Darling Cellars did extremely well during the 2022 awards, we just had to find out more about this excellent winery.
We asked Lourens Relihan, the marketing manager at Darling Cellars, to learn more about their winemaking and marketing philosophy.
Which of your wines are the favourites among younger consumers?
Definitely the Chocoholic Pinotage, Darling Cellars Reserve Pyjama Bush Rosé and the Darling Cellars Cap Classique Blanc de Blanc Brut.
Have you found a wine preference shift over the past few years, among younger wine consumers?
Yes, the younger generation is definitely more adventurous, they want new/different attractive packaging, new wine styles, and fruitier wine on the go.
If you have to plant some vineyards today that you will make wine from in five years, for the younger consumers, what cultivars would you plant?
Duriff (Petite Sirah), Cinsault, Malbec, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Gris.
Some of their innovative Instagram posts:
How do manage your company image to stay current and relevant, to appeal to younger consumers?
We have a team of younger people, tasting, advising and contributing to wine styles and our social media posts. We incorporate influencers to help reach the different consumer segments.
What channels have you had success with, marketing to younger consumers, and does it change with time?
Mostly social media, but in-store consumer tastings and festivals also have a big influence on connecting with our customers. In-person, one on one, and word of mouth is still the best form of getting your brand out there.
Do you think there is any value in making use of social media influencers, and would you ever consider doing it, or have you perhaps tried this avenue before?
Yes, definitely, but you need to choose the correct influencer to talk to the customer that will buy your brand. We do use Influencers from time to time.
How often do you consider changes to your packaging, or having to create new incarnations of your wines to appeal to younger consumers?
We relook and re-evaluate our ranges, packaging, wine styles and innovative products on a regular basis.
What wine memory do you have as a young(er) person, where you fell in love with a particular wine (does not have to be an expensive wine, could also be the setting, country, the person you were with etc.)
I grew up in Paarl, and my earlier memories of Sunday lunch wine were Nederburg Riesling and Boland Kelder Chenin Blanc, these 2 cultivars are still my favourite white wines today.
Contact person: Lourens Relihan
Email address: info@darlingcellars.co.za
Contact number: 022 4922 647
Website address: https://www.darlingcellars.co.za
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/darlingcellars/
Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/darlingcellars/