Sainsbury’s has added a range of limited edition parcels to its Taste the Difference (TTD) range in the run up to Christmas, which will be refreshed every six months.
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The new ‘Taste the Difference Discovery’ range, which launches in store next month, is offering six “distinctive and unique wines” that have been sourced from its existing suppliers.
The initial range comprises an Alsace Riesling from winemaker Michel Lihrmann (RRP: £10), a Verdicchio Classico Superior dei Castelli di Jesi, a Muscadet Chateau Thebaud 2016, (RRP: £12), a Vino Nobile di Montelpuciano DOCG 2016 (RRP: £10) and a Cotes de Beaune-Villages 2019 (RRP: £18) from winemaker Laurent Mairet, and Faugères Syrah Grenache 2019 (RRP: £10).
Speaking to the drinks business, technical manager and winemaker Lisa Rogerson said the Discovery range, which retails for around £10-18, would showcase unique styles of wine that wouldn’t be in big enough volumes to sell all the year round. Normally, wines under the TTD range have a minimum of 50,000 – 60,000 bottles anywhere up to seven figure quantities, however some of Discovery range are only available in parcels of around 15,000 bottles, she said.
In most cases the wines have been made by the existing TTD suppliers, showcasing underrated grape varieties or a different style but the lower quantities involved mean it isn’t usually possible to put them on shelf.
Rogerson said the retailer had been considering launching smaller parcels for a while, but that “operationally it is easier to have a permanent range”.
However “changing it every six months will allow us to showcase unique wines we love,” she said.
Richard Maltby added that because the Taste the Difference range was a popular brand in its own right, it gave people the confidence to try new wines, making it a good vehicle to try something unique.
The six wines will be available from November until the New Year, but the team is already planning the summer range, which is likely to include more white, pink and sparkling wines.
Accessibility
The new range is part of a wider refresh of the Sainsbury’s range, which totals around 22 wines along with a handful of no- and low-, beers, ciders and spirits, plus with a few seasonal lines.
Among the wines is a a Coteaux du Giennois 2020 (RRP: £11), made by Clément Berthier, which is being marketing as a ‘baby Sancerre’ that offers a more accessible price point – although it was fortuitously sourced before the frosts, making it an addition “more by luck that planning”.
A Brouilly Chateau de Pierreux 2020 (RRP: £11) – “a baby red Burgundy without the price tag” – has also been added, which although made of Gamay grapes, offers a similar style to popular Burgundy wines.
It has also added a Pecorino, a Grillo and a Negroamaro under the Santodeno label, a Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa, and new Gavi di Gavi in the whites, while the Prosecco Rose DOC Millesimato 2020 adds a dash of sparkle for Christmas (RRP £10). Spain has also been boosted with the addition of the El Domador del Fuego Rioja, a Taste the Difference Garnacha DO Campo de Borja 2020 (RRP: £9) and an Old Vine Garnacha DO from Calatayud (RRp: £10).
If you like…
The retailer will also be trialling a new marketing approach in the aisles to encourage customer to try something different.
It comes off the back of customer feedback which shows that the majority of customers tend to stick to a relatively narrow range of wines, rather than experimenting across the spectrum of wines available.
