CONSTELLATION UNVEILS NEW BILINGUAL PACKAGING

North Lake Wines (owned by Constellation) is introducing new bilingual packaging for its Marcus James brand, the leading Argentinean wine in the US (26% share). Beginning this fall, the new package will include bilingual messaging, colorful new graphics, and varietal specific color coding with matching foil graphics that “reinforces the brand’s Argentine heritage.”

“With more and more Americans speaking both Spanish and English, we believe that this new label will have wider consumer appeal,” said Bethany DiSanto, director of marketing for North Lake Wines.

According to a Wine Market Council study published May 2006, as the U.S. Spanish-speaking community evolves in its tastes and preferences, they are also emerging as a leading wine consumer group. Wine consumption among Spanish-speakers is increasing more than any other ethnic group, with 31% consuming more wine now than they did previously. Among Spanish-speaking consumers, one third of wine they consume is imported, which most often hail from Chile and Argentina.

With the introduction of bilingual labeling, Marcus James is looking to attract Spanish speaking consumers and further reinforce the brand's heritage. The front label now states that Marcus James comes "De los Vinedos del Sol" or "From the Vineyards of the Sun." The back label features tasting notes in both English and Spanish.