Cornerstone Communications Named Agency of Record for Spain’s Leading White Wine Region

New York, NY, November 2, 2011 —Cornerstone Communications Ltd. is pleased to announce the launch of a new Rías Baixas Albariño wine marketing campaign in the US, effective immediately. Rías Baixas (ree-ahs-buy-shuss), the cool coastal home of the Albariño grape, in the Galicia region of northwest Spain, produces some of Spain’s finest white wines. Cornerstone Communications originally launched the Rías Baixas Exceptional Albariño from Spain program in 2005, at which time the wines were almost entirely under the radar, known to only a handful of sommeliers.

The latest Rías Baixas Albariño initiative will continue through 2013 with a budget of approximately $2M, and will showcase Albariño as a versatile, food-friendly wine through an integrated program including media relations, sampling programs, advertising and education targeting media, the wine trade and consumers. At the forefront of the new Rías Baixas campaign is a creative marketing concept: the Albariño Explorers Club (AEC). The Albariño Explorers Club creates a community for current and future Rías Baixas Albariño fans, encouraging them to explore all the wines have to offer such as undiscovered Albariño producers, exotic pairings, and diverse restaurants or wine bars which feature these wines. Wine lovers can join the Albariño Explorers Club at major food and wine festivals across the US, with membership granting access to the club’s microsite and blog (launching soon). The Albariño Explorers Club will be supported with a robust social media campaign including consumer contests sweepstakes and giveaways.

“Albariño fans are adventurous, curious and seek new explorations every day. The Albariño Explorer’s Club encourages this particular lifestyle,” says Katrin Naelapaa, Director of Wines from Spain. “This lively, interactive campaign is designed to create excitement and curiosity around Albariño and help bolster US sales. Today consumers are smart about what they purchase. The Albariños from Rías Baixas offer wine lovers both exceptional quality and pricing as many fall within that sweet spot of under $15.00.”

Cornerstone Communications was selected from among 10 agencies by Wines from Spain and the Consejo Regulador DO of Rías Baixas to continue serving as the campaign’s AOR. The agency is credited with creating awareness of Albariño and greatly increasing the wine’s popularity in this country. Last year, 1.9 million liters were exported to the US (a 259% increase from 2004) making it the number one international market for Albariño. With the launch of the 2011-2013 campaign, exports are expected to grow exponentially.

About Rías Baixas Albariño

Formed in 1988, the Rías Baixas DO is the leading Denomination of Origin in the Galician region of northwestern Spain.  The DO owes much of its acclaim to the white Albariño grape, elevated by many in Spain to cult status, a trend that has spread to US shores. www.riasbaixaswines.com.

About Cornerstone Communications

Cornerstone Communications, Ltd. is a full-service public relations, marketing and event management agency specializing in wine, food,
travel, and other lifestyle clients.  With over 25 years of experience, Cornerstone Communications has built a reputation in expanding brand awareness with fresh approaches and providing effective marketing solutions for luxury products. For more information, visit www.cornerstonepr.com.

About Wines from Spain

Wines from Spain, a promotional division of the Trade Commission of Spain in New York City, under the auspices of the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX), is committed to promoting the awareness of Spanish wines and spirits throughout the United States, through education, informational materials, special events and promotions. For further information on specific wine regions and producers, please visit www.winesfromspainusa.com.

The Fladgate Partnership US campaign kicks off June 6^th with the ‘Decade of Declared Vintage Port’ tour showcasing the 2000, 2003, 2007 and recently declared 2009 vintages from all three houses.  Hosted by David Guimaraens, head winemaker and technical director, the tasting tour will make stops in Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago and San Francisco.

Guimaraens remarked on the upcoming tour, “No Port house has ever declared four vintages in a decade. We’re thrilled to have recently declared the 2009 Vintage and to be able to introduce it to the US with a tour of all declared vintages from this past decade. These unique tastings offer an in depth opportunity to deepen understanding and appreciation of vintage port.”

For tour and event details please email 2009VintageDeclaration@gmail.com. More information on the 2009 vintage from Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca and Croft is available at www.2009vintageport.com. The Fladgate Partnership ports are imported by Kobrand Corporation, more information can be found at www.fladgatepartnership.com.

Cornerstone Communications is a New York-based public relations and marketing agency. Cornerstone offers wine, spirits, food and lifestyle clients a range of services from creative and strategic counsel to media & trade relations, special events and social media programming.  Visit www.cornerstonepr.com for more information.

Even in its own backyard of New York City, Long Island wines suffered from preconceived notions of poor quality and high prices.  Many locals had not sampled Long Island wines since the region’s early years, and had not experienced their increase in quality. The profusion of international and American wines available on the market also made it difficult for Long Island wines to make their mark.

To dispel misconceptions, Cornerstone Communications invited 30 top wine journalists to a challenge pitting Long Island wines against those from leading wine regions such as France, California, and New Zealand. The challenge focused on four of Long Island’s main varietals – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Prior to the event, Long Island wines were tasted blind by a panel of winemakers and wine educators. Two wines per varietal category were selected as ‘winners’ representing the quality and varietal characteristics of Long Island wines.  Two non Long Island wines (Old & New World) in each varietal category were selected based on the following criteria:  high quality representative of the varietal, comparable to Long Island wines in style, of same or similar vintage, and of equal or higher price point.

At the challenge, in three of the four categories, the journalists choose the Long Island wine as their favorite in a blind tasting.

Following the tasting, guests enjoyed a lunch prepared by Long Island chef, Tom Schaudel. A locally-focused menu included fresh Long Island duck, cod, and other products, a nod to the recent locavore movement. During the lunch tables showcasing the four key varietals offered an opportunity to sample over 100 wines, and demonstrated their elegant, food-friendly nature.

This provocative program secured the region’s reputation as a top-quality wine producer and proved that Long Island wines can compete on an international level. Engaging press in a blind challenge forced them to let go of previous notions and trust their palates.  Event coverage included a full review in the New York Times and inclusion in the recently released Opus Vino by Jim Gordon. The tasting also created a significant shift in press and public opinion of Long Island wines and the Long Island wine region.

Our first brand-building tactic was to create a tagline for the logo clearly reflecting the region’s location —Alto Adige: Wines from the Italian Alps— which also capitalized on American’s love for all things Italian. To refine messaging, we selected two white varietals – Pinot Bianco and Gewurztraminer – and two red varietals – Lagrein and Pinot Nero – as the primary focus of the campaign.

Key drivers of the campaign were communication and education. Intense media outreach and sampling as well as tours of the region for key wine press created “ambassadors” for the brand. Annual grand tastings in key US markets showcasing 25 producers and 200 wines from the region attract over 500 wine professionals and press each year.

In 2009, Alto Adige press coverage reached 240 million in circulation, including articles in Wine Spectator, Wall Street Journal, Details, La Cucina Italiana, etc.  The wines have also been featured at seminars at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and the Society of Wine Educators conference.

Celebrations kicked off in LA with high-profile celebrity friends joining Frank Gehry and winery owners at the W Westwood Hotel’s Whiskey Blue bar, chosen for its abstract wall décor reminiscent of Gehry’s first sketches of the Marqueé de Riscal hotel. Guests such as Bill Maher, Eric McCormack, Angelica Huston and Lawrence Fishburne were welcomed by a model wearing a dress designed specifically for the launch by Emmy award-winning designer Erin Lareau. The design reflected the hotel’s vibrant colors and the undulating angles of its roof – inspired by the movement of a flamenco dancer’s dress. Guests enjoyed inventive hors d’oeuvres created by Michelin-starred Spanish Chef Francis Paniego with a range of Marqués de Riscal wines. The highpoint of the event was the unveiling of a special release wine – the Frank Gehry Limited Selection Reserva 2001–a 100% Tempranillo made from 40 year old vines, created in the architect’s honor.

Two days later, leading wine and food media attended a wine-focused launch at NYC’s W Union Square. A vertical tasting of Marqués de Riscal’s hallmark wines ― the Marqués de Riscal Riserva and Baron de Chirel ― segued into a spectacular luncheon which kicked off with a performance by “Passion Flamenca” in tribute to Frank Gehry. Guests enjoyed the flavors of Rioja with whimsical dishes created by Chef Paniego paired with the Riscal’s finest wines – including the Frank Gehry Limited Selection Reserva 2001.

The launch succeeded in rebranding Marqués de Riscal as the “Trailblazer of Rioja” with significant media coverage in Entertainment Tonight, The Insider, Extra, BusinessWire, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Wine Spectator, Surface Magazine, VOGUE, and other outlets.

A leading Chilean wine producer since 1988, Montes has been a driving force behind the country’s quality wine revolution.  In June 2007, Montes cemented its status as an innovator, organizing the first LIVE interactive online wine tasting seminar (or “webinar”) by a South American winery.  Cornerstone targeted 50 leading wine journalists from across the US to participate, with key trade and European press also taking part.  This valuable “face” time with national media ensured Montes direct interaction with a wider range of influencers than if the event was held “offline” in one location.

As many of these journalists would never have the opportunity to visit Montes in person, Cornerstone created an introductory video showcasing Montes’ vineyards in Leyda and Colchagua, and the winery itself.  The virtual visit transitioned to a video feed of Chief Winemaker Aurelio Montes live from the winery. Viewers watched a split screen of Aurelio speaking and a visual presentation.

Aurelio focused on three topics: Chile as a winemaker’s paradise; the distinctive terroir of Leyda, Marchigüe and Apalta, and an introduction of his latest wines—Montes Limited Selection Leyda Sauvignon Blanc 2007, Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, and Montes Folly 2004. Barrel samples of two Syrah’s – one from Marchigüe vineyards and one from Apalta further illustrated the stylistic differences in terroir.

Participants were provided with wine samples, two Riedel wine glasses and informational materials to review in advance.  A live Q&A followed Aurelio’s presentation with viewers entering questions in the bottom of the webinar viewing screen – most of which were answered by Aurelio at the close of the program.

As a result of the webinar, Montes established itself as an early-adaptor, not only of new winemaking techniques and new terroirs, but also of online communication methods, before social media became the norm.

Five years ago, Albariño wines were virtually unknown to most wine consumers, lifestyle media, and trade outside of major markets. Fresh, vibrant, and flavorful, Albariño wines were “a sommelier secret,” but only recommended as summer seafood pairings. The challenge was to create awareness of Rías Baixas Albariño as a quality wine to serve year-round with a wide variety of cuisines.

Our branding strategy began with the creation of a logo and tagline that captured the versatility of the wine, “Albariño, eXceptional with everything or nothing”, which was the jumping off point for an interactive website and marketing materials. Press and trade outreach featured technical tastings and sommelier “after-hours” events. The program targeted consumers at wine and food festivals, with an annual recipe pairing contest, and an educational podcast series. Most recent tactics include a social media campaign via Facebook, Twitter and other platforms, a NYC restaurant promotion and a series of graduate school seminars.

Since the launch of the campaign in 2005, the annual media coverage has grown from 13 million to an audience of 312 million. The campaign has produced full feature articles and media placements including: The Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, Oprah, FOOD & WINE, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, New York Times and Los Angeles Times. In the five years since Cornerstone launched the US Rías Baixas Albariño campaign, imports to this country have grown by 123% and Albariño wines have achieved much greater penetration in retailers and restaurants nationwide.