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Strong Cockburn's Port sales drive category growth

Published:  25 January, 2016

Sales of leading Port brand Cockburn's rose 14% in 2015, owner Symington Family Estates announced today.

Cockburn's Special Reserve performed particularly well, with sales up 23% year on year, due both to marketing initiatives such as the bicentenary packaging introduced for the festive market, and refinements to the quality of the wine itself.

Sales of the premium Graham's Port brand also grew 13%, suggesting that there is room in the market for further premiumisation.

Graham's Late Bottled Vintage, 10 and 20 Year Old Tawny and Quinta dos Malvedos Vintage Port sold particularly strongly.

Port sales increased 1% by volume and 2% by value through 2015, data from Nielsen reveals.

Port now has the largest share of the UK Fortified market by value, ahead of Sherry, Vermouth and Madeira.

Paul Symington said: "The new data confirms our conviction that Port would perform exceedingly well in 2015 despite some pessimistic forecasts.

"The category has gone from strength to strength, proving the doubters wrong. Our determination to revive the quality of Special Reserve and to recover its iconic status has certainly paid off."

Symington Family Estates acquired Cockburn's in 2010. It has returned the brand to a focus on the quality of its wine, and similarly revived its classic 1960s bottle design.

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