Origin Wines is set to introduce three new ranges in to the UK and international wine markets covering low alcohol, organic, Fairtrade and premium wines.

All the ranges were first presented to the trade at this week's Vinexpo exhibition in Bordeaux and are part of Bernard Fontannez, Origin's chief executive's strategy to keep the company fresh and relevant in the international wine marekts.

"We have to be looking to re-invent ourselves all the time. To present new and genuinely different products," Fontannaz told Harpers at today's Vinexpo show.

As part of its Fairtrade offer Origin is introducing a new premium offer, Unsung Hero, which looks to highlight the story of one of its workers or winemaking team in its Fairtrade vineyards in South Africa, Chile and Argentina.

The back label of the wine will feature a picture of the "unsung hero" with a short biography of themselves and what the Fairtrade project has meant to them.
There will be one Unsong Hero for Chile, Argentina and South Africa per vintage.

"We do not have chateau to sell our wine, we have people and this is all about rewarding them and highlighting the work they do and how important Fairtrade is to them," explained Fontannaz.
Importantly, he added, the Unsung Hero wines will be aimed at the premium level with a price point of around £9.99 pounds and is being launched with a Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon blend from South Africa.

Origin invited Jacques Lurton to give them some consultancy advice on how to combine some of the Old World values to its New World wines. "We wanted to create a bona fide premium Fairtrade wine, but with a human dimension. The wine is already on sale in the United States, and will be launched to the UK trade at the Wines of South Africa tasting in October.

He conceded the premium category was a "challenging one" in the UK but was confident the market was coming back, particularly for "more interesting, genuinely different wines". "It went away for four or five years, but there are positive signs again."

It has also introduced a premium Argentine Malbec, MV, made by Jimena Lopez from five blocks in Mendoza, which has sold out on allocation in the United States which could also be available in th UK in future vintages.

"There is a lot of demand for Malbec in the US and the market is just going to get bigger. It is really hot there now."

Argentina, overall, he said now offered greater potential than Chile, particularly when looking at higher price points.

It will also be launching a new low-alcohol range at the WOSA tasting to compete under £5 (see separate story).