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Skinny pink Champagne to launch in UK
A zero dosage pink Champagne called “Skinny Rosé” is to be sold in the UK for the first time next week.
Champagne Tribaut has produced a zero-dosage version of its Rosé de Reserve
Developed by Howard Abernethy, founder of Champagne importer and online retailer Finest Fizz, the new product has been created for the UK market in response to an increasing demand for lower calorie drinks.
According to Abernethy, who told the drinks business this morning that the first bottles of Skinny Rosé will arrive next week, Finest Fizz customers tell him they are concerned about the effect of drinking Champagne on their figure.
“The feedback I often get is: ‘I’d like to drink it, but it doesn’t go well with my waistline.’” he said.
As a result, Abernethy asked Champagne Tribaut, whose pink fizz he already imports, to produce a version of its Rosé de Reserve with no added sugar – which he has branded Skinny Rosé.
He estimated that the Champagne has 60 calories in a 125ml glass compared to 100 calories in a standard Brut Champagne, which usually contains between 7 and 12 grams per litre residual sugar.
The sweetening element to Champagne is added before corking to balance the naturally high acidity in the fizz and help preserve the wine.
Having founded Finest Fizz two years ago, Abernethy has concentrated on supplying just Champagne to the UK trade and private customers.
With Skinny Rosé, he said the target market would be women.
“Rosé is very female friendly and I know it’s going to be the ladies, hopefully in all shapes and sizes, who will want Skinny Rosé,” he commented.
Skinny Champagne by Alexandre Penet
Although he would like to market a skinny blanc Champagne, he is having problems registering the name for a white equivalent due to the existence of Skinny Champagne by Alexandre Penet – a zero dosage fizz developed by former BBC broadcaster Amanda Thomson, and on sale in UK restaurants, such as Nobu.
For this reason, he is marketing another low dosage fizz he imports, which is made by Champagne Henri Martin, as “aka Skinny Champagne” – although he can’t apply the term to the label.
He added that no importer or producer had registered the term Skinny Rosé for Champagne before his decision to launch the product.
The Tribaut Skinny Rosé de Reserve Extra Brut will retail through Finest Fizz for £38, or £48 if presented in a silk lined, sandalwood gift box.
Calling anything ‘skinny’, whether wine, milk, bodies or clothes, should be made illegal. As the father of an anorexic, I see this as crass, almost criminal, marketing. Mr Abernethy and Mr Penet are trying to profiteer on the back of a social malaise – and advertising such products should be looked at by the Portman Group, as it is utterly irresponsible.
Can’t help but wonder if Jim Beam Inc. (NYSE: BEAM) is aware of this. The likelihood of confusion of the brand mentioned above with the Skinnygirl alcoholic beverage brand Beam purchased from reality TV star Bethenny Frankel is extreme –seems like you have the same marketing angle of similar products to same demographic with very similar brand names.