Houghton releases three Bandits in the UK

Constellation Europe is introducing a new range of wines into the UK from Australia's Houghton Winery, part of its Premium Estates portfolio.  Called “The Bandit” the range is named after the infamous Australian rogue Moondyne Joe. Each of the three labels tells the story of his last night of freedom and his eventual capture in the Houghton cellars


Clare Griffiths, VP consumer marketing, Constellation Europe, says: “Our target market for this wine is very wine-knowledgeable and quite traditional, but also likes to experiment every now and again – and that’s exactly what they can do with The Bandit range.  Not only in terms of trying something with an unusual label but also tasting interesting blends.  Sauvignon Blanc-Pinot Gris is a rare combination, particularly from a hot country like Australia.
 
"Houghton is a hugely respected winery and the most awarded in Western Australia.  Most of the labels in the portfolio rightly celebrate the winery’s heritage and great local winemakers like Jack Mann, who helped make its reputation what it is today.  But with The Bandit, we were sitting on a great story which we felt could be told in a fun, quirky way.  So, the labels are very different to the rest of the Houghton range.  We wanted to create a standalone brand that would give retailers something unique.  

“The Australian bushranger, Moondyne Joe, also known as The Bandit, was a serial jailbreaker who had been on the run for almost two years.  He had built up a reputation and even admiration among the public before he was eventually caught at Houghton’s cellars in 1869.  Each of the three wines in The Bandit range reveals details of his capture.

"The Sauvignon Blanc-Pinot Gris depicts The Bandit creeping into the Houghton Cellars in his carefully-planned outfit of a wheat sack, with barrels tied front and back to collect wine, and sheepskin-covered boots to hide his tracks.  The Chardonnay-Viognier shows the set of skeleton keys which he used to break into the Houghton Cellars; and the Shiraz-Tempranillo shows the kit he carried to tap into a four gallon barrel of wine.  Great wine was one of his main loves in life.
  
“The labels for The Bandit have colourful drawings of each episode, while the capsules have a classic prison uniform pattern to bring the story to life further.”


New to the market is The Bandit Shiraz Tempranillo 2008, The Bandit Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Gris 2009, The Bandit Chardonnay Viognier 200. RRP £8.99.

1 February 2010 - Felicity Murray