25 Jul 2017 Functional and funky single-serve wine format

Alternative packaging formats are increasingly being used in Europe and the US to drive wine sales in the face of fierce competition – and here’s news of an innovative single-serve pouch.

UK company Off-Piste Wines is launching a varietal range, branded Most Wanted, as single-serve pouches to target the on-the-go market and festival-goers.

The single-serve 187ml pouches, in planning for more than a year and market trialed, comprise two wines, a Mendoza Malbec and a Sicilian Pinot Grigio, and hit shelves in June (available nationwide in Co-op stores) following their launch at the London Wine Fair.

The specially-commissioned foil-lined pouches were developed in response to the changes in consumer lifestyles and growth of small format wines in the UK, Off-Piste said and developed by producer Oneglass in Northern Italy.

The bottle-shaped premium pouches stand up on the base, and are made from 75% paper, 20% polyethylene and 5% aluminium, making them more environmentally-friendly and 100% recyclable. They can simply be flattened after use.

NPD and brand manager Rachel Archer said the format was widely available across Europe and was likely to work particularly well for the brand’s key demographic, given its suitability for outdoor occasions, festivals and on-the-go drinking.

“It works well for the brand and as a new idea. Single serve is growing hugely, but for us to take a different approach shows that we think differently,” she told db.

However she added that it had been important to get the marketing and positioning of the product right before launching the product as it was not something the UK consumer was used to.

“You couldn’t just put it on shelf and expect it to fly,” she noted.

Theexciting NPD would bring together lots of benefits consumers are looking for, Archer said today.

“As well as looking great, the pouch is lightweight, unbreakable, easily transportable, and simple to open, making it the perfect ‘on-the-go’ format, as well as non-glass for festivals and camping. Once empty, it flattens down to thinner than cardboard. It contributes to drinking wine in an environmentally responsible way.”

Source: www.thedrinksbusiness.com