Checklist and general guideline for sending samples
Make sure the wine you send is a finished product. In case the wine isn’t bottled yet, please send a sample that are stabilized and filtered and as similar as possible to the finally bottled wine. The sample should also be taken from the same batch as the final product will. We ask you to keep some extra samples at yours of the same blend in case we win for later quality control.
Notice that a wine that is not ready nor well-prepared will have a much smaller chance doing well in a blind tasting. The wine you send samples of needs to be the same as the one you offered in the paper work as well as the same as the one you will launch in case of winning. It is very important that it is the same vintage in paper work, samples and wine that is launched.
If is important to keep the offered quantity until we know the result of the tasting, since in case of a launch it is the quantity they will want to have available.
Every launch round some of the winning wines don’t get launched due to the strict quality control. It is therefore very important that the wine you send samples of is the wine you have available and will launch in case of a successful tasting. The wine has to be the same both in taste as well as on the analysis.
Please note that should your availability of the product change during the tender process, please let us know and we discuss whether the offer has to be cancelled or not.
Finland
Address:
ALKO INC./Posti Group
Tikkurilantie 148
Gate 1, doors D 18-21
FI-01530 VANTAA, FINLAND
– In case you need to indicate contact details to ALKO, please state the following:
Laatu Palaute
+358 20 711 11
Important:
– The deadline for ALKO stated is when samples have to arrive to ALKO destination stated. Late samples are not accepted by the monopoly.
– Make sure to stick the code stickers (in attachment) to the bottles. ALKO does not accept samples without this barcode.
– The bottles must have correct label and closure as we have agreed to offer, so please make sure to add any information that would be missing. Also make sure to send the vintage and classification that we have offered. If you don’t have the final label ready, you must include a mock-up bottle in the parcel.
– In Finland they choose the winning product based on both taste and look, so a final label or a good mock-up is very important.
– Samples must be sent on DDP Alko central warehouse Vantaa delivery terms, meaning with a company such as FedEx or DHL who deliver the package directly to the door. ALKO does not cover additional customs costs.
– Parcel should be marked as samples without any commercial value.
Please avoid using the local post office service as we have been experiencing many delays lately (rather use a company such as DHL, UPS, FedEx etc.)
– Should your product win this tender, we will ask you to send us 4 bottles of the same product that you have sent to ALKO, so please make sure that you these bottles on the side to send in case we win this tender.
– Once you have sent the samples please confirm with a tracking number to me.
Code Stickers:
– You will receive a barcode with offer number and name of product on it. This code has to be sticked on all the bottles send. It is important to stick these codes on the samples as without these codes, the samples will not be registered for the tasting.
No. of bottles:
– If the samples are with final labels and final packaging: 2 – If you send tank samples (*Rules below): 2 tank sample bottles + one empty mock up bottle with labels and final closure as stated on the offer.
If you send tank samples: Make sure the wine you send is a finished product. In case the wine isn’t bottled yet, please send samples that are stabilized and filtered and as similar as possible to the finally bottled wine. The sample should also be taken from the same batch as the final product will be taken from. This since the quality control will be based on both sensory tasting as well as chemical analysis. We ask you to keep some extra samples of the exact same wine as you send to us for future quality control in case, we win the blind tasting.
Since the purchase decision is partly based on the look of the product it’s very important that the label looks good even if it’s a mock-up.
Closure:
– If you offer the wine with screw cap but can’t send samples with this type pf closure, it’s ok to send either an empty mock-up bottle with screw-cap closure along with the samples with other closure or add a sticker to the back of the bottle saying “In case of launch the closure will be screw cap”.
Bottle shape:
– The bottle shape must be the same for samples and the wine that is launched.
For any questions please contact [email protected] or call 0046-841 024 434.
Sweden & Norway
– Only quality is important in the blind tasting in Sweden and Norway, so labels, closure etc don’t matter for the samples. Should the wine be launched however all requirements in the tender when it comes to closure, bottle shape etc. must be fulfilled.
For Bag-in-box offers
– When you send samples for an offer of Bag-in-box you can send the wine in 750 ml bottles. The quality of the wine will be better that way.
Concealed Wines AB Northern Europe
www.concealedwines.com [email protected]
– In Sweden and Norway it’s enough to only send the samples in bottles, while in Finland we also need to send along a mock-up of the Bag-in-box itself since its look will be considered in the selection process.
Product Type: Beer and Spirits
General guidelines quality and sampling – potential purchase – Beer and Spirits
Samples
Make sure the product you send is a finished product. In case the product isn’t bottled/canned yet, please send a sample that is stable and as similar as possible to the finished product in the end. The sample can be of a different batch to the final product launched. It is however important that it is the same in sensory (taste and nose) as well analytical breakdown (pay extra care to make sure the alcohol percentage is the same as offered). We ask you to keep some extra samples of the sample batch in case we win for quality control at a later stage.
Notice that a product that is not ready/not fresh will have a much smaller chance doing well in a blind tasting. The product you send samples of needs to be the same as the one you offered in the paper work as well as the same as the one you will launch in case of winning. Every launch round some of the winning products don’t get launched due to the strict quality control at the monopolies.
It is important to be able to supply the offered volume during time-frame given in case we win the tender. Please note that should your availability of the product change during the tender process, please let us know and we discuss whether the offer has to be cancelled or not.
Samples labelling doesn’t have to comply with Swedish/Finnish/Norwegian rules, however if the product wins the tender, it will need to be adapted to fulfill the requirements for labels in each market. We will instruct you in what changes are needed if your product is selected.
Finland
– The samples must correspond to the final sales packaging with final labels. Since the purchase decision is partly based on the look of the product it’s very important that the front label looks good even if it’s a mock-up.
– If you offer the product with special closure/type of packaging, but can’t send samples of this type it’s ok to send an empty mock-up with the special closure/packaging along with the samples of other type of packaging. This is ok as long as you can guarantee the product will be launched as requested in tender in case it is chosen.
– The bottle/can shape and closure must be the same for samples and the product that is launched.
Sweden & Norway
– Only quality is important in the blind tasting in Sweden and Norway, so labels, closure etc don’t matter for the samples. Should the product be launched however all requirements in the tender when it comes to closure, bottle shape etc. must be fulfilled.