Black Tower follows up healthy drinking trends with new 0.5% abv range

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 25 July, 2018

Black Tower is expanding its low alcohol offering in a bid to boost its appeal to health-conscious millennials at Christmas.

The new range carries an ABV of 0.5% and includes red, white, rosé and sparkling varietals.

As the trend to lower alcohol consumption continues, the German wine brand is following up its B by Blacktower 5.5 ABV range.

Launched in 2011, B by Black Tower saw +18.5% growth year on year in UK supermarkets in the year to July 2017 (Kantar Worldpanel).

Black Tower highlighted the strategic and growing importance of the low/no category at a time when the younger generation is increasingly moderating its alcohol intake.

According to Nielsen, the low alcohol category in the UK increased by £1.7m in the year to May 2017.

Meanwhile, 20% of UK adults are teetotal, the equivalent of 10.6 million people.

“Consumers want to enjoy Christmas parties, family meals and New Year celebrations without jeopardising their diets and impacting their general health,” said Black Tower’s export sales director, Alison Fleming MW.

“In particular, our target audience - female and Millennial drinkers - wish to moderate their alcohol consumption. Attitudes have changed thanks to the taste and quality of low alcohol wines greatly improving with comparable alternatives to popular varieties now available. As a trusted brand, we are perfectly positioned to capitalise on this trend and broaden our offering”.

As part of the launch, it is also releasing its 0.5% Black Tower Deliciously Light Sparkling, in line with fizzing sparkling trends across Europe.

Since 2013, sales of sparkling wine have increased by 89% in volume and 206% by value, according to figures from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

Sales are primarily driven by the off-trade (120.24m bottles of sparkling wine and 15.14m Champagne were sold last year).

More than 26m bottles of sparkling wine and Champagne were sold in the on-trade in 2017.

In total, UK consumers bought the equivalent of 104m bottles of sparkling wine in excess of £1.3bn in 2017, a 12% increase on volume sales from 2016.

When added together with sales of Champagne, the fizz market in the UK is now worth more than £2bn.

Black Tower’s Deliciously Light range carries an RRP of £3.50 to £4.

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