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Tesco lists first wine after Dragons' Den initiative at LIWF

Published:  17 July, 2012

Tesco has commended innovation as it lists its first wine on the back of its Dragons' Den-style initiative at London International Wine Fair.

Tesco has commended innovation as it lists its first wine on the back of its Dragons' Den-style initiative at London International Wine Fair.

The supermarket has added South Africa's Spice Route Winery's Chakalaka 2009 to its Wine by the Case list.

Spice Route, made on the Klein Amoskuil winery near Malmesbury, is owned by influential South African winemaker Charles Back, who founded Fairview in Paarl. He developed the Swartland estate in 1997, and Tesco will stock Chakalaka 2009: made up from 37% Syrah, 21% Mourvedre, 18% Carignan, 10% Petit Syrah, 10% Grenache and 4% Tannat, for £11.99.

Product development manager Laura Jewell MW, who along with the Tesco wine team met over 120 suppliers at the fair, said: "We have been able to turn this new listing around really quickly, although there are a number of other products still under discussion with potential suppliers which will take a bit longer to land. As well as new wine listings we are also exploring some new packaging concepts which we hope to be able to take forward soon."

Jewell added that the grocer had been impressed "with the level of innovation and new products" shown. She said Tesco was planning to add more wines, including from countries not currently represented on Tesco's list.

Spice Route winemaker Charl du Plessis said Chakalaka was a "medium bodied wine, exhibiting aromas of smoky cloves, giving way to plum and black-cherry".

For the first time ever Tesco took a stand at the LIWF back in May to allow the trade to pitch its wines and share its ideas in what it described as a 'Dragons' Den' style environment. Its aim was to "break down barriers" and make it easy for suppliers to meet with its BWS buyers to taste new products and hear fresh ideas.

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