All change for Whyte and Mackay

Published: 18 January, 2007

Whyte and Mackay is relaunching its range of whiskies with a new-look design, inspired by Glaswegian artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh. A double lion rampant in red will be the focal point in a move towards a more contemporary look. A futher change will see each of the aged blends released a year later, which will introduce a 13, 19 and 22 year old to the portfolio. A completely new blend, to be named Prize', will also be added later in the year. The Whyte and Mackay range retails for between 11.99 and 124.99.

PLB's box of tricks

With the World Cup firmly in mind, PLB has introduced two-litre bag-in-box packaging for three different lines. The Dumisani and Winter Hill brands will both be available in the new format, and a new range from Australia, Snappygum, will also recieve the box treatment. Asda is the first retailer to list the new formats and Claire Summersby of PLB commented: 'There is always a wide range of value beer offers during an event like the World Cup, but there isn't the same choice for wine. The two-litre box means the wine consumer isn't left out.' Snappygum comprises two blends - Shiraz/Cabernet and Semillon/Chardonnay - which are made at the Tandou winery in Monash under the consultancy of PLB's Kym Milne MW. All boxes retail for 8.98 in Asda.

More duals for the crown

The Buckingham Estate range from Buckingham Vintners has two new members and they're currently listed in Morrisons. Verdelho/Chardonnay and Cabernet/Petit Verdot are the latest additions to the 'Crown Duals' range and Cliff Roberson, chairman of Buckingham Vintners said: 'We are really pleased to have gained these listings for Buckingham Estate which is proving to be an accessible but premium Australian brand'. The 2005 vintages of the new wines will retail for 4.99 each.

Whitley Neill dresses up

Whitley Neill London Dry Gin has received a packaging boost in the form of new labelling, focusing on the Baobab tree logo, which is the African source of one of the gin's botanicals. The metallics on the front label have also been enhanced. The overall aim is to improve on both back bar and on-shelf presence. Whitley Neill launched in September 2005 and is currently available in the UK on- and off-trades. It is also a member of Gintime (gintime.com), an online source of gin news and bar reviews, and it just been taken on by a US distributor.

Wine pourer and decanter in one

The newly launched 'Final Touch' pourer is a glass bubble designed to enable the full scent and flavour of a wine to be released without the need to decant the wine or wait for it to breathe. The bubble slots into the bottle neck and allows the wine to mix with

air as it is poured into the wine glass, encouraging the aromas and characterisics to emerge. The 'Final Touch' wine pourer comes with a gift box and stand and is widely available in cook shops for the suggested retail price of 9.99.

Mission Hill introduces new range

Mission Hill Family Estate in British Columbia has released its new Select Lot Collection (SLC) range in the UK. The wines have been made from selected fruit from particular vineyard plots and are aimed at both the on- and off-trades. There are four wines in the range: a 2004 Chardonnay, a 2004 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, a 2002 Merlot and a 2002 Syrah. Winemaker, John Simes, explains: 'The Okanagan terroir is really unique.

It lends itself perfectly to the production of these elegant, food-friendly wines with New World flavours.' Mission Hill Family Estate is represented in the UK by Lanson International UK. All four wines retail at a suggested price of 24.99.

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