What’s the opportunity for smaller wine formats?

Anyone for a pint? Of wine I mean. Just after Christmas we received the interesting news that we could now specifically identify at least one thing we’ve gained from Brexit. Which is useful to know, in case anyone asks.

Free from EU rules, the Department for Business and Trade announced new legislation that allowed for still and sparkling wine to be sold in 200ml, 500ml and 568ml (pint) bottles from 2024. EU rules permit sparkling wine for example, to be sold only in 375ml, or 750ml packs, for example. Hooray. Rule Britannia, etc, etc.

What’s the benefit?

Churchill famously was a fan of the measure for champagne, because it afforded “enough for two at lunch and one at dinner”. How civilised. And also, how modern. With consumption trends still following the ‘drink less, but drink better’ trajectory, that approach would seem to work well for a modern drinker, especially at the premium end.

However, some wine producers have been less enthused by the announcement. Changing bottling equipment and commissioning new formats requires a significant investment. Other makers have said that for sparkling at least, it makes less sense from a quality point of view; those using traditional aging methods say wines age better in larger bottles.

And for British fizz too, taking the pint or any of those smaller measures would mean such packs could only be sold in the UK. Not a massive problem if you’re a huge brand with a large budget behind you. But for smaller brands, trying to extend their market beyond the domestic catchment area, investing in the resources needed to produce a unique pack for one just market might be an ask. And again for sparkling, with a significant lead time required to produce and age their liquids, we won’t see pint-sized champagnes for example, any time soon.

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