Sandeman: Port bottled with spirit attitude

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 04 May, 2016

Sandeman is showcasing its rebranded tawny port at the London Wine Fair - which has been bottled to resemble a whiskey bottle.

The new bottle is now transparent to show off the port's amber colour and also has a glass stopper rather than screw top.

Portuguese wine producer Sogrape's new UK director Goncalo Sousa Machado explained that the bottle is designed to be more like a spirit.

He said: "Unlike ruby port, tawny port is stored in vats which have contact with the air, so it will last a lot longer and won't spoil. Historically in the UK, ruby port has been more popular, but with the tawny port we want to move towards a premium drink that can be enjoyed in the same way as a malt whiskey could be enjoyed."

Sandeman have also released their 2000 vintage this year, which has a strong marketing message around the brand's "The Don" character.

This range has been released to celebrate the brand's 225^th anniversary.

Machado added: "There are six bottles in the range, and each of them tell a story which is written clearly on the bottle. One of them tells the story of the hat and cape character known as The Don. The image has become iconic for us it conveys a strong sense of personality and narrative."

The distinctive hat and cape figure holding a glass of porto has been used as the company's logo ever since it was created in the early 20^th century.

Machado has been part of the Sogrape group for 15 years but stepped into the UK director role earlier this year.

Sogrape currently has wines from Spain, Portugal, South Africa and New Zealand and is looking to grow their international portfolio under Machado's leadership.

Printer friendly version