and are ready to think outside of the box, innovate and collaborate to drive wine category growth.”
