Brands

Funny thing Brands. We are implacably against the branding of wine. It results in the abdication of taste and choice. On a recent TV programme the story was told about how Coca Cola launched New Coke in the 1970s after market research found that 61% preferred it to 'old' Coke.

The ensuing mayhem caused them to withdraw New Coke and re-instate traditional Coke pronto. They had forgotten that all their branding over so many years had rendered the concept of 'improving' the product irrelevant. People just wanted what they knew and had been told to enjoy since their earliest years.

We at Slotovino like to say how we like every bottle to have a story and we are not interested in the main in wines that just taste marvellous without having any particular background. Maybe this is branding of a kind? An uncomfortable thought.

Nonetheless, a big stand at the London International Wine Fair unapologetically declaring their business as 'International Brands' made us happy branding hasn't got further than it has.