Sir George Fistonich thinks half-bottles “just makes sense”. Čuvar Winery
I was intrigued to receive three wine samples, all in half-bottles, from Sir George Fistonich’s new label, Obliix. It made sense to use 375ml bottles for writers’ samples.
The recommended retail price (RRP) of the line-priced 750ml bottles of Obliix sauvignon blanc, rosé, cabernet merlot, syrah viognier and pinot noir was NZD $23.99 while the same wines in 375ml bottles were all priced at NZD $13.99.
Sir George didn’t have the exact figure at his fingertips but guessed that 375ml bottles were around 5% of the market, perhaps less.
Half-bottles made sense with a new-to-market product range. I am told that restaurateurs like half-bottles, or ‘splits’ as they call them in the US, because they stimulate sales of the 750ml equivalent as well as half-bottles.
I phoned Sir George to find out why he had chosen the smaller bottle. “It just makes sense, in the same way that screwcaps make sense,” he explained, adding that he would prefer to encourage consumers to taste a wider range of wines rather than more of the same wine.
I think there used to be some negativity attached to half-bottles which were often regarded as inferior to a 750ml bottle under the same label. I don’t think that is the case today.
Sir George didn’t have the exact figure at his fingertips but guessed that 375ml bottles were around 5% of the market, perhaps less. “On the other hand, there might be less wastage
This Article was originally published on The Real Review
