Hello Kitty, the kitsch cartoon cat from Japan, is being used to market Italian wine.
Winemaker Tenimenti Castelrotto in Lombardy has joined forces with Italian luxury goods company Camomilla to market four wines featuring the melon-headed feline in its packaging.
Camomilla and Tenimenti Castelrotto believe the brand is both sophisticated and grown- up enough to sell wine.
'Hello Kitty is not just for children. She is a recognised cult fashion icon among teenagers and adults around the world,' said winemaker Patrizia Torti, whose family owns Castelrotto.
'She has been trendy for years. You see her on everything from bags and clothing to Porsches and Smart cars. W'e're very proud for our wine to be associated with her.'
The range – all made from 100% Pinot Noir from the Oltrepo Pavese area – includes a red wine called Devil, a white named Angel, and two spumantes: a Brut Rosé and a demi-sec dubbed Sweet Pink.
All bottles carry the Hello Kitty logo on labels or neck pendants – as well as the Italian flag.
'Hello Kitty is one of the most recognised characters in the world and continues to be very popular in Italy,' said Nicolas Belloni, Camomilla's export manager.
'It's natural that she should be linked to quality wine, a flagship Italian product.'
Currently distributed in Singapore, the US and Russia, Hello Kitty wine does not yet have a UK importer but Belloni is confident the brand will not fall foul of laws that govern alcohol packaging that might appeal to children.
'We already sell it in the US,' said Belloni, 'where the Food and Drug Administration has very strict regulations. I don't think we will face too much trouble in the UK.'
Camomilla is not the only company to emblazon a beverage with Hello Kitty. In a separate project, Donelli Vini is marketing Hello Kitty sparkling non-alcoholic grape juice in a Champagne-style bottle.
Tenimenti Castelrotto, founded in 1910, has 30ha of Pinot Noir, Barbera and Croatina.
Created in 1974 by Ikuko Shimizu for Japan's Sanrio Company, Hello Kitty accounts for well over £650m in global sales, and adorns everything from the original coin purse, to an entire theme park, Sanrio Puroland in Tokyo.
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Stupid idea
Michael Howell
Of course it's only natural that they use a cat for the wine - cat's wee I a recognised feature particularly of Sauvignon Blanc.
Michael Olivier
My wife loves "Hello Kitty" -- where can I buy the Italian wine that was introduced with it on the label?
Edward Kennedy
My kids love Hello Kitty, Dora etc. and I had already thought what a huge success it would be if those characters could be exploited to sell wine. However, I already have enough difficulty with a four year old who asks for wine incessantly [so far Ribena has saved the day] but to tell my daughter that Hello Kitty sparkling wine is only for grownups would make a very tough argument. I hope the government will see this as marketing to under-age drinkers and prevent it from reaching the shelves. Certainly, in America, I'd be surprised if it got past the label approval watch dogs. Can you imagine the temper tantrums in a supermarket when the child spots that bottle and the parent refuses to buy it?
Bartholomew Broadbent, San Francisco
As a winery owner/winemaker I would be embarrassed to market a wine with the Hello Kitty logo. I believe it is a brand best used and marketed to and for children.
Gregory Graziano, Graziano Family of Wines, California
GREAT IDEA! Germans allow children to drink wine at the table , & in many US states like Texas, it is legal for children to be served alcohol (in moderation) as long as it is consumed at the table, & in the parents presence as this prevents the kid from passing it on unapproved to friends or drinking when it is inappropriate. SADLY most Americans do not do this(unlike in europe) & just like when prohibition ended, the minute the kid turns drinking age, it becomes binge drinker time......
Also Americans who think that kids DONT drink wine, FORGET that communion wine is an integral part of the Roman Catholic faith! which means you also start getting into all sorts of freedom of religion issues too, which usually end up with the STUPID wing of the Baptist movement wanting dry areas and the reinstatement of prohibition for everyone...................
Friedrich Schulz, Germany
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