Big birthdays

for VFI and Heineken

Heineken Ireland is partnering with the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) to celebrate two anniversaries – the 150th anniversary of the Heineken brand and the 50th anniversary of the VFI. To mark the two anniversaries, Heineken Ireland has launched an incentive scheme for VFI members worth €100,000. All members who place the majority of their orders through Heineken's online platform SmartPub by eazle will be in with a chance to win some exciting golden rewards in April, May and June.

Paul Clancy, VFI Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted that Heineken has chosen to mark the two anniversaries with such a fantastic incentive scheme. Pubs have faced major challenges over the past couple of years, so this support from Heineken is very welcome as the VFI celebrates its 50th anniversary.” Gerry Mooney, National Sales and Quality Manager at HEINEKEN, said: “Heineken Ireland and the VFI have a long-standing, collaborative working relationship that seeks to put the pub at the heart of Irish society. We are proud to offer this incentive to VFI members to celebrate the joint anniversaries that occur for both Heineken and the VFI this year. We are looking forward to working together and supporting all our customers throughout 2023, building on the strong legacy of partnership we have enjoyed for many years.” The member incentive scheme will include a monthly draw where 150 VFI members will each receive a free keg of Heineken. A further 50 VFI members will each receive a €100 Ticketmaster voucher to enjoy a Heineken music event. The scheme will run through April, May and June 2023.

Chardonnay lost 36% of its market share over the last 12 months. Fuller-bodied red wines including Cabernet Sauvignon (down 42%) and Malbec (down 28%) both saw a decrease in sales. Subscriber preferences now appear to be leaning towards lighter red wines such as Gamay and Mencía. When it comes to countries, the big three still dominate with 66% of the market between them; France tops the list with 32% market share, Spain is at 25% and continues to grow, while Italy is at 10%, with sales growing 33%. Other big movers include Germany (up 17%) and Chile, which saw an increase of 21%.

Those opting to try something different were mainly positioned outside of Dublin. Longford, Leitrim and Monaghan were the most adventurous counties, as defined by the highest percentage of wines ordered outside of the top five grape varieties. Cavan is the Rosé capital of Ireland, with subscribers drinking two and a half times more rosé than the rest of Ireland.