The brand differs from many generic wine brands in two key ways. Firstly, working in smaller volumes, Tussock Jumper isn’t production-driven, but driven by ‘a passion for sourcing the best wine from around the world’. Secondly, all Tussock Jumper wines are bottled at source, which enhances wine aromas.
Each individual bottle label features an image of a specific animal donning the brand’s signature ‘red jumper’ to represent its country of origin (for example, a Koala for Australia).
Tussock Jumper was co-founded by Gert-Jan Van Arkel, who has been in the wine industry for 25 years, and Marc Oliviera, a Portuguese-American winemaker.
“Creating something simple but outstanding has always been central to how I have approached wine marketing,” said Van Arkel. “The initial idea for using animals to tell the story of the wine came when my business partner John Oliveira asked me to source a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for his company in New York. I found an excellent wine maker, whose label featured a sketched image of a New Zealand sheep wearing a red jumper. For me, the design had instant appeal, and anyone I shared it with agreed. It was simple, yet striking, with huge scope for extension.”
Tussock Jumper Wines are set to launch in the UK & Ireland later this year following success trading across Europe and the US.
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