TWE targets on-trade with ethical wine brand

By Lisa Riley

Published: 04 May, 2021

Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has launches a premium sustainable wine brand exclusively for the on-trade.

Launching with Molson Coors Beverage Company, the Coastal Reserve brand comprises wine varietals from Europe including Merlot from Spain, Sauvignon Blanc from France and Pinot Grigio Rosato from Italy.

With sustainability at the core, the wines are Vegan certified and would appeal to the “increasing pool of consumers who seek environmentally friendly products and brands that have a purpose”, said TWE.

Moreover, TWE said it had, when creating the range, "consciously made supply chain and packaging choices” to minimise environmental impact, including sourcing and shipping European wines in bulk to minimise shipping miles and emissions, and using light-weight bottles and labels made from 100% recycled paper.

“2020 was an incredibly challenging year for the hospitality sector and this has had a big impact on how operators plan ahead, particularly when it comes to making decisions on what to stock,” said Tony Watson, commercial director UK & Ireland at TWE.

“It is vital as a supplier, more so now than ever, to offer something that will bring quality messaging to a drinks’ menu, that resonates well with consumers and will remain front of mind for a return visit.

“We believe that with Coastal Reserve, we have a wine that really answers that need and will resonate with the ethically-minded consumer of today. Not only are the wines of premium quality, consumers can feel good about their choice too,” he said.

For the Coastal Reserve launch, TWE has partnered with not-for-profit organisation Plastic Oceans Europe to focus on raising awareness around its sustainable efforts and “take a step in the right direction” to reducing plastic pollution.

“We are delighted to partner with Plastic Oceans Europe to help support and address important issues with plastic pollution and to launch this with Molson Coors,” said Watson.

Gary Keller, wine controller at Molson Coors, added: “We’re thrilled to be working with TWE to launch Coastal Reserve and further broaden our wine offering, which currently stands at a 750-strong range, with more than half of these being exclusive to the UK on-trade.

"Crucially for our customers, we’re seeing consumers increasingly looking for great tasting options that reflect their desire to consume more sustainably, and Coastal Reserve offers exactly that. As a brand, Coastal Reserve resonates with us and its wider sustainability goals.”

In February, it was announced that Michelle Brampton had resigned from her role as MD of TWE Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), as reported by Harpers.