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America’s largest drugstore chain with 7655 stores and a revenue of $67 billion, Walgreens will sell Colby Red, a new blend produced by a well-known Australian winemaker Daryl Groom in partnership with Treasury Wine Estates in 4.500 stores at $13 a bottle starting February, the American Heart Month. The label is dedicated to raising awareness for heart disease as Daryl’s family supports the American Heart Association and partners with the St. Jude Medical Foundation.
Colby label is named after Groom’s son who was born with a hole in his heart and has undergone multiple surgeries to treat the defect. Impressed by the work being done by St. Jude Medical, Groom decided to support the cause of other heart patients and the research being carried out by the institution.
The 2009 Colby Red is a fruit-forward California Cuvée of cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, shiraz, merlot and petite sirah from Treasury Wine Estates vineyards, the wine arm of the Australian beer giant Foster, spun off a few months ago, as already reported in delWine, for a possible sale as a part of its restructuring. It owns icon brands like Penfolds and also Beringer, Chateau St. Jean, Rosemount, Stags’ Leap Winery, Matua Valley, Etude, Castello di Gabbiano and big volume sellers like Lindemans and Wolf Blass already being imported in India.
“Colby Red will make a great addition to Walgreens wine selection, and it’s an honor to feature a product that stands for quality and supports cardiac research,” said Bryan Pugh, Walgreens vice president of merchandising. “The Groom family’s initiative fits well with our focus and commitment to healthy living. We look forward to working with them to promote this brand and make this new wine a success.”
The Groom family also plans to donate their wine for local American Heart Association events that raise funds for heart research.
For the uninitiated, drugstores in the US do not sell drugs but medicines and othe health and wellness related services at various levels. Walgreens is the leader and sale of wine through its stores will send positive signals- some of them ought to be received well in India and should help our decision makers at the center and in States understand that wine is another health product (when drunk in moderation) and must be distinguished from spirits and other hard liquors. |