It is not uncommon for a celebrity to lend his or her name to a wine-making endeavor. Celebrity wine labels are pretty common abroad. The Jolie-Pitt & Perrin Cotes de Provence Rose Miraval from Chateau Miraval recently made it to number 84 on its list of top-100 wines of the year of the Wine Spectator Magazine. Francis Ford Coppola has lent his name to the high end Coppola wines, actor Antonio Banderas, South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes all have their own brand of wines. In India, the wine industry is evolving and is catching up with the rest of the world pretty fast.
Legendary tennis player Vijay Amritraj has lent his name to an Indian wine label for the first time. For Grover Zampa Vineyards that has brought Amritraj on board, this is a unique way to appeal to the international markets and step up its brand equity. The VA label in conjunction with Vijay Amritraj whose signatures appear on each of the bottles of red and white wine will be launched in London on June 29 during the Wimbledon. This is the first time an Indian winery has done any branding exercise of this nature.
?It is great to associate with Vijay Amritraj which has been among the best tennis players for the country and is also passionate about his wine,? Sumedh Singh Mandla, the chief executive officer, Grover Zampa Vineyards, told FE. A set of one red and one white wine has been launched with VA in bold letters and the signature of Vijay Amritraj adorning the bottle neck and the label. A booklet detailing his performance at the Wimbledon will be inserted in each package. Red wine is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier whereas the white wine is barrel fermented Viognier Reserve. Mandla says this is a limited edition and the first batch will be 1,000 cases. The wines are priced at Rs 1,200 per bottle and this year there are plans to make 2,000 cases.
?Amritraj has been working with us for the last two years and has been attending several tastings to understand his liking. The VA Collection wines will be distributed in international markets like the UK, USA, Europe and also in India,? he said. The wine is being made out of the Bangalore winery of Grover Zampa.
Grover Zampa has been exporting wine to 15 countries with France, Japan, and the UK being the top three markets for the company. For the new label, the company expects the UK, US and Asia to be its biggest markets. New markets such as China, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Dubai are also being explored, says Mandla. In the current fiscal year, the company is targeting 50% growth in export business to around 25 countries. The new targeted markets this year would include: The US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, additional Asian markets, Russian and additional European markets. The Grover La Reserve, Grover La Reserve Blanc, Grover Art Collection Series-Sauvignon blanc, Viognier Shiraz Rose’, Shiraz and Cabernet Shiraz are some top selling wines in the export markets.
Grover Zampa has been participating in several international at Decanter Asia Wine Awards and International wine & Spirit Challenge Hong Kong last year and has won several medals as well.
Mandla says the company has been focusing on repackaging and refreshing its range of wines in the medium segment which is the Rs 500-800 per bottle category. We have been refining our quality and are also working on packaging and want to make some sparkling wines as well, he says.
