Market Watch, March 1, 2017

24 MARKET WATCH MARKETWATCHMAG COM MARCH 2017mwBRAND WATCHTeeling Whiskey Co Irish whiskey runs in the Teeling family John Teeling founded the Cooley Distillery which he sold to Beam in 2011 and his sons Jack and Stephen now run Dublin based Teeling Whiskey Co The company launched its Teeling Irish whiskey range in the United States in April 2014 and sold 700000 bottles worldwide last year with 30 percent to 40 percent of that in the U S market Last year Teelings sales were up about 30 percent Available nationwide the core range includes Teeling Small Batch 3999 a 750 ml which is finished in rum barrels Teeling Single Grain 4999 aged in California red wine casks and Teeling Single Malt 5999 aged in five different wine casks The offerings are derived from old Cooley stocks that the family acquired following the sale We saw opportunity in the 30 to 60 affordable luxury segment which is underdeveloped for Irish whiskey says sales and marketing director Stephen Teeling Weve taken a focused approach to pricing Were not trying to be mass volume The company employs 11 brand ambassadors around the country and marketing is mostly grassroots with a focus on cocktail development food pairings tastings and consumer educa tion The companys production facility the only active distillery in Dublin opened in March 2015 and has become a marketing magnet Weve had a huge influx of U S tourists Teeling says This winter the company launched a 24 year old Irish single malt 500 finished for three years in a Sauternes cask The United States is the engine of growth for Irish whiskey Teeling adds We want to be at the forefront of that growth WoodchuckUntil a few years ago the Vermont Cider Co was the leader in the hard cider category But after peaking in 2012 at 225 million 225 gallon cases the brand began a downward trend and finished 2015 at 193 million cases This year the company is revamping its portfolio to get it back on track Woodchuck was trying to be every thing to everybody and in the chaos of the cider category over the last two years we lost some of what the brand stood for says director of marketing Bridget Blacklock Were ready to get it back to its roots With that in mind the company is splitting Woodchuck Gumption its most successful recent introduction into its own brand and is launching Gumption Late Show a rotating experimental cider range that replaces its similar Woodchuck Out On A Limb series In addition this spring will see the launch of a year round hopped grapefruit cider under the Gumption brand Stronger bolder new packaging is also key to the revamp Blacklock says This winter the company introduced an ultra premium cider brand under the Vermont Cider Co name led by the Addison expression Top markets for the portfolio include the Northeast Florida California Texas and the Pacific Northwest Blacklock sees the recent disruptions in the cider category as a temporary phenomenon Any time new segments like hard sodas come in cider will flatten out or decrease for a year or two and then return to growth she says I dont think well get the kind of spikes that we saw several years ago but well start seeing a comeback mwAdam PolonskiChateau Ste MichelleChateau Ste Michelle is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month a major milestone for Washington wine In the timeline of major American brands thats pretty remarkable says president and CEO Ted Baseler According to Impact Databank Chateau Ste Michelle 9 a 750 ml to 200 a 375 ml is the largest non Cali fornia domestic table wine brand the No 2 super premium brand by dollar sales and the only non California brand in the top five by value Shipments grew by 5 percent last year to 34 million cases bolstered by premium ization Were having success with Chateau Ste Michelles Indian Wells tier which is more premium than the Columbia Valley line Baseler says Chardonnay and Riesling drive the highest volume with Washington Caber net Sauvignon an increasing focus Were seeing high levels of interest in Washington Cabernet as well as great interest in Syrah and Rhône style wines Baseler says Consumers over age 45 are Chateau Ste Michelles core demographic but Baseler adds that millennials are becoming more important Marketing initiatives like the 10 Perfect Sips digital campaign emphasize the quality of the brand and Washington wine In honor of its 50th anniversary the company is expanding its Woodinville chateau with a movie theater and new blend ing rooms for visitors In addition Chateau Ste Michelle is launching a 50th Anniversary Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 15 a 750 ml 50 a 15 liter featuring the original packaging from the 1967 vintage