Penfolds is now on a marketing path capable of changing people’s very perception of wine.
The company’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kristy Keyte tells us: ‘The introduction of Venture Beyond as our global thematic is a strategic shift for Penfolds from fine wine brand to global luxury icon’.
Just as in this digital age watch makers have kept their jobs by turning a precision instrument into a luxury collectable, Penfolds is trying to alter what people beieve an expensive wine should be.
The audacity of their approach is breathtaking. In achieving these goals they may well set of a more profound change.
Consider the innovations in recent releases:
-Penfolds Dourthe II Bordeaux Barossa 2019 a blend of Cabernet and Merlot from Bordeaux with Barossa Shiraz.
-Penfolds FWT French Wine Trial Haut Medoc 2019
– Penfolds Rhone a future project likely from Hermitage.
-Penfolds Tribute 177 California for the Chinese market.
-Penfolds Bin 600 and 704 California 2019
-Penfolds Ningxia Cabernet China.
-Penfolds Baijui fortified for China
-Penfolds California 2018
-Penfolds G series Vintage Red Blends G3, G4, G5.
-Penfolds Vintage White Blend Trail initially of five vintages.
-Penfolds South Africa initially for China
-Penfolds NFT releases
-Penfolds Thienot Champagne
-Penfolds Bin 149 Wine of the World Cabernet
There are more novelties on the way. It must be an exciting time at Penfolds. And note how China reaffirms the saying, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’.
Now think what this means for the bigger wine industry since they may also decide to adjust.
The notion of terroir becomes ever more mystical. Finally it will mean the wine was made on Earth – somewhere. Vintages also lose significance as why not blend what tastes good, from any country and any year. And how welcome it will become if the obsession with varieties just becomes ‘what-ever’. Yet there is more as surely they have buried the old notion that price has any relationship to quality.
Perhaps in the future we will say 2022 was the year that wine entered the new era. The year when changing people’s very perception of wine began.
Oh, one more thing. I see a chance that my dislike of the notion of wine ‘showing a sense of place’ will be out the back door to become ‘its from anywhere’.
