Major Australia liquor retailer Dan Murphy’s has sold almost 100,000 cases of AUS$1.99 wine after seven days on the shelves.
The retailer’s Steve Donohue said the 2008 wine had become available because of this year’s much larger than expected vintage which had led to changes in contracts.
The producer had approached Dan Murphy’s, a subsidiary of Australia’s largest supermarket chain, saying it wanted to reduce its stocks.
‘We see it as a win win win for the producer, us and customers,’ Donohue said.
The wine is from the warm climate Riverina and Murray-Darling regions.
When the wine went on sale last week, alcohol and drug organisations criticised the offer for encouraging young persons to drink more.
But Donohue said the main buyers had been aged in their middle and later years.
‘We haven’t had a rush from youth to buy it,’ he said.
There was no comment from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation.
Written by Chris Snow in Adelaide
