Korbel Hoists A Toast to Whoopi Goldberg

Let's hear it for Whoopi Goldberg, who added "artist" to her list of credits when her original artwork appeared on a limited-edition Korbel champagne bottle. Goldberg is the fifth and latest artist commissioned by Korbel Champagne Cellars to create a design for its line of Korbel Artist Series Bottles.Korbel popped the cork in mid-May on the Whoopi bottle, which was shipped to on- and off-premise locations nationwide. The Whoopi Goldberg Artist Series Bottle features a kelly green and violet floral design reflective of Goldberg's playful and free-spirited image. A special baked enamel process was used to apply the design to the bottle, which is topped off with a violet foil capsule featuring Goldberg's signature in gold accent.A star-studded cast of P-O-P, featuring a posterized photo of Goldberg and her original work of art, supports the introduction of this year's bottle. A wine menu, menu clip and 2-foot-high poster showcase the Whoopi bottle at participating on-premise locations; a case card, a shelf talker and the poster promote it at off-premise sites, where a sweepstakes for a Hollywood trip for two stargazing consumers is also being held."Korbel has been a part of America's holidays and special events for more than a century," says Gary Heck, president of the Guerneville, Calif.-based company. "The Korbel Artist Series Bottles entice consumers to buy and appreciate champagne more often than just on special occasions."Heck says most champagne is consumed during the last four months of the year. The special artist series program creates an opportunity to keep Korbel champagne in front of consumers throughout the year. Originally designed to promote Korbel Brut Rose for Valentine's Day -- suggesting a tie-in to roses -- the annual release of special bottles will now take place at various times during the year, with additional flavors targeted for future releases.Whoopi Goldberg was "a natural choice for our artist series because both Whoopi and Korbel are synonymous with fun and celebration," says Heck. He notes that those who are selected for the program are not only celebrities, but also possess a passion for art.The P-O-P materials were designed by and manufactured through Price-Weber Marketing of Louisville, Ky. Starr Pottinger, account supervisor, notes, "The photo received from Whoopi's agent was posterized with the same colors used on the bottle to give the photo a softer image that was more cohesive with the P-O-P's overall graphic treatment." Pottinger says manufacturing was outsourced to the following companies: Commercial Lithographing, Louisville, Ky., printed 1,075 case cards, which were finished by Carton Craft of New Albany, Ind.; 12,075 unprintable wine menus; 1,165 posters; and 3,025 menu clips. Hamilton Printing of Louisville, Ky., printed 5,350 shelf talkers. Goldberg's design was applied to the bottles by Ceramic Decorating Co., Los Angeles.Ten thousand cases of the bottles were produced for the United States. Suggested retail pricing is just $2 more than normal Korbel Brut Rose. In California, the keepsake bottle retails for about $12.99, but prices vary depending on each state's tax rate for alcoholic beverages. When the limited-edition bottles sell down, probably by December, Heck estimates, additional quantities will not be produced ... at least until the next artist in the series is unveiled in 2000.Launched in 1995, the annual series has also included fashion designer Nicole Miller, entertainer Frank Sinatra, singer Tony Bennett and actress Jane Seymour.

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