First Quench launches global wine brand

First Quench Retailing is launching a new wine brand called Origin, which it plans to sell to the on-trade sector and also to competing retail outlets.

The specialist drinks retailer, which is changing its name to Thresher Group, already has own label brands, but Origin is positioning itself as the first wine range sourced from right across the world.

Marketing plans for Origin are being developed by sales and marketing director Kevin Styles.

Initially, Origin will be offered exclusively in 1,400 Thresher outlets but the company will be promoting the brand to pubs, restaurants and independent grocery stores. The company says it will be the only major wine brand not allied to a single country, product or region. It is the first attempt by a wine retailer to develop a brand with international scale, including every geographical region and grape variety.

Ten of the 11 varieties in the range are New World products, while the Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2002 is Old World. The Origin Chardonnay for 2003 is Chilean, the Shiraz Californian and the Merlot Argentinian. Pricing ranges from £3.99 to £9.99.

Thresher Group was bought by Nomura Principal Finance Group in October 2000 and the ownership transferred to Terra Firma Capital Partners last year. It has more than 2,000 stores, half of which are branded Thresher, while other retail brands include Haddows in Scotland and Victoria Wine.