Carlsberg’s Crown Cellars bolsters sparkling offering

Crown Cellars, the wine division of Carlsberg UK, has launched its 2017/18 wine portfolio, with a trend toward premiumisation and sparkling wine driving the addition of two new Proseccos and a Franciacorta Brut for the UK on-trade.

Terra Serena Brut Prosecco is one of two Proseccos to have been added to the range

A total of 32 wines have been added to the 500-strong portfolio of wines, selected from 200 prospective wines tasted by Crown Cellars’ team of experts including Master of Wine Jonathan Pedley and Wine Buyer Louise Boddington.

The portfolio offers 125 of those wines exclusively to the on-trade through Crown Cellars, chosen to reflect a growing trend toward premiuisation with value wine sales up 1.4% in the past year, according to the CCA Brand Index (December 2016).

New listings includes the addition of two new Proseccos – Lyric Prosecco Extra Dry, exclusive to Crown Cellars, and a Terra Serena Brut Prosecco – as well as a Franciacorta Brut from a small appellation in Lombardy.

“Prosecco sales continue at mind boggling levels but the feedback from our customers is that they are now looking for a truly dry (Brut) Prosecco,” said Jonathan Pedley MW of their choice of Prosecco.

“Most Prosecco in the UK is labelled ‘Extra Dry” but actually has a noticeable amount of sweetness when you taste it. The excellent Terra Serena does not.”

Spain is the country of origin with the most new still wines in the 2017/18 portfolio, a region that has undergone a “complete revolution”, according to Pedley, who believes the country today “probably delivers the best quality: price proposition in the world.”

Crown Cellars new spirits portfolio for 2017/18 will be launched in the next few weeks.