Arniston Bay and Welmoed to unveil brand extensions

After the announcement of the distribution partnership with Percy Fox & Co, the company of wine people are to unveil a series of range extensions and new vintages of its core brands Arniston Bay and Welmoed.

The new range extensions will be presented at the Wines of South Africa Mega Tasting on October 13 and 14, and will include The Lighthouse Collection from Arniston Bay and a new addition to the Welmoed portfolio, Welmoed Heyden's Courage, plus new 2009 vintages from Arniston Bay.

The Lighthouse Collection is a range of lower alcohol wines at 10-11 per cent volume, that aim to address some of the challenges relating to health and the environment. They are available in red, white and rosé varietals with an RRSP of £4.99, they are presented in lightweight glass bottles to reduce packaging waste and lower the overall environmental impact of the product.

A premium addition to the portfolio for the independent and on-trade sector, the Welmoed Heyden's Courage range comprises two high quality white and red blends with an RRP of £6.99.

Barney Davis, brand and business development manager for the company of wine people said: ‘For us, this year's WOSA Mega Tasting offers the chance to highlight to both the trade and the consumer the strong sales momentum that we have seen for the Arniston Bay brand over the past twelve months. At the company of wine people we are focused on building strong, sustainable brands in core markets with sufficient investment in quality, packaging and innovation that competes head on with the best that other wine countries have to offer. With the help of Percy Fox & Co we expect to see the success that we've seen for Arniston Bay mirrored across our entire portfolio of wines."

Latest figures reveal that Arniston Bay off-trade sales are up 30% by value and 31% by volume (AC Nielsen: 52 weeks to 08 August 2009), making the brand one of the fastest growing in the UK.