Oakley Wine Agencies

Oakley Wine Agencies are a specialist in Iberian wines, representing 25 different wineries in 26 regions across Portugal & Spain. All wine is supplied directly from the winery cellar door to your warehouse.

Convincing consumers to try wines made from unfamiliar grape varieties is a challenging task in the wine industry. Wine lovers tend to gravitate toward well-known varieties—like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, or Pinot Noir—because these names evoke familiarity and confidence. Lesser-known grape varieties, even if they offer exceptional flavours and unique experiences, face the barrier of consumer hesitation. People often wonder if these unfamiliar grapes will match their taste preferences, so they stick with what they know. For winemakers trying to introduce such varietals, this hesitation can be a frustrating hurdle to overcome.

Oakley have been selling an Alicante Bouschet the Co-op supermarkets – a wine that offers exceptional value for money, but one that many customers are unfamiliar with.

Sampling can be an incredibly effective solution to this issue. When customers have the opportunity to taste a wine, they can let go of preconceptions and focus on the flavours and experience it provides. A quick taste or sample has the power to surprise and delight consumers, opening their minds to the idea that lesser-known grapes can offer equally—if not more—satisfying and memorable experiences. Sampling removes the risk factor for the customer, providing a low-commitment way to try something new without purchasing a full bottle of a wine they’re uncertain about.

To drive sales, we worked together on an audacious project to send out a large number of samples for free. We worked with wine influencer Luke Flunder’s Wine World, to ship directly to customers, through the Royal Mail, a small letter containing a sample of the wine and a card linking to a short video introducing it. This is only possible using ecoSIP’s ultra-lightweight – and low cost – packaging. And the winery could be safe in the knowledge that it would taste perfect.

After the promotion, the sales of the wine increased by 46% as consumers sought it out to buy full bottles.