The Californian wine makers E&J Gallo think they have spotted a gap in the market and have made a wine range aimed at men.Wine has long been considered a market dominated by women but Gallo feel with good marketing they can cut out a male niche. The news of this new product follows the announcement that they will be reducing the amount of wine they make in 2009 by offering less wine deals to retailers. They will instead look to make more trustworthy and "reliable" bottles of wine that people can buy in the credit crunch at not risk getting anything unexpected.
The 'Redwood Creek' wine range is targeted at men aged between 35-65 and who have something of a passion for outdoor pursuits.It is not aiming to venture into the extreme sports of even very active sports markets but instead aims at appealing to those who they would consider "active in nature".Outdoor pursuits that Gallo has said their new wines are inspired by include fishing, camping, hunting and hiking. They have already created links with the woodland trust, the Californian Tourist Board,Riedel Glass plus the clothing label ‘Regatta’. The method of partnering with other strong companies is a tactic that has worked well in the States and they hope this will carry over the UK.
The new range of wines includes a simple Chardonnay and a couple of reds, a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon. Iain Newell marketing director for Europe has suggested the new wine charms the soul, with a rugged quality and a rich taste. “They will be everything you associate with nature and activity” Newell says, “freshness, passion and full flavours” are all qualities that this wine processes.There was a lot of time and effort put into the research for this project and if early US sales reports are anything to go by, it was well worth it.