3rd January 2023
London-based wine startup, NICE has launched its first lower ABV Session Wine in time for ‘Dry January’: a 3.4% ABV NICE Session Sauvignon Blanc and NICE Session Merlot, developed to taste like a full-strength wine
Other alcohol categories such as beer and spirits, have successfully developed No and Low ABV options that closely mimic the quality of ‘full-strength’ alternatives. Wine is a highly complex liquid and so typically the process to de-alcoholise has a more pronounced adverse effect on flavour, style, aroma and texture.
Made with Sauvignon Blanc grapes, NICE’s White Session Wine is” “dry, crisp, fresh, with a little wink of tropical citrus.” Made with Merlot grapes NICE’s Red Session Wine is “juicy, fruity, and smooth, with a little flash of spice.”
“Moderation of alcohol isn’t new and it isn’t niche. Three out of four UK adults are proactively moderating their alcohol intake; the same as the number of people who consume alcohol at least once per week. It’s also not just a Gen Z phenomenon, we can see from the data that it’s happening across all age groups. That’s why we created Session wine, to offer consumers more choice” – Lucy Busk, Co-founder.
The Moderation Market
● No and Low alcohol gets a bad rep – 61% of consumers are looking for better tasting choice
● 42% of consumers are put off visiting venues due to not enough choice for moderation
● 50% of UK consumers are discovering new No and Low products in supermarkets
● 84% of those consumers then go on to purchase No and Low products in supermarkets
● 3 out of 4 UK adults are proactively moderating their alcohol intake; the same as the number of people who consume alcohol at least once per week.*
● 79% of consumers of No and Low products also drink full-strength alcohol, classified as ‘substitutors who choose no/low products when avoiding alcohol on certain occasions’.
The No and Low wine market is worth £146m, growing 17% in the past year reflecting the growing desire from consumers and the growth of options being launched into the market.
However, despite this growth, driven mainly by zero alcohol options, moderation in wine has been few and far between, getting a bad reputation as tasting like juice, and largely only providing for non alcoholic occasions, rather than as a low ABV option. We’re now starting to see retailers such as Sainsbury’s introduce a Mid-Zone in the wine aisle (7-10% abv) but still there isn’t a ‘Sessionable’ option available at a lower ABV like there has been in RTDs and beer. This means there’s a £150m category opportunity just by catching up with the adjacent category market shares.
Available exclusively from the NICE website and to the on trade in 75cl bottles.