E&J Gallo to launch male wine brand

Californian winery E&J Gallo is to launch a new male-oriented wine brand into the UK market.

The Redwood Creek brand is to be rolled out across both the on and off-trade markets after some success in the US, where it is a 2m case brand.

It is targeted at 35 to 65-year-old men and will fill a gap in the market for a red wine oriented brand, said Iain Newell marketing director for Europe.

"Following extensive consumer research we have developed a second premium wine offering from California, as we believe there is a gap in this area of the market," he said.

The initial range will consist of two reds, a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon and one white wine, a Chardonnay.

The brand will have an emphasis on the "great outdoors," and tie ups with the Woodland Trust, outdoor clothing label Regatta and the Californian Tourist Board are in the pipeline to drive the association. "This is more about hiking, fishing and camping than extreme sports and we are planning a programme of events and promotions around these areas to launch and develop the brand," said Newell.

The company also announced that it would be re-running its rosé over ice campaign, Rosé on the Rocks, in the on-trade following success last year. This year over 3,500 outlets will be involved in the campaign over the summer months.

New packaging for the Gallo Family Vineyards and Turning Leaf brands was also unveiled as the company looks to persuade consumers to reappraise its brands following work to improve the quality of the wines.