Brancott Estate launches organic wine

Leading New Zealand wine brand Brancott Estate, part of the Pernod Ricard stable, has launched a new organic and vegan wine range in the UK.

The new Living Land series, which is being listed exclusively by Tesco (RRP: £11), is made from fully organic grapes grown from Marlborough certified by New Zealand’s leading organic certifier, *BioGro.

The series is already available in the domestic New Zealand market where it comprises a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, a Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, but currently only the Sauvignon Blanc will be launched in the UK.

Pernod Ricard’s off-trade channel director Chris Shead said there was a growing desire for organic wines in the market, pointing to

The Drinks Business recent ‘Top 10 Defining Drinks Trends, which put eco-sustainability and the rise of organics in the top spot of drinks trends that have changed the wine world in the last twenty years.

The category [is] on the rise and expected to grow in value by 10.5% and reach £1.15 billion by 2022, according to Nielsen (Nielsen total coverage period ending 23.03.19), Shead pointed out.

Brancott Estate’s chief winemaker Patrick Materman said the launch marked a significant milestone that epitomised the brand’s ongoing commitment to environmental programmes.

“Ever since we first planted Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough more than 40 years ago, we’ve known our vineyards are our greatest resource. As a founding member of New Zealand’s original sustainable winegrowing initiative, we have strong views on developing and running environmental programmes and have always made a conscious effort to limit any impact on the environment,” he said.

He said the special relationship the team had with the land made it easy to adopt practices that ensure the land is protected and enhanced for the future.

“With our Living Land Series, we celebrate the initiatives that we undertake to preserve the integrity of our vineyards and their environs,” he said.

According to brand owner Pernod Ricard,Brancott Estate is currently the number two New Zealand Wine brand in the UK and accounts for 12.8% of New Zealand’s wine sales (Nielsen MAT 05.01.09) and commanding a higher that average price at £7.01. The brand is also growing 5.6% in value terms, on volumes up 5.9%, it said, with a number of the Brancott Estate lines outperforming the category, including its Terroir Series, which is growing at 45.5%(Nielsen MAT 05.01.09).

Living Land was launched in New Zealand in 2014