Accolade Wines, the UK’s number one wine company, has launched a new Alcohol Free Chardonnay under its best-selling Hardys brand.
Hardys, which has seen a 2.9% increase in sales[1], is the number one UK wine brand and is broadening its offer in response to increasing demand for low or no alcohol alternatives that offer an authentic, sophisticated wine experience. It is the brand’s first no alcohol style.
With 19.9%[2] year-on-year growth for the low and no category, Hardys has listened to the market and created a product that delivers on taste and quality and can be enjoyed by a broad range of consumers across multiple occasions.
David White, Marketing Director at Accolade Wines, says: “The alcohol free wine category represents a growing £17m profit opportunity for the trade and Hardys Alcohol Free is perfect to help capitalise on this trend. It offers important wine cues, such as grape style and flavour notes, and strong consumer confidence in the Hardys brand will help to drive purchase on occasions when consumers might be seeking an alternative to alcohol.”
The launch of Hardys Alcohol Free Chardonnay demonstrates the brand’s reputation for pushing the boundaries of winemaking. Made using the same grapes that go into Hardys Chardonnay, with expertise developed over five generations of wine production, Hardys Alcohol Free Chardonnay has been carefully de-alcoholised[3] to provide an easy-drinking wine that is juicy, refreshing, and full of flavour, with tropical and citrus notes.
“As the UK’s favourite wine[4] and the number one wine brand, Hardys is the most trusted choice for consumers to trial no alcohol wine,” comments White.
“Our decades of wine expertise have been fully leveraged to produce this great tasting alcohol free wine and we’re very proud of the results, and confident that it will be well received by both consumers and our trade partners.”
Hardys Alcohol Free Chardonnay will be sold at an RRP of between £5.00-£7.00 and listings are already confirmed with Tesco, Morrisons, Ocado, and Matthew Clark from 1st April. The launch is being supported with in-store marketing activity and promotion across Hardys social media channels.
[1] Nielsen 52 w/e 26.01.19
[2] Nielsen 52 w/e 27.01.19
[3] Alcohol is removed by a vacuum distillation process
[4] Inapub Magazine ‘People’s Choice Award – People’s Favourite Wine Award’ winner
