Campo Viejo's Tempranillo number one red wine in UK

By Gemma McKenna

Published: 21 May, 2014

Pernod Ricard's Rioja brand Campo Viejo is reaping the rewards of a brand shake-up that sees its Tempranillo variety take the top spot for red wine in the UK by value.

According to Nielsen figures to April 26, 2014, Campo Viejo Tempranillo is now the third biggest-selling wine in the UK by value and the number one red wine.

In February 2012 the group moved away from using Crianza on the label, which must be aged for at least two years, to using the grape variety Tempranillo as a descriptor, which does not restrict ageing times. When it launched the Tempranillo variant, it said it believed Tempranillo had the ability to do for Spain what Sauvignon Blanc has done for New Zealand.

Campo Viejo claims to have "consistently tried to grow the Spanish wine category by championing the quality and characteristics, and raising consumer awareness, of the premium varietal, Tempranillo, most recently with the Streets of Spain festival".

Before launching the Tempranillo wine, the brand commissioned consumer research showing the UK wanted to try more balanced and progressive wine styles, prompting it to evoilve its Crianza offering to a 100% Tempranillo blend, rrp £9.09.

Lucy Bearman, head of marketing at Pernod Ricard UK, said: "Campo Viejo has leveraged its brand strength and performance to help UK retailers tap into this significant category growth opportunity and we're very happy to see the fruits of our labour rewarded with this exciting news. We can also confirm that the brand's average price per bottle is the highest in the top 15 wine brands at £6.80 - and the good news doesn't stop there. Campo Viejo Reserva has grown an impressive 9.5% and our Gran Reserva is up 78.9% in line with our strategy to drive premium growth and provide consumers with an opportunity to explore different expressions of Tempranillo for different occasions."

Printer friendly version