Constellation Brands and WDF offer exclusive Okanagan Wines

The two Jackson-Triggs 2013 Grand Reserve Series wines are being offered exclusively to travellers at the WDF store this month. Jackson-Triggs Select Shiraz and Jackson-Triggs Select Merlot from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia (B.C.) are available now in limited quantities in the International terminal.

Jackson-Triggs had a stellar year in 2013 recording its earliest start to the harvest on August 27. The hot dry summer gave way to warm, wet, conditions that slowed ripening and allowed parallel sugar and flavour developments. The 2013 Grand Reserve Select Shiraz is dark in colour and the nose is layered with toasty oak aromas as well as ripe blackcurrant fruit and peppery notes. On the palate, rich currant fruit flavours carry through, along with the touches of spice. The wine is full-bodied with silky tannins and a lingering finish. The 2013 Grand Reserve Select Merlot is also well structured and full of flavour and aroma. On the palate, elegant berry fruit flavours and a full-bodied mouth feel with a rich finish and well-balanced acidity.

This latest release bolsters the firm partnership established between Constellation Brands and WDF, for which offering customers products with a local flavour is a core part of its retail offer and re-emphasises the company’s focus on creating a “sense of place” in its retail environments. This partnership also supports the business’s commitment to providing customers with a bespoke and varied collection of wine. Eight new wines will follow these two exclusive products from Constellation Brands in WDF’s store this fall including a Californian Cabernet Sauvignon from the Robert Mondavi Winery and a New Zealand Pinot Noir from the Kim Crawford Winery.

World Duty Free Liquor Category manager – International Jose Manuel Slater said: “We are delighted to be able to collaborate with Constellation Brands to offer our customers these two excellent wines on an exclusive basis in British Columbia. The Jackson-Triggs Shiraz and Merlot Selects are both a great commercial fit for our brand and we’re excited to be able to offer them an opportunity to reach an international market, raising significant awareness for this local brand. We are sure both novices and wine experts alike will be charmed by them.”

Constellation Brands vice-president Global Travel Retail Randy Dufour added: “Jackson-Triggs is delighted to be expanding our partnership with World Duty Free Group in the Vancouver Airport. Jackson-Triggs is the best-selling wine brand in Canada, and we have been able to secure small quantities of our best grapes from the SunRock Vineyard for these special and exclusive wines. This is a unique opportunity for locals and visitors alike to share with friends and colleagues an example of the exciting things happening in the Okanagan Valley wine industry”.

The Jackson-Triggs SunRock Shiraz Select is available for C$35 ($26) and the Jackson-Triggs Merlot Select is offered at C$30.