Food Lion Adds Merlot to Proprietary Wine Lineup
SALISBURY, N.C. -- Responding to the success of the proprietary wines it introduced earlier this year, Food Lion said yesterday it has added Braidenwood Estates Merlot as the third varietal in the exclusive Braidenwood Estates line.
"Braidenwood Estates is one of Food Lion's top 10 sellers by volume," said Food Lion's spokesman, Jeff Lowrance, in an interview with Progressive Grocer. "The early success of the cabernet and chardonnay prompted us to add the merlot. If the merlot proves as popular as the cabernet and chardonnay, the possibility of growing the brand will be explored."
Food Lion is offering Braidenwood Estates Merlot in a debut-size bottle of 375 milliliters (11.25 ounces), the equivalent of two to three glasses. The introductory price is $5 for two bottles. More than 1,000 Food Lion stores in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia will offer the merlot.
Customers will find all three Braidenwood Estates wines in the Food Lion wine department and in the deli, next to specialty cheeses. The retailer is promoting the wines via its weekly flyers and in-store signage, Lowrance said.
Braidenwood Estates is made exclusively for Food Lion by the Canandaigua Wine Co., based in Canandaigua, N.Y. Established in 1945, the Canandaigua Wine Co. markets and sells a wide array of affordable popular and premium wines and operates two New York wineries. Canandaigua brands include Robert Mondavi, Turner Road, and Inglenook.
Food Lion LLC is a subsidiary of Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group.
-- Jennifer McTaggart
"Braidenwood Estates is one of Food Lion's top 10 sellers by volume," said Food Lion's spokesman, Jeff Lowrance, in an interview with Progressive Grocer. "The early success of the cabernet and chardonnay prompted us to add the merlot. If the merlot proves as popular as the cabernet and chardonnay, the possibility of growing the brand will be explored."
Food Lion is offering Braidenwood Estates Merlot in a debut-size bottle of 375 milliliters (11.25 ounces), the equivalent of two to three glasses. The introductory price is $5 for two bottles. More than 1,000 Food Lion stores in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia will offer the merlot.
Customers will find all three Braidenwood Estates wines in the Food Lion wine department and in the deli, next to specialty cheeses. The retailer is promoting the wines via its weekly flyers and in-store signage, Lowrance said.
Braidenwood Estates is made exclusively for Food Lion by the Canandaigua Wine Co., based in Canandaigua, N.Y. Established in 1945, the Canandaigua Wine Co. markets and sells a wide array of affordable popular and premium wines and operates two New York wineries. Canandaigua brands include Robert Mondavi, Turner Road, and Inglenook.
Food Lion LLC is a subsidiary of Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group.
-- Jennifer McTaggart