Exclusive UDV's long running French wine brand Piat d'Or is undergoing a major revamp. The brand which dominated the UK wine market since its launch in the 1970s is being reblended and repackaged. It has become part of the Percy Fox portfolio and a team has been working on it since last July. At its peak the brand was selling in the region of 700,000 cases. This is down to just over 200,000, which is still a significant slice of the market. Percy Fox brought in the wine consultancy New World Wine Shippers to improve and modernise the blend. It has been working with Piat winemaker Didier Legay to look at all aspects of the sourcing and production process. This has included the selection of vin de pays wines to blend Piat, adjusting the taste profile and alcohol level and changing the cork. Percy Fox marketing manager Mark Fells said: "The brand has reflected the decline in the dominance of French wines in this country. "It still has four million consumers who include it in their repertoire, but it is an irregular purchase for them. "Our research showed that people still like the taste but the image was a bit naff. "Now it will be a more up to date fresher wine in line with what consumers want and there have been significant design changes. The range will comprise a red and a medium dry white, and a twin varietal (colombard/chardonnay) dry white. Their introduction will be supported by tastings and incentives to purchase. The retail price will be £3.99. {{DRINKS }}

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