Investment In Elevated Packaging Heralds Upcoming 30th Anniversary
Napa, Calif. ─ The Hess Collection is introducing new packaging that more closely aligns the quality of the wine in the bottle with how it is presented and ultimately received by consumers and retailers alike, according to Chief Marketing Officer Derek Bromley.
“Elegant, refined and cleanly distinctive,” he says, and just one indication of the significant investments the fifth generation of Hess family leadership has brought to the winery as it prepares to celebrate its 30th vintage release from its home on Mount Veeder in Napa Valley. In a sense, it’s another step in the rebirth of one of Napa’s heritage wineries, with many more exciting projects now underway.
The Hess Select wines underwent a label refresh project earlier with the introduction of vibrant new packaging, and continue to be top performers in their respective $12-20 categories, with Hess Select Chardonnay in particular outperforming recent industry trends.
The elevated packaging, phased in with vintage changes and supported with advertising and promotional programs, acknowledges and recognizes the efforts of winemakers who have transformed the Napa Valley Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon-focused wines The Hess Collection is best known for, he added. “Our new packaging better reflects the quality, history and integrity of the wine in the bottle.”
The results of an $18 million vineyard quality improvement project have been noticeable in recent vintages, and are now reaching full impact in the distinctive high elevation wines from Mount Veeder, where Donald Hess first planted vineyards in the late 1970’s, said Timothy Persson, Chief Executive Officer, who is also a member of the fifth and latest generation of the Hess family to take the winery helm.
In the spring of 2016 The Hess Collection will re-introduce the flagship Lion Cabernet Sauvignon from the finest blocks of the winery’s Mount Veeder vineyards, noted Persson. This 2012 offering will be the first since 2008, and will be the vanguard of a series of new icon level wines.
The 2012 Hess Collection Napa Valley Allomi Cabernet Sauvignon was first to reach the market, and distributor, retailer and consumer reaction alike has been exceedingly positive, said CMO Bromley. “We’ve been gratified to hear from our partners that there is indeed a new level of excitement about The Hess Collection, and recognition that our efforts to simplify and bring focus that allows us to better share this remarkable story is working,” he added. All varietals are now shipping with the new trade dress.
For retailers, a newly energized Hess portfolio translates almost like introducing a new Napa winery with a built-in and loyal consumer following, based on an authentic story with real historical meaning, said Bromley.
Donald Hess, who first came to Mount Veeder as a grower in 1978 and later created the winery home in the former Christian Brothers Mont LaSalle facility, retired in 2013 and son in law Timothy Persson was named CEO of the winery and Managing Director of Hess Family Estates, which includes, in addition to wineries, one of the world’s most acclaimed private contemporary art collections, and a real estate/hospitality group.
Over the past three decades, the Hess family has been instrumental in establishing and enhancing Napa Valley’s credentials for both fine wine and exceptional visitor hospitality. The Hess Art Museum, which is part of the Hess Collection Visitor Center, available for touring without fees daily, has been honored by the Great Wine Capitals network as the most outstanding arts and culture facility in wine regions internationally.
Hess Family Estates produces terroir driven wines on four continents, and includes the wines of The Hess Collection on Mount Veeder in the Napa Valley; Artezin from California’s North Coast; MacPhail Family Wines, with Pinot Noir expressions from California’s greatest growing regions; Colomé and Amalaya from Salta, Argentina; and Glen Carlou from Paarl, South Africa.
