Portugal is the 7th largest wine-producing country in the world, yet it has long had a problem in getting its wines noticed outside the domestic market & former colonies. And, because wines from Portugal are so little known, they are consistently underrated and under priced. In 2005, Viniportugal, an association of wine growers and government bodies, launched a major national & international marketing drive, designed to address these issues by creating an upmarket image for Portuguese wines & promoting their quality to both consumers and trade. The 4.5M/Euros budget is targeted towards key territories such as the US, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and the domestic market. The investment covers advertising, new packaging (bottles/labels etc), promotional materials, TV advertising, PR and educational initiatives. Sales of Portuguese wines were up 3% in 2005.
