Reh Kendermann is also adding to its portfolio. The company introduced a range of wine and fruit juice products as part of its lower alcohol ‘B’ by Black Tower range last year. Lower in alcohol at 5.5%, they contain 55 calories per 12.5cl glass – 30% fewer calories than a standard glass of wine.
Following the success of these wines, the company will release a further three varieties into the UK market in June. The passion fruit blend will also include a touch of pineapple and there will be two completely new flavours – strawberry with a touch of raspberry and blackberry with a touch of strawberry.
FLAVOURS
It’s not just berries and soft fruit that have entered the arena – exotic fruits have joined the mix and are adding to the appeal of the category. Reh Kendermann’s Flemming says: “The market leader has quickly increased into different flavour profiles, many of them rather exotic, to satisfy retailer expectations and beef up the category.”
In terms of fruit, Flemming says: “There are a few other fruity entrants, none, as yet, on an own label, although this could change. The expectation is that there will be a shake-up in the variations as ranges bed down. Growth will almost certainly slow down in comparison to the rapid growth we have seen in the past year.”
Exotic might be appealing, but it doesn’t always translate to sales. “We have seen very quickly a huge increase in the available flavour range but more commonly known fruit flavours tend to be leading the way. The lesser-known fruits or more exotic flavours are offering consumer interest, but they are not necessarily the most frequently bought,” Flemming says.
Keeping ahead of the trends and offering something that appeals is a juggling act. Kendermann says it keeps abreast of the types of flavours both in the wine market and other related food and beverage markets that seem to have the greatest consumer uptake. “We also conduct regular panel tastings to understand which flavour combinations actually work,” adds Flemming.
MARKETS
It might currently be mainly about the UK when it comes to flavoured wines but it would be a mistake to discount other markets.
“A few years ago, Wine Intelligence released a report regarding the success of flavoured wines in Europe, especially in France,” Taylorson says. “Grapefruit-flavoured rosé wine is seen by the younger European consumer as an approachable style and can be easily drunk as an aperitif. For example, Castel’s successful brand Very was born from the French tradition of adding a touch of grapefruit juice to a glass of rosé wine, with the fruit aromas enhancing those of the wine.”
Flemming says Reh Kendermann’s flavoured wines have been, and are still, available in a number of mature markets. “It is possible that less mature markets will open up to the flavoured wines trend as consumers become more adventurous,” she adds.
Consumers are becoming more adventurous and the wine industry might increasingly have to place slightly less emphasis on tradition and start looking at the opportunities other fruits have to offer. If the UK is anything to go by, consumers are having more than just a fling with fruit fusions and flavoured wines.
