Gallo Family Vineyards (GFV) Summer Red is a blend of Zinfandel and Pinot Noir, has a lower alcohol content of 10.5% abv and is expected to retail, off promotion, in the UK for between £6 and £6.50.
The still family-owned and managed Californian wine producer, has also introduced a GFV Merlot Rosé to further strengthen its domination of the burgeoning rosé market.
Last year Gallo, which is once again the world’s largest wine maker, promoted ‘Rosé on the Rocks’ in the on premise sector and also floated the idea of wine cocktails with its Gallo Rosito, which was its white Zinfandel rosé with ginger ale as a long drink.
While chilling the likes of Pinot Noir and Beaujolais is not new or revolutionary to wine aficionados for many consumers without any in-depth knowledge of wine, the idea of chilling red wine is new.
Bill Roberts, Gallo’s vice president and general manager for Europe, Middle East and Asia, told a briefing that while the average price of a bottle of wine in the UK is now £4.58, 90% of Gallo wines sell at a higher price.
The company’s Carlo Rossi, Italian wine brand, continues to be a best seller in Poland while its GFV, Barefoot and E&J Brandy have been successfully introduced into South Africa.
Stephanie Gallo, vice president- marketing and grand daughter of one of the founders, Ernest Gallo, said that the Barefoot brand “has the potential to be a global brand”. To that end, senior marketing director – international, Amy Englehardt said that the company has four UK-based and five mainland European “Barefooter brand champions” who “taste, educate and celebrate the brand”. They intend to have 19 by the end of 2011.
E&J Gallo export to 90 countries with the UK accounting for approaching 60% of its total export volume. It accounts for 53% of total exported Californian wines.
