- New Zealand wine brand, Mud House, is the official wine sponsor of The British & Irish Lions.
- George North joins All Blacks legend, Sean Fitzpatrick, as a Mud House Wines ambassador.
Mud House Wines, the official wine sponsor of The British & Irish Lions, today unveiled George North as an ambassador, further cementing their position in rugby. Mud House Wines, the fifth largest New Zealand wine in the UK, already have former New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick as one of their ambassadors and are delighted that George has joined the team.
George North, who was one of the stars of the successful 2013 Lions Tour, will work with Mud House to amplify the brand’s sponsorship of The British & Irish Lions and will feature prominently in their customer marketing and below the line campaigns.
Mud House will also tap into George North’s large and engaged social media following to help the brand communicate its #ClearAsMud campaign through a range of content captured alongside Sean Fitzpatrick.
George North, Mud House Wines Ambassador, said: “I am delighted to partner with Mud House Wines in what is a very important year for me personally and for rugby as a whole. New Zealand looms large for every ambitious rugby player in 2017 so joining Mud House, one it’s leading wine brands, seems a natural fit.”
Lucy Ramsay, Marketing Director, Accolade Wines, said: “Since launching our partnership with The British & Irish Lions in March 2016, we have been delighted with the response to our activation in the market. A highlight has been seeing 15,542* people to date enter our neck collar promotion to win a trip to Auckland to see the Lions take on New Zealand in the 1st Test. We are now proud to extend our presence around the Tour, by appointing George as a brand ambassador. Rugby fans across the world will remember his impact during the victorious Lions Tour of Australia four years ago. We trust those same fans will enjoy the series of content we have commissioned to run across social media in the build up to the tour this year.”
* Figure correct at 03/02/17
–ENDS–
For further information contact:
Tom Ainscough, PR & Events Manager, Accolade Wines UK, 01932 428687 tom.ainscough@accolade-wines.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Mud House Wine
Mud House is now the 5th largest New Zealand wine brand in the UK, growing from 93rd in 2 years. Currently inclining by 51% value and 55% volume*.
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Central Otago Pinot Noir are the 2 core SKUs in this range but other varietals are available, such as the Marlborough Pinot Gris (Majestic) and the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Rose (Morrisons).
Stockists of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc – Tesco, JS, Morrisons, Waitrose, Majestic and independent specialists.
Stockists of Central Otago Pinot Noir – Tesco, JS, Majestic and independent specialists.
Tasting Note for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
Crisp and vibrant with concentrated fruit flavours. Tropical fruits on the front palate meld perfectly with the zesty grapefruit acidity giving the wine a juicy and refreshing finish.
Tasting Note for Central Otago Pinot Noir
Bold fruit flavours fill the front palate and meld perfectly with the spicy oak. Fine acid gives the wine lovely structure, punctuated by the red fruit and oak tannins.
About Accolade Wines
Headquartered in Australia, Accolade Wines is one of the world’s largest wine companies, delivering over 35 million cases (9 litre equivalent) to 143 countries annually. With a comprehensive portfolio of market leading brands, Accolade Wines is the largest wine company in the UK with 13% share of this market.
Hardys continues to hold the number 1 brand position (by volume and value) in the UK. Echo Falls is the third largest wine brand in the UK (by volume and value) and continues to hold its number 1 brand position in the UK Impulse channel. Kumala is the largest South African wine brand in the UK (by volume and value) and Jack Rabbit is now the largest wine brand in the UK On Trade channel with Hardys and Accolade’s Stowells wine brand retaining the 2nd and 3rd brand position in this channel.
The companies enviable portfolio also includes premium wine brands Grant Burge, Houghton Reynella, Leasingham and Bay of Fires (Australia), Waipara Hills (New Zealand), Geyser Peak (California), Fish Hoek & Flagstone (South Africa) and its latest acquisition, Viña Anakena (Chile). Accolade Wines is now the first company to have a footprint in all major New World wine regions and has cemented its position as the leading New World supplier of premium and commercial wines.
For more information about our people, our brands and our business visit us at www.accolade-wines.com
*Scantrack data w/e 31st Dec 2016