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Sparkling giant sees Crémant sales climb 16%
Henkell Freixenet has revealed that its sales of Crémant have soared this year, ahead of the global average, as consumers continue to seek out alternative sparkling styles.
The volume of Crémant consumed globally increased by 3.2% in 2023, as consumers sought out more budget-friendly alternatives to Champagne.
According to IWSR, Crémant sales in 2022 were around 106.8 million bottles, which grew to 110 million bottles in 2023 (corresponding to +3.2% growth) worldwide.
Alex Little, Champagne & Sparkling wine buyer for Sainsbury’s told db in April that “an important trend Sainsbury’s is experiencing is the continued growth of products that sit outside of the ‘main’ sparkling categories. A primary example of this is Crémant, which continues to prove increasingly popular with customers.”
It was a similar story at Waitrose, which revealed in March that Crémant sales were up 51% on the same period a year ago.
Now leading sparkling producer Henkell Freixenet has confirmed that its own Crémant sales grew faster than the total market last year, with the company seeing a 16.1% leap in the fizz.
France is the biggest consumer of Henkell Freixenet’s Crémant, but in terms of export markets Germany leads the way followed by the US and the UK.
Vanessa Lehmann, head of communications for the drinks company, says that Crémant is “code for French sparkling wine made in the traditional method but outside the Champagne region. It’s a style of wine that’s similar to Champagne, but affordable, and therefore especially attractive for anyone longing for a top premium sparkling experience.”
Lehmann also draws a comparison between Prosecco and Crémant, crediting the former for the growing success of the latter.
“In the last 10 years, the boom in Prosecco has given a boost to premium sparkling wines,” she tells db. “Prosecco has attracted new consumers, mainly young women in their 20s and 30s, charmed by the spritz cocktail. Today, these new consumers are looking for an alternative, and Crémant is the natural choice. A method of production identical to that of Champagne but at a price comparable to that of Prosecco.”
According to Lehmann, Henkell Freixenet “sees a great potential in this rising category and our Crémant brand Gratien & Meyer captures the trend perfectly.”
Founded in Saumur in 1864, Gratien & Meyer is one of the oldest wineries in France and uses hand-picked grapes to guarantee quality. According to Henkell Freixenet, the brand has grown 12.6% in volume in the past year, and was the number one internationally distributed Crémant brand worldwide in 2023. Its Gratien & Meyer Crémant de Loire Cuvée Diadem Blanc Brut offers a bouquet of white flowers, lime and green apple, with soft pear flavours on the palate, while its Rosé Brut expression has notes of notes of grapefruit, redcurrant and strawberry.
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