The inflight coup is being celebrated by Lars Johansson, head of Imagination Unlimited International Inc (IUI), Vincor’s global duty free representative.
Johannson puts the product’s success with West Jet down to a trend for unoaked Chardonnays among increasingly adventurous consumers. He explained: “Our palates are complex and new consumers are willing to experiment. Vincor International has developed a complete line of wines, dedicated to being unoaked, strikingly pure bouquets, fruit forward, fresher, easy to drink and can be consumed immediately. Where better to be introduced but onboard Canada’s fastest-growing airline, West Jet?”
IUI worked in partnership with the leading inflight concessionaire DFASS to secure the pouring contract onboard West Jet. DFASS Canada’s Director of Operations Darryl Miranda directed the bid process on behalf of IUI and Vincor.
Johansson said: “We entered the contractual bid to be considered by the West Jet panel of wine tasters, headed up by Carlos Aranas, Corporate Purchasing. We knew we had the right wine and we were delighted when we learned our Naked Grape Unoaked Chardonnay was the winner of all entries.”
Aranas and Miranda have met Vincor’s Chief Marketing Officer Roger Provost and Naked Grape’s Scott Starra, Marketing Manager, Popular and Proprietary Wines, to discuss the marketing plans.
“We are delighted by such valuable business for the brand – indeed it is a great sampling programme with Canadian consumers in general,” said Johansson.
Referring to IUI’s philosophy of innovation, he added: “The original concept of IUI was to bring new and tomorrow’s products to our clients, and we have done it again.”
For details on Vincor International’s brands, contact Lars Johansson, Imagination Unlimited International Inc, 603 Forest Hill Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060-5909, US, tel: +1 540 552 3355, fax: +1 540 552 6166, e-mail: lars.Johansson@Vincor.ca Visit www.vincorinternational.com
MORE STORIES ON VINCOR AND IUI
Vincor’s Jackson-Triggs named Best Canadian Winery – 13/04/06
Vincor’s Vidal Icewine flies high with Asiana prize – 03/04/06
Inniskillin parent company Vincor sold to Constellation in C$1.5 billion deal – 03/04/06
