Sainsbury's replaces CYT's Casillero del Diablo Chilean brand with its own Camino del Angel range

Leading UK supermarket chain, Sainsbury’s, has taken the bold, and controversial step of delisting Chile’s number one brand in the country, Casillero del Diablo, from Concha y Toro, and replacing it with a private label range that has a very similar design.

Sainsbury’s Camino del Angel range can be found in Sainsbury’s stores whilst Casillero del Diablo from Concha y Toro is only available through the chain’s website.

The Camino del Angel range has been introduced across both white and red wines and includes a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Many in the UK trade are seeing this as a throw back to the mid 1990s when supermarkets went head to head with another of household brands across all categories with brands that looked very similar to the original. The situation then culminated in a high profile court case between Asda and United Biscuits after it launched a Puffin chocolate bar to sit alongside the familiar Penguin brand.

Asda lost the case and had to pay United’s costs.

Since then the major retailers have successfully developed own label wines to be huge category in its own right, but up to now have looked to create their own brands, or tertiary brands, rather than introduce what could be seen as lookie-likey brand alternatives.

Concha y Toro is remaining largely tight-lipped about the situation but has told VINEX that: "We're aware of it, and are taking it very seriously. We have no other comment at this time”.

Sainsbury’s has not been willing to comment on the range.

Concha y Toro has invested enormously in making Casillero del Diablo not only, by far, the biggest Chilean wine brand in the UK, but it was the fourth largest wine brand overall in 2016 (IRI 52 weeks to July 2016).

It has also invested huge sums in becoming the official wine of Manchester United, and running one of the most ambitious and expensive TV and cinema advertising campaigns for wine ever with its “Wine Legend” campaign.