AB InBev canned wine enters UK with rosé made for British market

Published: 16 July, 2020

US canned wine brand Babe has made its UK debut with a French sparkling rosé developed specially for the British market.

Babe Wine, which joined AB InBev in 2019 as part of the company’s Beyond Beer portfolio, claims to be one of the fastest growing canned wine brands in the US.

In the UK, its new sparkling rosé is now exclusively available at select Sainsbury’s stores nationwide (rrp: £2.15/200ml).

The company, which was founded in 2016 with the goal of creating a “unique, fun and inclusive brand-led wine proposition that would cut through the saturated wine category”, said it was “about time we made our way across the pond”.

“Babe is all about accessibility, convenience, and just moving on from the stuffiness and formality traditionally associated with wine,” said Kendra Kuppin, product owner for Babe Wine UK.

“People love wine, end of story”, added Kuppin. “You don’t need to know about the vintage, varietal, or heritage. ‘Wine for all’ is our mission!”

AB InBev initially acquired purchased a minority stake in Babe Wine in 2018 through its ZX Ventures affiliate that invests in small brands outside of beer.

It purchased the rest of babe Wine in July last year for an undisclosed sum, with the deal said to be the largest wine investment in the global beer brand's history.

In February, the brewer acquired the Dante Robino vineyard in Mendoza, Argentina, as reported by Harpers. This is understood to be the beer company’s first vineyard acquisition.