A branded range of Romanian wine is being launched in the UK by Halewood International. This is the culmination of a £5m investment by the company in seven wineries in the country. It already supplies own label from Romania to the major multiples. This latest step is designed to capitalise on the country's potential and develop a range of quality varietals at competitive prices. Category manager Steve Barton said: "The country has the potential to produce great wine but the storage facilities and infrastructure have let it down. That is where we have been spending our money. "In controlling 70% of Romanian wine imports it is time that we delivered the true promise of Romania. Our investment strategy over the last three years, coupled with excellent 1999 and 2000 vintages, gives us the perfect platform to do this. "Consumers in the UK have almost no opinion of Romanian wines. We believe if it is on the shelves they will trust the buyers and buy it." Halewood is negotiating listings and is planning an aggressive package of support behind the launch at the beginning of November. This includes £150,000 in advertising backed up by £500,000 in below the line promotional activities. The new brand is called Prahova Valley. The entry point range comprises Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and has a retail price of between £3.49 and £3.69. These will be added to in the new year with Reserve and Special Reserve wines at £3.99 and £4.49 respectively. Barton said: "We want to create a ladder of quality styles so consumers can progress up the price points, as they can with other leading brands." {{DRINKS }}

Topics