If you’ve been out to any of the top nightclubs you see advertised on Torontonightclub.com, you’ll have noticed at some point in the evening a parade of beautiful women with sparklers and either an illuminated Ace of Spades tablet or a giant golden tub with sparkling golden bottles of champagne in them. This is the top champagne currently in demand in Ontario for anyone celebrating life and what it has to offer in a nightclub booth with their friends. There is no way we weren’t going to find out who is responsible for this. We sat down with Steve Kriaris, President of Kolonaki Group, the national distributor for Armand de Brignac Brut Gold Champagne in Canada, more commonly known as Ace Of Spades.
Have you always been the distributor for Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Brut Gold Champagne in Ontario/Canada?
Yes Kolonaki Group introduced Armand de Brignac Champagne to Canada 4 years ago. At that time we started to hand sell the champagne one bottle at a time.
What made you decide to bring it in? What year was that?
At that time we only had Dom and Cristal in the market. I felt that it was time for us to bring a new luxury Champagne to the ever evolving Toronto market. That began in 2012.
Armand de Brignac Champagne is the only luxury Champagne in our portfolio.
Do you remember the time you noticed an uptick in orders?
The first uptick in orders came after our second summer season, Once the Gold bottle started to pop up on patios around the city it was hard not to notice them and people began the whole social media buzz around that. The truth is that we are very grateful for all of the relationships we have developed over the years with our everyone. It is the support of our great city and the various venues that have helped drive the popularity of the brand.
What do you think was the catalyst that made Ace Of Spades so popular in the nations nightclubs?
Many people believe that the Armand craze in the nightclubs is solely based on its Jay Z popularity. YES it played a major roll but the additional factor is that Armand not only stands for quality but it also stands for what the next generation of consumers are considering thee brand to have at their table.
What is the number one city in Canada for sales of Ace Of Spades? How does it compare to all of North America?
The #1 city for sales of Armand de Brignac in Canada is Toronto. Our city Toronto has become synonymous with Luxury products / lifestyle and that is here to stay. Armand in Toronto is the luxury Champagne that complements our lifestyle.
How important is the presentation for your product when people order it in a nightclub. I notice nothing compares to the way a bottle of Ace of Spades comes out to a booth. Either in the Led Ace Of Spades holder or the golden bathtub for multiple orders. How important is the nightclub component of your sales?
Presentation is everything regardless of where Armand is being served. Bar, restaurant, patio, home, or a simple gathering of friends. Armand de Brignac Champagne makes consumers feel special and that is why we still hand make every bottle and take additional care from the production of the product until the final destination. The nightclub component is very important to us as is the consumer who enjoys a bottle of Armand for their anniversary. Each and every bottle is special and we always try to make that known.
How did you guys come up with that? I noticed you just launched the Ace Of Spades Red, I’m guessing it’s a rose champagne correct?
Yes we recently launched the Red bottle of Armand. It is not a Rose. The Rose bottle is actually PINK in colour. The Red bottle is a Demi-Sec. Semi sweet.
Any other variations of it coming up in the next few months or years?
The next big thing will be the black bottle of Armand de Brignac blanc de noir. We hope to receive an allocation of 30 bottles in Canada. It will retail for $999 each. We already have a waiting list.
Are there any other products in the Kolonaki Group umbrella people should watch out for?
We have many great products already in our portfolio. As far as new products at the moment I can’t say very much but we do have 2-3 additional products that will be in the market within 12-24 months.
Can people order direct from your company or do they have to go through the LCBO?
Consumers can order Armand de Brignac Champagne from the LCBO. The code is 220244 and the retail is $299 each. It is available in over 130 LCBO stores across Ontario.
All additional sizes and colours can be ordered directly from us at Kolonaki Group 416-630-7392 or email us at sales@kolonakigroup.com Contact Nikos
Thanks for your time Steve and we look forward to seeing your products raised high above everyone’s heads the next time we’re out!
