C.R.D.O. Rueda Launches Integrated Communications Campaign in US
The C.R.D.O. Rueda announced today a multi-year integrated communications program in the U.S. that will include public relations, social media, event marketing, advertising and Web marketing. The campaign — ‘Are You Ready for Rueda?’ — challenges America’s wine drinkers to experience Rueda, Spain’s favorite white wine.
“We’re excited to be active and aggressive in the US market with our new campaign,” said Dr. Ramon Bocos Ruiz, Secretario General of C.R.D.O. Rueda. “We believe that once Americans taste Rueda wines they’ll love them as we do in Spain, and make Rueda their go-to white wine.”
Rueda, from a Denomination of Origin in Spain’s Castilla y León region in the provinces of Valladolid, Segovia and Ávila (approximately 100 miles northwest of Madrid), is ubiquitous in Spain’s restaurants and cafés. Rueda wines are favored for their zesty acidity and minerality, great value and their ability to pair well with a variety of foods. Rueda wine exports have been growing by double digits over the past four years. In order to capitalize on this trend, Rueda is now actively supporting sales with strategic marketing in the US, one of the focus markets for export.
In order for a wine to carry the Rueda name, it must be made according to the strict regulations of the D.O., which guarantee consistency and quality. Verdejo, a grape grown in the region for centuries and identified most closely with Rueda, is the predominant grape in the majority of Rueda wines. Varieties typically used for blending with Verdejo include Sauvignon Blanc, Viura and Palomino Fino. Verdejo finds its best expression in the harsh conditions of the region’s alluvial soils and high flat plains that experience great temperature swings and high winds.
The Rueda D.O. selected midtown Manhattan-based Colangelo & Partners Public Relations as the Agency of Record to create and execute the ‘Are You Ready’ campaign. “Based on years of experience successfully marketing premium international wines in the US, we’re very confident that Rueda wines have a taste profile and quality/value relationship that American wine drinkers will love,” said agency president Gino Colangelo. Colangelo & Partners specializes in building positive awareness for institutional wine marketers with clients including Vinitaly, Wines of Portugal, Wines of Castilla-La Mancha, Vina Croatia, the Sagrantino Consortium and many others.
C.R.D.O. Rueda: Facts & Figures
The Rueda Denomination of Origin, the first in the region of Castilla y León, was founded in 1980. Verdejo is the predominant variety in the D.O. while Sauvignon Blanc, Viura and Palomino Fino are also prevalent. The 2012 harvest, a record for Rueda, boasted a total grape production of 77,764,696 kilograms with approximately 13,000 hectares under vine. White varieties represented 98% of the production in 2012 while Verdejo accounted for over 85% of the total crop. Rueda, is on a high plateau with a classic continental climate: long cold winters, short springs, and hot summers. The high elevations (between 2500 and 3000 feet) allow the late maturing Verdejo to develop deep aromas and flavors resulting in dry, fresh wines with great character and brightness. Dark grey-brown rocky soils, rich in calcium and magnesium with good ventilation and drainage, provide textures that vary from sandy-loamy to loamy. This geological substratum has led to the typical gravelly soils present in the best vineyards in the D.O. Rueda. Currently 40 producers export their wines to the US.
About Colangelo & Partners Public Relations
Colangelo & Partners Public Relations (CPR) is a midtown Manhattan-based public relations and integrated communications agency specializing in food, wine and spirits. Boasting long established relationships with the key press that drive these business categories and help determine the industry’s leading brands, CPR continually creates unique story lines that are consistent with the clients’ brand strategies in order to provide a steady stream of compelling content to journalists and keep them in the news. A Finalist in the prestigious 2013 PR News ‘A List Awards’ in the integrated communications category, CPR utilizes social media, web marketing, advertising and promotions to build campaigns that establish brand strength and drive sales.
