Cono Sur launches new premium look for ‘Bicicleta’ range

Cono Sur is highlighting the quality of its Bicicleta wines to consumers with new, premium packaging, set to be unveiled to the UK trade for the first time at this month’s London International Wine Fair (LIWF).

The iconic bicycle that has become Cono Sur’s trademark is still featured on the front label while colour and gold embossing have been introduced to ensure the new, premium look conveys the high quality of the wine and stands out on shelf. The new packaging also includes the word “Bicicleta” on the front label for the first time. The back label will explain the significance of the bicycle to consumers, informing them that the wines are a tribute to “the Cono Sur vineyard workers [who] travel around the estate by bicycle, tending the vines using natural methods, in order to produce the best quality grapes”.

The new packaging launch coincides with the addition of Malbec and Pinot Grigio wines to the Bicicleta range, both of which will be on show at the LIWF.

New-labelled stock is set to arrive in the UK in August, so consumers can expect to see them on retailers’ shelves from late summer 2012.

Nicola Hale, marketing manager for CyT UK, comments: “The new label is a true reflection of Cono Sur’s identity as it conveys the importance we place on sustainability while also highlighting the quality of the wine inside the bottle. We wanted the bicycle to remain prominent on the label as it is very much at the heart of the brand’s values, but we also wanted to make sure that the packaging reflected the high quality of Cono Sur wines, so we’re thrilled with the result and we’re looking forward to hearing what our customers think at the LIWF.”

The new packaging will also include QR codes that link to Cono Sur’s UK website, www.conosurseasons.com, which has also undergone a re-vamp this year. The website aims to bring the brand’s personality to life with the inclusion of illustrated graphics of geese and sheep throughout the site, representing the geese and the sheep used in Cono Sur’s vineyards as part of their commitment to producing wine as naturally as possible. The new-look website is due to go live later this month with a range of new features including an interactive wine pairs game and a wine gallery, categorised by style, with direct links to stockists’ website.

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For further information and images, please contact the Cono Sur team at Phipps

Email: conosur@thisisphipps.com  

Tel: 020 7759 7400

NOTES TO EDITORS

Cono Sur’s head winemaker and general manager Adolfo Hurtado will attend the LIWF this year to show visitors the latest Cono Sur vintages and present wines which are new to the range. In addition to the Bicicleta range, the premium Cono Sur Reserva Especial and Cono Sur Single Vineyard ranges will also be on show for the first time. 

Isla Negra Wines Hit the Road in Major Sampling Initiative

As part of its ongoing “Inspired by the Coast” campaign, Chilean wine brand Isla Negra will be touring British coastal festivals this summer offering the chance to enjoy a glass of wine while taking in the surrounding sea views. Travelling with its branded Airstream Caravan, the Isla Negra team will be stopping at a number of coastal events and food festivals until September hoping to reach out to around 25,000 consumers.

Having already made its first stops at the St Ives Food & Drink Festival at the end of May and The Dorset Food Festival on 7^th and 8^th July, the Airstream Caravan will make its next outing at Eastbourne Extreme on 14^th and 15^th July where it will park up and open up, offering festival visitors the chance to taste the Isla Negra range of wines.  Next stop will be at Seafest Scarborough on the 20^th and 22^nd July, then to finish the summer holiday by the seaside, the Airstream Caravan will stop at the Morecambe Seaside Festival on 1^st and 2^nd September.

As part of Isla Negra’s integrated coastal treasure hunt campaign this year, visitors to the Airstream Caravan will also receive a card printed with one of 1 million unique codes, directing customers to the website to play the Beach Hut Game with prizes of 2,500 coastal holidays or discounts on Isla Negra wine for every entrant.  

Isla Negra Brand Manager Nicola Hale says; “By touring coastal festivals around the UK, we want to tell the Isla Negra brand story and engage with new and existing consumers and we hope our caravan tour will become a talking point on the food festival scene.”

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For further information and images, please contact Gemma Hood at Phipps

gemma.hood@thisisphipps.com   

0207 759 7400

Notes to Editors

• *Isla Negra is the number one Chilean wine brand by value and volume – Nielsen data 19^th March 2011  
• To find out more about Isla Negra, visit the official Facebook page at facebook.com/islanegrawine
• Isla Negra will be sampling at the following events this summer;
  • Eastbourne Extreme – 14^th-15^th July
  • Seafest Scarborough – 20^th-22^nd July
  • Morecambe Seaside Festival – 1^st-2^nd September

Isla Negra launches the UK’s biggest ever digital coastal treasure hunt this summer

CyT UK, the UK’s leading distributor of premium wines from the Americas, is launching a massive digital campaign for number one Chilean brand* Isla Negra.  Building on the Isla Negra ‘Inspired by the Coast’ coastal gallery and photography competition last year, which had over 750 entrants and more than 2,000 votes, Isla Negra is now launching  one of the biggest digital campaigns ever for a wine brand, incorporating a UK coastal sampling tour, online coastal themed games and a neck collar promotion.

New additions to the website include interactive coastal game, ‘Where am I?’ where users will be asked to guess the pictured UK coastal spot to be in with a chance to win one of eight coastal holidays worth up to £1,000. Clues to the location will be released via Isla Negra’s Facebook and Twitter pages and users will be able to ‘share’ each time they play the game.

Through the integrated online games, on shelf neck-collar promotions, and sampling events Isla Negra will be releasing 1 million unique codes to attract customers to engage with the Inspired by the Coast activity and play the Beach Hut Game, a digital scratch card game, to win prizes. Winning players will receive one of 2,500 coastal holidays, while those who don’t win will receive 50p off their next purchase of Isla Negra wine.

Isla Negra will also be live at sampling events at UK coastal spots throughout the summer** in its branded airstream van where visitors will be able to sample the wines, take pictures to add to the Isla Negra coastal gallery, and also receive a unique code to enter the online competitions.

CyT UK Marketing Manager Nicola Hale says; “This is the biggest integrated initiative that we have created for the Isla Negra brand and demonstrates a huge investment. By launching this innovative multi-platform campaign we’re able to reinforce Isla Negra’s link with the coast and engage with new and existing consumers.”

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For further information and images, please contact Rachael Everitt at Phipps

rachael.everitt@thisisphipps.com   

0207 759 7400 

Notes to Editors

• *Isla Negra is the number one Chilean wine brand by value and volume – Nielsen data 31 March 2012
• To find out more about Isla Negra, visit the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/islanegrawine  
• The new Isla Negra website www.inspiredbythecoast.com launched on Monday 25^th June
• **Isla Negra will be sampling at the following events this summer:
  • St Ives Food and Drink Festival – 26^th – 27^th May
  • Dorset Seafood Festival – 7^th-8^th July
  • Eastbourne Extreme – 14^th-15^th July 
  • Seafest Scarborough – 20^th-22^nd July 
  • Morecambe Seaside Festival – 1^st-2^nd September

Denhay – it’s not a Bacon Butty without it!

60 years ago in a quiet corner of Dorset’s Jurassic coast, Denhay Farms was established as a family business. Over the years they have produced award winning West Country Farmhouse Cheddar and more recently their famous dry cure bacon, the essential ingredient for the perfect bacon butty! 

Although a lot happened in 1952, it’s not just Denhay celebrating a Diamond Jubilee this year…

1952

• Denhay Farms was established in the heart of the West Country
• Children’s TV favourite Sooty first appeared on the BBC
• Churchill announced the UK were in possession of an atomic bomb
• Newcastle United FC won the FA cup for the 5th time
• London endured the Great Smog of ‘52
• The Summer Olympics was held in Finland
• Tea rationing ended after a whopping thirteen years!
• Oh, and Elizabeth Windsor become Queen, but you already knew that

As a family-owned business, the highest standards of production are used as well as a consistent focus on the welfare of animals, adding to their 60 years of success.

Denhay’s maximum taste comes from dry curing their bacon with sea salt, never freezing the meat and never adding water. Are we allowed to call it the Queen of the bacon world?

Don’t just take our word for it…there are enough goodies enclosed for you to test out your favourite bacon butty combination. For a little something extra try adding Denhay’s West Country Farmhouse Cheddar or some onions and mushrooms, as well as the perfect finishing touch - Tracklements ketchup or a fruity brown sauce to top it all off.

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For further information please contact Gemma Hood at the Denhay press office on 0207 759 7400 and gemma.hood@thisisphipps.com

Notes to editor:

• For more information on Denhay bacon or West Country Farmhouse Cheddar please visit www.denhay.co.uk
• Denhay dry cured bacon is available in smoked or unsmoked, back or streaky at Waitrose and Sainsbury’s stores nationwide from £2.99 for a 200g pack
• Denhay cheddar is available to buy at Waitrose as West Country Farmhouse Cheddar from £3.09 as well as in independent stores across the country
• Tracklements sauces are available at major retailers and at www.tracklements.co.uk

Spoil yourself, with new spoiltpig sausages

This summer tempt your taste buds with new spoiltpig sausages, launching on 16^th May at Morrison’s stores nationwide. We Brits are a nation of sausage lovers, with a massive 5 million of us eating sausages every day*, so even more reason to choose the tastiest sausages, produced to the highest welfare standards. We believe the best sausages come from pigs that have lived happy, healthy lives which is why all our pigs are outdoor reared, for the best possible taste. 

spoiltpig sausages are brought to you by Denhay Farms Ltd, using pork approved by Freedom Food to strict RSPCA welfare standards. It is the only UK farm assurance scheme that focuses entirely on improving the welfare of farm animals reared for food, so you can be sure your food comes from animals reared in the UK that have lived a happy, healthy life. The pigs spend much of their life outdoors and in comfortable straw barns, which we think makes all the difference to the taste.

Made to a traditional, tasty recipe, spoiltpig sausages are made with prime cuts of pork and then generously seasoned with herbs and spices, delicious for a barbeque, breakfast or in a bap! Available in Pork & Herb and Pork varieties, they are on sale in Morrison’s stores nationwide from May 16^th 2012. So go on, spoil yourself!

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• * www.lovepork.co.uk

Notes to Editors

• spoiltpig is brought to you by Denhay Farms Ltd based in Bridport, Dorset
• spoiltpig sausages will be available to buy in Morrison’s stores nationwide from 16^th May 2012
• For more information on Freedom Food certification please visit www.rspca.org.uk/freedomfood
• spoiltpig sausages are available in Pork & Herb with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme and Pork sausages with black pepper and mixed spices (£2.89 for 6 sausages/400g)
• For best results grill for 16 to 18 minutes, turning occasionally and ensuring thee sausages are piping hot throughout before serving.   

Kenyan Tea – make your own blend and discover the heart of a good cuppa

Britain is famously a nation of tea lovers with many of us drinking up to five cups of our favourite brew each day. Nearly half of us drink popular blended tea brands, but do you know where your tea leaves come from? It’s a well kept secret in your favourite cuppa, but most likely it will be Kenyan Tea.

Kenyan Tea is at the heart of many of Britain’s favourite teas blends, making up the 165 million cups of tea we drink each and every day in the UK. We’ve asked around to find out what makes your perfect cuppa, and while milky tea is still our favourite it seems we’re getting more adventurous. More are trying lemon or honey in a cuppa, while over a third of you are experimenting with the purer tastes of loose leaf, single estate and rare teas from around the world.

We’ve sent you three delicious Kenyan Teas with individual tasting notes and an essential tea brewing kit, so you can create your own perfect cuppa. Enjoy the teas on their own to discover the high quality and distinctive flavour of Kenyan Tea, or experiment to create your own personal perfect blend and discover what’s truly at the heart of a good cuppa. 

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About Kenyan Tea

• ·         Kenya
• ·         Kenyan Tea has been proven to have higher levels of antioxidants

Tasting Notes

• ·         Kenya Estate Milima Leaf Tea –
• ·         Kaamba Loose Leaf Tea
• ·         Kenya

Tea blending tips

• Work on the quantities of 1tsp of loose tea for a single cup, plus one for the pot. Steeping times will vary according to taste so try a little after two minutes or up to four for a stronger taste.
• Tea blending is a personal process, so try the teas separately in small amounts before blending to determine which taste you prefer.

Some suggestions:

• For a strong, malty taste try blending Milima with a small amount of the Kaamba loose leaf tea.
• For a fresh, crisp tea with an attractive bright colour blend Kenya Marinyn and Kenya Estate Milima Leaf Tea.
• Try the Marinyn and Kaamba teas together to offset some of the malty flavour for a bright, sweetish flavour.

For further information, please contact Gemma Hood on 0207 759 7400 or gemma.hood@thisisphipps.com

Enjoy the wonders of winter with Cono Sur wines

Enjoy the wonders of winter with Cono Sur wines

If you’ve been hard at work growing your own veg this year, you’ll be glad to know that Cono Sur Wines has made the task of choosing a wine that brings out the best in your home-grown ingredients a little easier.  The sustainable Chilean winery has teamed up with top chef and author of ‘The Allotment Chef’ Paul Merrett to investigate which wines match the flavours and textures of each season’s produce, and for winter – a season typified by earthy, slow cooked flavours – Merlot and Chardonnay proved to be the perfect matches. Videos of the workshop can be seen at www.youtube.com/user/cswinery.

Sampling a range of dishes, from Savoy cabbage with chestnuts to rich beef stews, Cono Sur’s winemaker Matias Ríos and his panel of experts concluded that Cono Sur 20 Barrels Merlot (Tescowine.com, Slurp.co.uk £15.95) with its notes of plum and cherry, and hints of pepper and coffee is a perfect match with hearty red meat dishes. As Channel 4’s wine expert Ewan Lacey commented ‘there’s something very lovely about it, with nice bitter tannins that dissolve as soon as you show it a piece of red meat, it’s very good with food.’

When it comes to matching Christmas food and wines, try a traditional turkey with all the trimmings accompanied by the fruity peach and mineral notes of Cono Sur Chardonnay (Tesco.com, yourfavouritewines.com £7.49) or Cono Sur Reserva Chardonnay (Sainsbury’s, yourfavouritewines.com £8.99) a balanced and refreshing wine. If you prefer a red wine with your turkey, Cono Sur Pinot Noir (Booths, Morrisons, Musgrave, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Tesco.com, yourfavouritewines.com £7.49) is a lighter bodied red with rich fruit notes enhanced by subtle smoked hints.  

If you want to serve a more innovative wintery dish, Paul Merrett has created an exclusive recipe of pheasant with game broth, winter root vegetables, pearl barley, Savoy cabbage & chestnuts, which matches perfectly with Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir (Morrisons, Waitrose £19.99). Displaying complex aromas of red fruits with a hint of leather and a lingering smokiness, award winning Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir has a long, smooth finish, making it an ideal accompaniment to a decadent dish of roast partridge or pheasant. 

If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration for winter warmers or Christmas feasts this year, check out the Cono Sur Green Cooks website www.conosurgreencooks.com and get busy in the kitchen making the most of your natural ingredients this winter, with a glass of Cono Sur wine!

Notes to Editor:

• To watch more videos from Cono Sur’s food and wine matching workshop, visit Cono Sur’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/cswinery
• Cono Sur was announced as the Drinks Business Green Company of the Year at the annual Drinks Business Green Awards on 7^th March 2011
• Cono Sur is at the forefront of the sustainability movement in the wine industry, becoming the first wine producer in South America (and the third in the world) to gain the ISO 14 064 certification in August 2010 after becoming one of the world’s first Carbon Neutral® wineries in 2007
• Cono Sur has teamed up with Paul Merrett to offer consumers a free copy of his recipe book, ‘The Allotment Chef’ when they purchase two or more bottles of Cono Sur Pinot Noir, Viognier and Gewurztraminer. Offer available in all participating Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose, Majestic and Co-op stores from 1^st October.

Stockists:

Cono Sur Merlot

Yourfavouritewines.com - £7.49

Cono Sur Reserva Merlot

Yourfavouritewines.com - £8.99

Cono Sur 20 Barrels Merlot

Corks Out, Corkscrew Wines, Hoults, Huddersfield, Neulin Trading Limited, Portland Wine, Cheshire, Slurp.co.uk, Tescowine.com, West End Wines, Woking £15.95

Cono Sur Chardonnay

Tesco.com, yourfavouritewines.com - £7.49

Cono Sur Reserva Chardonnay

Sainsbury’s, yourfavouritewines.com - £8.99

Cono Sur Organic Chardonnay

Yourfavouritewines.com - £8.99

Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir

Alfred the Grape, Constantine Stores, Corks Out, Corkscrew Wines, Daylesford Farm Shop, Gloucs,  Hailsham Cellars, East Sussex, Hoults, Huddersfield, Portland Wine, Cheshire, Morrisons, Waitrose, West End Wines, Woking, - £19.99

BRITISH ONIONS PREPARES FOR BUMPER CROP

2012 is set to be a great year for British Onions. The British Onion Producers’ Association (BOPA) has announced nearly all growers have completed harvesting and that this year’s yield is higher with improved quality.  

With increased yields comes the opportunity for the UK to become ever more self-sufficient.  With an annual onion consumption of roughly 600’000 tonnes, British production is around 500’000 this year which means the time is ripe for British Onion growers to secure a much larger slice of the overall market for the long term.

Southern hemisphere imports have been dropping since 2007 due to advances in storage techniques and earlier varieties in the UK.  Imports from Spain are also on the decline with British Onions being used for the three pack net, traditionally the domain of the Spaniards.

Robert Oldershaw of The British Onion Producers’ Association said “The quality of the crop is excellent this year.  Average yields across Europe are also higher but there is variable quality in the Dutch crop due to wet harvest conditions.

“The challenge for the British industry this year is finding a home for all of the crop as many processors have aligned themselves with growers and trading companies with contracted volumes for the year. Ultimately we’re aiming for 100% self sufficiency during the northern hemisphere season and harvests such as this one get us one step closer to achieve that goal.”

Founded in 1986, the British Onion Producers' Association Ltd was formed with the objective of improving quality standards and ensuring year round continuity of quality British onions, securing the profitability of growing British onions.

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For further information or photography, please contact Lynne.Shirley@phippspr.com or Gemma.Hood@phippspr.com.  Tel: 020 7759 7400

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