Cantina di Soave: New Brands for 2010
By Marisa D'Vari | September 30th, 2010 | Category: Italy, News | No Comments »
Curious, isn't it, the way that wine drinking in America goes through phases? Decades ago "Soave" was a very popular imported wine due to its mass market television advertising. Many wine geeks today recognize that Soave is a DOC in Northern Italy, and that the grape is garganega, but thirty odd years ago its likely most consumers didn't have a clue.
And even though Soave is a DOC, quality control wasn't the same then as it is now.
Boxed Wine and Millennials
If you've been following this blog, you know that I just turned in my thesis on wine and millennials, and the good thing about the 21 - 32 millennial generation (for winemakers) is that they are open to everything. So this decade, Cantina di Soave is launching several different brands of white wine, including two quality levels of Soave, into the American marketplace.
Now you may find it interesting that the first level is a "wine in a box" -- both a white blend of Garganega (the main grape of the Soave DOC) and Pinot Grigio, and a red blend of the native Corvina and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Why a blend?
Possibly because the international consumer is familiar with a mainstream grape like Pinot Grigio or Cabernet Sauvignon, but uncertain about Garganega or Corvina on their own. The produce is called Duca del Frassino and is a premium quality, attractively packaged box that holds four bottles of wine.
Cantina di Soave: Market ResearchToday I met with several officials from Cantina di Soave, who are convinced from market research that boxed wines, currently very popular in Europe, will be the next thing in America, especially among the Millennial generation. From my frequent travels and studies for the MW program, I tend to agree that this may be possible. The reason is that Millennials have no memory of boxed wines from the past that may have been inferior to what is available today due to stricter quality controls and higher technology, and also because boxed wines are actually fun and stylish.
Think of the joy of first buying and then opening your iPod or iPad -- there's a lot to be said for a clean, geometric shape without muss or fuss.
Premium Brands
The company is also launching the premium brands Rocca Sveva and Re Midas. Re Midas is meant to showcase the indigeous grapes of the Veneto, Corvina and Garganega. Rocca Sveva Estate wines will include traditional blends of the native grapes, with the difference being they are grown on the premium hillside vineyards.
From a business point of view, it seems as the company has the right model in terms of creating products that appeal to three distinct areas of the market. And the wines are all delicious and traditionally crafted.
I look forward to reporting back on how the wines are doing in the American marketplace - if you see it in a shop, you can feel very comfortable picking up a bottle (or box!) and trying it out.
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10/02/2010
Cantina di Soave: New Brands for 2010 | Wine Reviews
via awinestory.com
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