Cockburn’s given 200th birthday makeover

Cockburn’s Port will be appearing in limited edition coloured tins in the UK from November as part of the brand’s bicentenary this year.

There will be three colours available from November (Photo: Cockburn’s)

The tins will be available in black, gold and red, and come in the shape of the brand’s Special Reserve bottle.

The design is in response to calls to “brighten up the wine merchant’s shelves so as to attract a new generation of consumers” by adding colour to the Port category.

It is also being marketed ahead of the important Christmas period, which is the category’s most important time of year. “No Christmas dinner in the UK is complete without a glass of Port and the Cockburn’s bicentenary tins, at no extra charge to the consumer, will be the perfect complement to the festive decorations,” a statement released by the brand said.

The original Cockburn’s Special Reserve was launched in 1969 and designed to move the category away from exclusivity.

“This latest initiative is almost certainly the most original packaging idea ever developed for Port,” Cockburn’s claims.

Cockburn’s owner Symington Family Estates has high hopes for this year’s vintage as its harvest currently gets underway.

“A very good year for both Port and Douro DOC wines is a real prospect at this early stage, although a great deal depends on the weather over the next few weeks,” the company reported at the beginning of September.