Monday, January 10, 2011

Jackson Triggs




Jackson Triggs Savignoin Blanc was once my go-to wine. Inexpensive, white, easy drinking; good combo for a university student. I have since developed an acquired taste for expensive Merlot (I graduated in October; it didn't take me long :) out with the white, and in with the red!
J.T's collection of whites and reds have always been memorable to me. Good label, easy enough.
Day 2 of a winter cottage mission last weekend left my family and I out of wine and into town. The local LCBO (let me provide a visual: a trailer on cinder block supports with a well aged fluorescent LCBO sign glowing above it.) Needless to say, the vintage section was bare, so back to the inexpensive, easy drinking go-to wine I went. J.T Unity Merlot.

The new Jackson-Triggs labels (as of 2010) provides clarity, when selecting a VQA wine from the non-VQA wines (apparently a very important distinction). The new line-up includes three tiers plus the non-VQA tier. Due to an immense amount of consumer loyalty uncovered by research studies, the Jackson Triggs name remains on all of the four tiers.

The non-VQA wines, once called "Proprietors’ Selection", are now titled:"Unity" (one of the many bottles enjoyed at my cottage). That happens to be a brand name Vincor once used for a selection of wines blended from Ontario and British Columbia grapes. That concept didn't fly so Vincor recycled the brand, perhaps a reflection of their level of creativity? No, I would argue it has a little to do with the difficulty in finding names free of corporate branding.

The Unity wines show fairly well with their crisp white labels. The name of the varietal is displayed in a coloured panel at the bottom. Directly under the variety is a tag line announcing the wine as a blend of “international and Canadian wine.”

I'm delighted to see their use of the 2D smart phone scancode. A clever introduction that brand manager, Casey Howe says is "making the back label work a lot harder". This barcode in particular links the consumer to a wine descriptor, pairing ideas, recipes and special offers. I dig it.



Now, my favourite new addition: the cork. Everyone loves a freebie, so here it is: the cork acts as an invitation for the consumer to bring it back to the winery for a complimentary tasting. Not only does it make the consumer realize there is a winery, but because JT is known to be Canadian, it is likely close by. Once spring hits, I can tell you where I will be heading.


7.5

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