Accolade Wines shares strong business update at TFWA

Accolade Wines General Manager Travel Retail and EMEA Sales Director Martin MacKinnon has revealed that volume growth is tracking at +9% in travel retail to date in 2024, slightly outperforming Accolade Wines’ overall business.

MacKinnon was delivering an upbeat update on the wine company’s performance in the travel retail channel. He delivered his address at a special media event staged at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes today.

MacKinnon added that Accolade Wines’ priority is to build travel retail in territories where the wine company has strong domestic business. 

He gave two recent examples of travel retail listings success in the Asia Pacific region. In Accolade’s home market of Australia, where he noted the company’s Virgin Atlantic business is excelling, new listings for Grant Burge, Petaluma and St Hallet wine ranges have been secured with the country’s number one airline Qantas across domestic and international routes.

More significant listings have also been secured with Hong Kong’s leading carrier Cathay Pacific, MacKinnon said. Building on a previous Grant Burge offer, Accolade Wines has now extended this relationship with Cathay Pacific to include St Hallet and Rolf Binder wines, offering ranges for economy, business and first-class passengers.

Channel Sales Director EMEA Jeff Bond followed MacKinnon with some updates on key brands and innovations from Accolade Wines that are being showcased at the company’s exhibition space in Cannes this year.

He said: “Our focus for travel retail has remained consistent for a number of years, concentrating on our core portfolio of Hardys, Mud House, Da Luca and premium lines.