Winemaker Canandaigua has unveiled new packaging for its popular Alice White range, featuring a colour-keyed label and cork distinctive to each wine.
Fitting the company's image and brand tradition, the look is decidedly untraditional. Each varietal and blend is getting its own front-label colour, vibrant shades of green, yellow, red, blue, orange and purple. In addition, the synthetic corks in each bottle match the label colours.
Brand manager Tim Peters said the labels and corks "fit perfectly with the attributes and characteristics of the fast-growing Australian wine segment. Consumers in this category are eager for products that capture the energy and spirit of Australia, and with our wine and our packaging, Alice White is meeting that challenge".
Alice White is a market leader among wines priced under €10, and has garnered a number of awards since its introduction in 1996. The brand has also drawn notice for its provocative back labels; each new vintage brings another installment in the unfolding story of Alice, a plucky British newcomer to Australia in the 19th century who manages to survive a series of adventures.
"Our packaging has always been interesting and unique," Peters said. "So while the colourful corks and labels might strike some as bold, they represent a natural evolution for this brand."
Currently Alice White is the fifth ranking Australian wine in the US and is also gaining in popularity in the European market. In the US, 2002 sales are on pace to nearly double over 2001. The brand's offerings include Chardonnay, Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet-Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Semillon-Chardonnay.
Alice White is made by Canandaigua Wine Company, a division of Constellation Brands. Canandaigua Wine, which claims to be the world's second largest wine company, markets and sells more than 40 well-known brands. The company is the largest single-source provider of these products in the United States, and both a major producer and independent drinks wholesaler in the United Kingdom.